Abstract: The Earth experienced an integrated climate cycle from cold to warm since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), which is a key period in the previous global change research. This study focused on vegetation succession and its climate response pattern since the LGM to provide scientific basis for the strategic deployment of ecological environment construction on the Loess Plateau, by utilizing the highresolution pollen records of fluvial and lacustrinesubaqueous loess sedimentary sequence of the Huining XG section from the Loess Plateau in the Central Gansu. Results from this study are significant for the further investigation of regional climate change mechanisms, as well as prediction of future climate change. The pollen records from the XG section revealed that vegetation succession in the Loess Plateau of Central Gansu since the LGM could be: desert steppe (the cold glacial maximum epoch)→coniferous sparse forest/forest steppe→forest steppe dominated by coniferous broadleaved mixed forest→coniferous broadleaved mixed forest (the warm intermaximum glacial epoch)→coniferous sparse forest steppe→steppe/desert steppe. The corresponding climate response pattern could be: cold and dry→relatively warm and humid→relatively warmer and wet→most warm and wet→cool but slant dry→relatively cold and dry. Overall, the forest/sparse forest steppe zone in the study area has been advanced and retreated many times from southeast to northwest since the LGM, along with the changes of climate in cold or warm and dry or humid. The climax community of regional vegetation is coniferous broadleaved mixed forest, which developed under the suitable climate period of Middle Holocene. A large area of coniferous broadleaved mixed forest also developed in a long term during the Early and Middle Holocene. During Late Holocene, vegetation degenerated into steppe/desert steppe, which may be attributed to the natural response of continuous climate drying or could be a result of the vicious circle caused by the anthropogenic destruction of natural forest and grassland vegetation.

Key words: potential habitat, biological invasion, Mytilopsis sallei, model, Last Glacial Maximum, Last Deglaciation, Holocene, pollen record, vegetation succession, Loess Plateau.