Climate projections show the extreme vulnerability of arid lands from the southern shore of the Mediterranean. In central and southern Tunisia, since the Capsian-Neolithic transition, the semi-arid and arid ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to aridity events and anthropogenic stresses. In order to improve our understanding of climate dynamics and man-environment relationships, playa lake deposits are key archives in arid regions where suitable sediments are lacking.

Pollen analysis were undertaken on two sequences retrieved from Sebkha Kelbia and Sebkha Boujmel and spanning the last 8kyr. The pollen data document the vegetation response to the global climate trend and rapid climate changes, as well as the accelerated anthropogenic forcing. The different history of the xerophytic Mediterranean taxa between Sebkha Kelbia and Sebkha Boujmel highlights a north-south gradient within arid steppe landscapes by the end of the African Humid Period, while the anthropogenic impact remains limited.