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In this paper, we undertake a high-resolution palynological analysis of a sediment core covering the last 1500 years obtained from Lake Ayakum in the northern Tibetan Plateau, to improve the understanding of regional climate fluctuations and their driving mechanisms. The pollen spectra are dominated by herbaceous species such as Artemisia , Chenopodiaceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae, which grew in various alpine desert settings. Four pollen assemblage zones are identified using stratigraphically constrained cluster analysis, representing climate history at different stages. The Artemisia /Chenopodiaceae (A/C) ratio and axis score of the first principal component are used to infer regional moisture conditions and reveal a temporal pattern that is consistent with various records from central Asia. The source of Cyperaceae pollen is mainly from marsh wetlands distributed around the lake, which responded sensitively to the lake level fluctuations. In contrast, arboreal pollen is mainly a long-distance transported component, reflecting changes in regional vegetation. Our findings show that the northern Tibetan Plateau experienced relatively wet conditions during the Dark Age Cold Period and the Little Ice Age, while relatively dry conditions occurred during the Medieval Warm Period and the last two centuries. Fluctuations in moisture levels are broadly consistent with moisture records elsewhere in western China, and show a good correlation with phase changes of the North Atlantic Oscillation. The climate changes in the northern Tibetan Plateau are supposed to be primarily triggered by the NAO phases through south-north migrations of the mid-latitude westerlies during the late Holocene. • Fossil pollen based 1500-year vegetation and climate changes on the northern Tibetan Plateau. • Major pollen species were analyzed and interpreted in terms of regional moisture variations. • Four vegetation and climate stages during the late Holocene were determined accordingly. • NAO phases affected northern TP climate through south-north migrations of the westerlies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]