Pollen records of Holocene vegetation and climate changes in the Longzhong Basin of the Chinese Loess Plateau

Pollen records with an average time resolution of 20-200 years from Holocene loess sections at Dingxi, Qin'an, and other localities of Gansu Province reveal a detailed history of vegetation and climate changes in the western Loess Plateau. For most time of the Holocene, the landscape was dominated by grasslands or forest steppes. However, during the middle Holocene (7.5-5.8 ka BP), relatively dense forests developed, and the endemic vegetation flourished, suggesting a much warmer and more humid climate condition than the present. Superimposed upon this general pattern are several dry intervals marked by the episodic expansion of grasslands or forest steppe. Xeric vegetation expanded after 3.8 ka BP, indicating a trend towards dry conditions.     

Vegetation evolution and millennial-scale climatic fluctuations since Last Glacial Maximum in pollen record from northern South China Sea

A large number of paleoclimate records reveal subMilankovitch climatic fluctuations on the millennial-scalesuperimposing on the Earth orbital cycles[1], such as theHeinrich ice draft events in the Atlantic (each intervalabout 7000–10000 a)[2,3], the Dansgaard/Oeschger (D-O)events (millennial-scale) in Greenland Ice Cores and theBond cycle composed of a Heinrcih event after severalD-O events[4]. At present, most recent work on millennial-scale climatic fluctuations focuses on the high lat…     

Palaeoenvironmental changes from pollen record in deep sea core PC-1 from northern Okinawa Trough, East China Sea during the past 24 ka

A pollen record of core PC-1 from the northern Okinawa Trough, East China Sea （ECS）, provides information on vegetation and climate changes since 24 cal. kaBP. A total of 103 samples were palynologically analyzed at 8 cm intervals with a time resolution of 230 a. Four pollen zones are recognized： zone Ⅰ （812-715 cm, 24.2-21.1 cah kaBP）, zone Ⅱ （715-451 cm, 21.1-15.2 cah kaBP）, zone Ⅲ （451-251 cm, 15.2-0.8 cah kaBP）, zone Ⅳ （251-0 cm, 10.8-0.3 cal. kaBP）, corresponding to Late MIS 3, Last Glacial Maximum （LGM）, deglaciation and Holocene, respectively. The LGM is characterized by the dominance of herbs, mainly Artemisia, and high pollen influx, implying an open vegetation on the ex- posed continental shelf and a cool and dry climate. The deglaciation is a climate warming stage with Pinus percentage increased and Artemisia percentage decreased and a rapid sea-level rise. The Holocene is characterized by predominance of tree pollen with rapid increase in Castanea-Castanopsis indicating the development of mixed evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forest and a warm, humid climate. Low pollen influx during the Holocene probably implies submergence of the continental shelf and retreat of the pollen source area. The vegetation indicated by pollen assemblage found in this upper zone is consistent with the present vegetation found in Kyushu, Japan. Originating from the humid mountain area of North Luzon of the Philippines, Tasmania and New Zealand, Phyllocladus with sporadic occurrence throughout PC-1 core probably suggests the influence of Palaeo-Kuroshio Current or intense summer monsoon. The observed changes in Pinus and Herbs percentage indicate fluctuations of the sea level, and high Pinus percentage corresponds to high sea level. Spectrum analysis of the pollen percentage record reveals many millennial-scale periodicities, such as periodicities of 6.8, 3.8, 2.2, 1.6 ka.     

An ice-core record of vegetation and climate changes in the central Tibetan Plateau during the last 550 years

We present a 550-year ice-core pollen record with a 5-year resolution from the Puruogangri ice field in the central Tibetan Plateau.Analysis of the relationship between pollen record and instrumental observations suggests that the sum of the steppe and meadow pollen taxa is a good indicator of summer (June-August) temperature,whereas the ratios of Cyperaceae/(Gramineae+Artemisia) [Cy/(G+A)] as well as M/S (meadow to steppe percentages) are indicative of humidity changes in this region.Together with δ18O and...     

Late Glacial and Holocene vegetation history and paleoclimate of the Tengger Desert,northwestern China

With a total area of 36000 km2, the Tengger Desert is the fourth largest desert in China. The Qilian Mountains demarcate the southwestern boundary of the desert andthe Helan Mountain on the east separates the desert from the Mo Us Desert. The Yabulai Mountain on thenorthwest borders the Tengger Desert and the BadainJaran Desert and the Loess Plateau touch its southern tip (Fig. 1). Climatically, the area is situated at the junction of the hyper-arid northwest, the arid to semi-arid sou…     

Deep sea pollen record during 12－1.6 Ma from the southern South China Sea and its response to envi-ronmental change

Based on deep-sea pollen results (512-76 m) from ODP Site 1143 in the southern South China Sea (SCS),the climate and vegetation evolution sequence on the surrounding islands and the exposed continental shelf are discussed. The pollen records show that the pollen influx was quite low before 8.15 Ma and increased dramatically afterwards. The influx changes can be ascribed,on one side,to tectonics deformations around the southern SCS resulting in rapid uplift of islands and subsequent increase of the sediment rates and pollen influx and on the other side to climate cooling and monsoon enhancement. Around 2.63 Ma was another obvious boundary,the increasing of pollen and spores influx since this time was mainly related to global climate cooling. Spectrum analysis of pollen influx values shows that 2 Ma,0.67 Ma,and 0.19-0.17 Ma cycles existed during 12-3.0 Ma,while 0.1 Ma and 46.9 ka cycles existed during 3.0-2.0 Ma.     

Evidence of a humid mid-Holocene in the western part of Chinese Loess Plateau

Field works show that the wetland/swamp layers were distributed ubiquitously in the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Universality of the wetland/swampy layer and the consistency of the age reveal that the layer was developed under the humid climatic condition. Dated between 9 and 3.8 kaBP, the wetland/swampy layer is full of aquatic mollusks and has the highest tree and shrub pollen,indicating a humid mid-Holocene. Variations of grain size suggest that winter monsoon weakened during 9-3.8 kaBP while climate change to humid and vegetation cover increased from 9 kaBP onward. After 5.9 kaBP, the humidity declined gradually. In 3.8 kaBP, summer monsoon sharply retreated, and the climate changed to dry.     

Vegetation evolution and its response to climatic change during 3.15–0.67 Ma in deep-sea pollen record from northern South China Sea

In order to study vegetation evolution and environmental change during 3.15-0.67 Ma,a total of 608 pollen samples with an average time resolution of 4 ka has been analyzed from ODP Site 1145(water depth 3175 m),northern South China Sea.The deep-sea sediments(213.62-91.9 m) cover from 3.15 to 0.67 Ma based on micropaleonotological stratigraphy.The characteristic features of the pollen diagram include that,pollen influx rises twice obviously around 2.58 Ma and during 2.0-1.8 Ma,in response to global climatic cooling and winter monsoon enhancement.Before 2.58 Ma,tropical and subtropical vegetation,mainly evergreen Quercus(E) and Altingia,predominated around northern SCS with much more tropical montane conifers and ferns relatively.From 2.58 Ma,temperate vegetation increased obviously,implying climatic cooling and winter monsoon enhancement.Spectral analysis shows that percentage variation in tropical and subtropical taxa has a strong 20 ka procession cycle probably due to the summer monsoon;while pollen influx has 100,41 and 19 ka cycles,indicating the sea level and winter monsoon change response to the ice-sheet variations.     

Northern Tibetan Plateau cooling and aridification linked to Cenozoic global cooling: Evidence from <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-alkane distributions of Paleogene sedimentary sequences in the Xining Basin

The Xining Basin on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau holds the longest continuous Cenozoic stratigraphic record in China. The sequence record contains considerable information on the history of Tibetan uplift and associated climatic change. In particular, high resolution n-alkane biomarker proxy and pollen records have been obtained from the Paleogene sediments of the Xiejia section of the basin. A combination of the n-alkane and palynological records reveals that the paleoclimate in the Xining Basin experienced a long-term cooling trend from 50.2 to 28.2 Ma with a distinctive ecological event spanning 37.5 to 32.7 Ma. Since this ecological event, a vertical zonation of vegetation from lowland arid grasses, to middle-elevation subtropical broad-leaf plants, to high-elevation coniferous trees was established. We interpret that these changes in climate and vegetation were probably responses to a combination of long term global cooling since the Eocene climatic optimum and uplift of the surrounding mountains on the northern Tibetan Plateau in the early Cenozoic.     

Pollen evidence from Baode of the northern Loess Plateau of China and strong East Asian summer monsoons during the Early Pliocene

The red clay eolian sequence on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) is an important archive for paleoclimate change from the late Miocene to Pliocene,and can provide significant information for the controversial problems of East Asian monsoon evolution and its forcing mechanism.In this study,we present a pollen record from Baode,northern CLP.The record shows four stages of paleoecological evolution.From 5.6-4.4 Ma,a forest steppe ecosystem developed under an extremely warm period with high seasonal precipitation.Since 4.4 Ma,a drier episode occurred,which prompted parkland landscapes to develop.During 3.5-3.05 Ma,the environment changed to a rather open steppe ecosystem with a much cooler and drier climate.After 3.05 Ma,the vegetation evolved to forest steppe.Using the percentages of arboreal plants to mirror precipitation,and comparing with other published pollen data from the CLP,we find the existence of S-N directionality of the precipitation change and high percentage of arboreal plants in the entire CLP during the Early Pliocene,which suggest the CLP was characterized by a strong East Asian summer monsoon.The strong summer monsoon corresponds well to the low global ice volume,which may illuminate global climate mechanism for the summer monsoon evolution in the early Pliocene.     

Paleoenvironmental information recorded by pollen in B-3GC gravity core in Okinawa Trough

Based on pollen records in B-3GC gravity core, environmental change since 9500 aBP of Okinawa Trough and its adjacent islands was derived. The result showed that the most time during this period was in a warm temperate climate except in middle Holocene (6800-4400 aBP) that was under subtropical climate control. During 9500–8300 aBP and 3100–2000 aBP periods, it appeared colder and drier than the rest time. The original area of pollen sources surrounding Okinawa Trough was covered by evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forest alternatively with mixed broad-leaf-conifer forest distributed in high mountainous areas. Usually, these three kinds of forests existed at the same time with difference in altitude. Pollen from subtropical and tropical plants increased obviously in about 5000–6000 aBP, reflecting a great lifting of vegetation zone and expansion of evergreen broad-leaf forest in the study area. However, there was a slight descending of plant zone and shrinking of evergreen broadleaf forest during 9500-8300 aBP and 3000-2000 aBP. During the remaining periods vegetation zone was higher than the present but in a limited range.     

Surface pollen and vegetation reconstruction from central and northern mountains of Taiwan

Surface pollen from various montane vegetations in Shalixian Mt.and Lepei Mt.of central and northern Taiwan have been explored and analyzed.The pollen data were used to simulate vegetation types by using the biomisation technique,Computing three matrixes of pollen taxa , plant functional types and combined biomes,vegetation types at each site have been finally defined through the fuzz selections of a tie-breaking rule.The results show that surface pollen data can simulate the subtropical Castanopsis and Cyclobalanopsis forests.alpine warm-temperate Quercus and Quercus-Pinus forests,and alpine temperate/cool-temperate conifers of Tsuge-Picea and Picea-Abies forests.Simulated elevations of the,forests are similar to actual locations of the forests.This study can add vertical surface pollen data for extending investigation of various vegetation types in China,provide PFT schemes and vegetation types in low-latitude and montane areas,and be applied as modern analogues for fossil pollen in order to reconstruct Quaternary vegetations.     

Pollen records and time scale for the RM core of the Zoige Basin, northeastern QinghaiTibetan Plateau

A continuous pollen record from the Zoige Basin in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau not only provides information on the vegetation and climate changes during the last two glacial/interglacial cycles, hut also gives proof to establish the time scale of the upper 60 m of the RM core. Subalpine spruce-fir forests colonized the Zoige Basin during the interglacials and interstadials, implying warm and wet climate conditions. Alpine periglacial desert or dry desert may have existed during the penultimate glacial and the last glacial maxima, respectively. Alpine sedge meadow dominated the landscape during MIS 4. The MIS 3 is punctuated by a number of stadials similar to those documented in the Guliya and GISP2 ice cores, as indicated by repeated rise and fall of subalpine spruce-fir forests. Our pollen record reveals a regional climate history similar to those from the neighboring sites, including the Arabian Sea and the Guliya ice core, and thus supports the notion that the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau acts as an important link between climatic events in the North Atlantic realm and the Asian monsoon domain.     

田洋玛珥湖中更新世以来磁化率特征及其环境意义

 对雷州半岛东南部的田洋玛珥湖TYC孔前40 m岩芯进行了研究,结果表明,磁化率与孢粉有很好的对应关系,因而磁化率值的高低变化能够作为该区气候环境变化的替代指标。沉积物磁化率与气候变化的关系为：磁化率的低值与气候暖湿对应;磁化率的高值则与气候寒冷或温凉相对应。中更新世以来,田洋玛珥湖气候环境演化经历了9个不同的阶段：346~301.4 kaBP,气候相对暖湿。301.4~248.8 kaBP,气候寒冷干燥。248.8~188.8 kaBP,气候相对暖湿。188.8~125.2 kaBP,气候寒冷干燥。125.2~69.3 kaBP,气候较为暖湿。69.3~40.43 kaBP,气候偏凉。40.43~25.5 kaBP,气候偏凉但较上阶段温度低,此时玛珥湖呈现出沼泽化过渡阶段。25.5~10.8 kaBP,气候寒冷干燥,玛珥湖干枯成为干玛珥湖。10.8 kaBP以来,由于后期人类活动对玛珥湖的改造,致使磁化率值不断升高。     

Modern pollen and vegetation relationships in the Yili Basin, Xinjiang, NW China

Fifty-six surface pollen samples from different vegetation zones in the Yili Basin,western Tianshan Mountains,Xinjiang were analyzed to examine the relationships between the surface pollen assemblages and the original vegetation.A pollen analysis and a vegetation investigation with a discriminant analysis show that the pollen assemblages greatly differ across disparate vegetation zones.Twelve pollen taxa can be used as significant types for vegetation reconstruction in the basin.These taxa were the most abundant in the surface pollen samples.Cupressaceae pollen percentages were greater than 1%in Cupressaceae shrubs.More than5%of Picea pollen indicates the growth of a Picea forest within 5 km.The subalpine meadow that is distributed widely in the basin is characterized by high content of Artemisia,Chenopodiaceae,Poaceae,Picea,Asteraceae,Taraxacum and Arenaria pollen types.The Artemisia-Chenopodiaceae-Poaceae-Cannabaceae pollen assemblages indicate the presence of montane steppe in the area.Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae pollen dominate the desert steppe and Populus forest.Artemisia pollen percentages were greater than 60%in the Artemisia desert,whereas Chenopodiaceae pollen percentages exceeded 65%in the Chenopodiaceae desert.The Artemisia/Chenopodiaceae(A/C)ratios reflect the vertical moisture changes in the Yili Basin.The mean A/C ratios were greater than 1.2 in the subalpine meadow and montane steppe that occupy the humid zone in the basin.These ratios were between1 and 1.2 in the Cupressaceae shrubs,desert steppe,Populus forest and floodplain meadow.The ratios were less than 0.5 in the Chenopodiaceae desert,which is an arid environment.     

A mid－Holocene drought interval as evidenced by lake desiccation in the Alashan Plateau,Inner Mongolia,China

The mid-Holocene in China is traditionally thought to be a warm and humid period with a strong sum-mer monsoon, and is often termed the Holocene Climatic Optimum or Megathermal Period. Here we present lakegeomorphologic and lithologicai evidence from the Alashan Plateau, part of the Mongolian Plateau, that indicates stronglake desiccation during the mid-Holocene. High resolution pollen data from Zhuyeze Lake, at the present summermonsoon margin, is also presented. These data show that present lakes and wetlands in the Juyanze Lake basin west of the Badain Jaran desert, in the Zhuyeze Lake basin between the Badain Jaran and Tengger deserts, and in lakes in the eastern Tengger desert, dried or experienced low lake levelsin the mid-Holocene around 5000-7000 cal yr BP. Pollen data further indicate that the vegetation cover declined in both the local areas and in the Qilian Mountains, suggesting the climate was drier than that associated with the presentAsian summer monsoon. This mid-Holocene drought interval was present throughout a quite large region of the south In-ner Mongolian Plateau. The period was also probably colder,at least in the high Asian plateaus and mountains.     

Fire-induced erosion and millennial-scale climate change in northern ponderosa pine forests

Western US ponderosa pine forests have recently suffered extensive stand-replacing fires followed by hillslope erosion and sedimentation. These fires are usually attributed to increased stand density as a result of fire suppression, grazing and other land use, and are often considered uncharacteristic or unprecedented. Tree-ring records from the past 500 years indicate that before Euro-American settlement, frequent, low-severity fires maintained open stands. However, the pre-settlement period between about ad 1500 and ad 1900 was also generally colder than present, raising the possibility that rapid twentieth-century warming promoted recent catastrophic fires. Here we date fire-related sediment deposits in alluvial fans in central Idaho to reconstruct Holocene fire history in xeric ponderosa pine forests and examine links to climate. We find that colder periods experienced frequent low-severity fires, probably fuelled by increased understory growth. Warmer periods experienced severe droughts, stand-replacing fires and large debris-flow events that comprise a large component of long-term erosion and coincide with similar events in sub-alpine forests of Yellowstone National Park. Our results suggest that given the powerful influence of climate, restoration of processes typical of pre-settlement times may be difficult in a warmer future that promotes severe fires.     

Deep-water Oligocene pollen record from South China Sea

Leg 184 of ODP recovered a record of deepwater sediments spanning the past 32.8 Ma from the South China Sea (SCS). The sediments of the Ofigocene (32.8-23.8 Ma) at Site 1148 contain relatively abundant fossil pollen. The pollen analysis at Site 1148 has established the first pollen assemblage sequence of deep-water Oligocene in the China Sea. The pollen assemblages of the Ofigocene are dominated by montane conifer tree pollen. The abundances of broad-leaved tree pollen are lower in the assemblages.Both of the montane conifer and broad-leaved tree pollen groups include mainly tropical-subtropical components. The pollen of cold and drought-enduring plants is present in lower content. The distinct change in pollen assemblage sequence of deep-water Oligocene of the SCS occurred at 32.0 Ma, indicative of an important shift of the Oligocene climate in the SCS region. The characteristics of the pollen flora of the deep-water Oligocene indicate the tropical montane ralnforest and lowland ralnforest developed on the areas around the SCS before 32.0 Ma, reflecting the warm and wet climatic condition. In the pollen flora of the Oligocene after 32.0 Ma, the temperate montane conifer and cool and drought-en- during deciduous tree taxa remarkably increased, indicating that the climate in the SCS region became comparatively cool and dry.