Vegetation and environmental changes in western Chinese Loess Plateau since 13.0 ka BP

doi:10.1007/s11442-010-0177-y

Abstract

Abstract:

Pollen records from the Chinese Loess Plateau revealed a detailed history of vegetation variation and associated climate changes during the last 13.0 ka BP. Before 12.1 ka BP, steppe or desert-steppe vegetation dominated landscape then was replaced by a coniferous forest under a generally wet climate (12.1–11.0 ka BP). The vegetation was deteriorated into steppe landscape and further into a desert-steppe landscape between 11.0 and 9.8 ka BP. After a brief episode of a cool and wet climate (9.8–9.6 ka BP), a relatively mild and dry condition prevailed during the early Holocene (9.6–7.6 ka BP). The most favourable climate of warm and humid period occurred during mid-Holocene (7.6–~4.0 ka BP) marked by forest-steppe landscape and vegetation alternatively changed between steppe and desert- steppe from ~4.0 to ~1.0 ka BP.

Key words: Chinese Loess Plateau, arid and semi-arid region, pollen assemblage, climate change

SUN Aizhi, FENG Zhaodong, MA Yuzhen. Vegetation and environmental changes in western Chinese Loess Plateau since 13.0 ka BP[J].Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2010, 20(2): 177-192.

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