Reconstructing climate change of the last millennium is important to understand the current relationship between human-social activities and natural environmental changes. Pollen assemblages, losson-ignition(LOIo rg a...Reconstructing climate change of the last millennium is important to understand the current relationship between human-social activities and natural environmental changes. Pollen assemblages, losson-ignition(LOIo rg at 550°C), and grain size data collected from sediment core AGE15 A from the center of Anggertu lake(eastern Tengger Desert, Inner Mongolia) were used to reconstruct the regional vegetation and climate history of the last millennium. Desert or steppe desert, dominated by A rtemisia and Amaranthaceae, expanded around this region during the period of 988–1437 AD indicating a generally dry climate condition with two short humid periods(1003–1082 AD and 1388–1437 AD). These two wet periods were characterized by relatively high vegetation cover and bioproductivity, as reflected by high pollen concentrations and LOIo rg values. Increases in steppe and meadow vegetation communities(Poaceae, Cyperaceae) and vegetation cover during 1437–2015 AD suggest a wetting trend, which was also deduced from a gradual trend towards fine grains and higher lake biological productivity as reflected by LOIo rg values. An unstable lacustrine environment was identified via frequent fluctuations in pollen concentration and grain size after 1842 AD. This study also recorded a relatively dry Medieval Warm Period(MWP, 1082–1388 AD) and a wet Little Ice Age(LIA, 1437–1842 AD). Increased Amaranthaceae and high abundance of Poaceae may be related to overgrazing and agricultural activities that took place during those time periods. The evolution of vegetation in the lake region was influenced by climate change and human activities. These results could provide more fundamental support for studies of the environmental evolution of the Tengger Desert.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41372180)
文摘Reconstructing climate change of the last millennium is important to understand the current relationship between human-social activities and natural environmental changes. Pollen assemblages, losson-ignition(LOIo rg at 550°C), and grain size data collected from sediment core AGE15 A from the center of Anggertu lake(eastern Tengger Desert, Inner Mongolia) were used to reconstruct the regional vegetation and climate history of the last millennium. Desert or steppe desert, dominated by A rtemisia and Amaranthaceae, expanded around this region during the period of 988–1437 AD indicating a generally dry climate condition with two short humid periods(1003–1082 AD and 1388–1437 AD). These two wet periods were characterized by relatively high vegetation cover and bioproductivity, as reflected by high pollen concentrations and LOIo rg values. Increases in steppe and meadow vegetation communities(Poaceae, Cyperaceae) and vegetation cover during 1437–2015 AD suggest a wetting trend, which was also deduced from a gradual trend towards fine grains and higher lake biological productivity as reflected by LOIo rg values. An unstable lacustrine environment was identified via frequent fluctuations in pollen concentration and grain size after 1842 AD. This study also recorded a relatively dry Medieval Warm Period(MWP, 1082–1388 AD) and a wet Little Ice Age(LIA, 1437–1842 AD). Increased Amaranthaceae and high abundance of Poaceae may be related to overgrazing and agricultural activities that took place during those time periods. The evolution of vegetation in the lake region was influenced by climate change and human activities. These results could provide more fundamental support for studies of the environmental evolution of the Tengger Desert.
