Originating in China,tea is one of the symbols of Chinese culture.The impact of tea culture has reached all the corners of the world:it has become one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages,consumed by over two-t...Originating in China,tea is one of the symbols of Chinese culture.The impact of tea culture has reached all the corners of the world:it has become one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages,consumed by over two-thirds of the world’s population for its refreshing taste,aroma,and medicinal and mildly stimulating qualities.It is the second most widely consumed drink in the world after water.In history,tea was among the commodities展开更多
Carbon preference index (CPI) of long-chain n-alkanes preserved in surface soil increases gradually from southeastern China to the north margin of Loess Plateau.Along this latitudinal transect,the CPI value correlates...Carbon preference index (CPI) of long-chain n-alkanes preserved in surface soil increases gradually from southeastern China to the north margin of Loess Plateau.Along this latitudinal transect,the CPI value correlates to relative humidity,precipitation,and temperature with a negative linear relationship,respectively,whereas the correlation of CPI to temperature is relatively weak.In the Wuyi,Shennongjia,and Tianshan Mountains,CPI values do not change systemically with altitude increasing (or temperature decreasing).However,mean value of CPI for the individual mountain increases in turn from the humid mountain to the arid.These results jointly suggest that aridity (or humidity) is a dominate climate factor in altering soil CPI value.High CPI values of geological records therefore indicate the arid paleoclimate.Though long-chain n-alkanes in soil are derived mainly from leaf wax of terrestrial vascular plants,the regular latitudinal variations of soil CPI might not be caused by the change of vegetation.We speculate that increased long-chain n-alkanes from microbes and/or enhanced biodegradation in the humid climate lead to the decrease of soil CPI.展开更多
A large amount of carbonized plant remains were discovered in one of the outer burial pits of the Han Yangling Mausoleum, which was built more than 2000 years ago for the Jing Emperor, Liu, Qi (188―141 cal a BC), the...A large amount of carbonized plant remains were discovered in one of the outer burial pits of the Han Yangling Mausoleum, which was built more than 2000 years ago for the Jing Emperor, Liu, Qi (188―141 cal a BC), the fourth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. The remains are identified by phytolith analysis and macrofossil morphological features. Seeds from foxtail millet (Setaria italica), broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), rice (Oryza sativa) and chenopod (possible Chenopodium giganteum) are identified, suggesting that these four crops might have been the staple plant foods in the capital area (Guanzhong area), Shaanxi Province during the Early Western Han Dynasty. Chenopods were often considered as weeds since they have only been rarely found as carbonized seeds in prehistoric sites. This is the first time such a large amount of seeds has been found at a site, which provides strong material evidence for chenopod cultivation with a long history in China. Wheat was thought to be promoted and popularized in the Guanzhong area since the Wu Emporor, Liu, Che (156―87 cal a BC), the fifth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. No wheat was found at this site, which supports the historical document record that wheat was still secondary in the diet and agrarian economy before the Wu Emperor's reign.展开更多
文摘Originating in China,tea is one of the symbols of Chinese culture.The impact of tea culture has reached all the corners of the world:it has become one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages,consumed by over two-thirds of the world’s population for its refreshing taste,aroma,and medicinal and mildly stimulating qualities.It is the second most widely consumed drink in the world after water.In history,tea was among the commodities
基金supported jointly by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41103001)Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant Nos. KZCX2-YW-Q1-15,KZCX2-YW-Q1-03)
文摘Carbon preference index (CPI) of long-chain n-alkanes preserved in surface soil increases gradually from southeastern China to the north margin of Loess Plateau.Along this latitudinal transect,the CPI value correlates to relative humidity,precipitation,and temperature with a negative linear relationship,respectively,whereas the correlation of CPI to temperature is relatively weak.In the Wuyi,Shennongjia,and Tianshan Mountains,CPI values do not change systemically with altitude increasing (or temperature decreasing).However,mean value of CPI for the individual mountain increases in turn from the humid mountain to the arid.These results jointly suggest that aridity (or humidity) is a dominate climate factor in altering soil CPI value.High CPI values of geological records therefore indicate the arid paleoclimate.Though long-chain n-alkanes in soil are derived mainly from leaf wax of terrestrial vascular plants,the regular latitudinal variations of soil CPI might not be caused by the change of vegetation.We speculate that increased long-chain n-alkanes from microbes and/or enhanced biodegradation in the humid climate lead to the decrease of soil CPI.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.40771205)National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 40625002)+1 种基金Chinese Civilization Origins Project (Grant No. 2006BAK21B20)Knowledge Innovation Project from Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZCX2-YW-315-5)
文摘A large amount of carbonized plant remains were discovered in one of the outer burial pits of the Han Yangling Mausoleum, which was built more than 2000 years ago for the Jing Emperor, Liu, Qi (188―141 cal a BC), the fourth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. The remains are identified by phytolith analysis and macrofossil morphological features. Seeds from foxtail millet (Setaria italica), broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), rice (Oryza sativa) and chenopod (possible Chenopodium giganteum) are identified, suggesting that these four crops might have been the staple plant foods in the capital area (Guanzhong area), Shaanxi Province during the Early Western Han Dynasty. Chenopods were often considered as weeds since they have only been rarely found as carbonized seeds in prehistoric sites. This is the first time such a large amount of seeds has been found at a site, which provides strong material evidence for chenopod cultivation with a long history in China. Wheat was thought to be promoted and popularized in the Guanzhong area since the Wu Emporor, Liu, Che (156―87 cal a BC), the fifth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. No wheat was found at this site, which supports the historical document record that wheat was still secondary in the diet and agrarian economy before the Wu Emperor's reign.
