Vegetation history and its links to climate change during the last 36 ka in arid Central Asia: Evidence from a loess-paleosol sequence in the Eastern Ili Valley
Detailed vegetation history response to complex influencing factors of arid Central Asia (ACA) is crucial to understanding ecological sustainability. Here, we present the first pollen record in the Ili Valley during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) using the Jirentai (JRT) loess-paleosol sequence. Com...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.1041374/full |
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| author | Peilun Liu Peilun Liu Peilun Liu Shanjia Zhang Menghan Qiu Qiurong Ruan Jiaming Luo Yunfa Miao Zhiyong Ling |
| author_facet | Peilun Liu Peilun Liu Peilun Liu Shanjia Zhang Menghan Qiu Qiurong Ruan Jiaming Luo Yunfa Miao Zhiyong Ling |
| author_sort | Peilun Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Detailed vegetation history response to complex influencing factors of arid Central Asia (ACA) is crucial to understanding ecological sustainability. Here, we present the first pollen record in the Ili Valley during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) using the Jirentai (JRT) loess-paleosol sequence. Combining the results of multi-climate proxies and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, we aim to reconstruct the vegetative response to climate change during the last 36 ka. Our results show that rapid loess accumulation in the JRT section began in the Late MIS3 (Marine isotope stage 3), and a thin paleosol layer developed in the Late LGM and Post Glacial. The pollen concentrations in the loess are significantly lower than in the paleosol, but the pollen assemblages are richer. Artemisia and Asteraceae are the dominant non-arboreal types in the loess, and abundant arboreal species are present (e.g., Pinus, Picea, Quercus, Betulaceae). The percentage of Artemisia remains high in the paleosol, and typical drought-tolerant plants are an important component (e.g., Orthomorphic, Ephedra). We suggest that the rich variety of pollen in loess is transported by frequent and intense dust activities, and these pollen may come from regional vegetation. Less diverse pollen assemblages in paleosol respond to the vegetation surrounding the JRT section. The vegetation history obtained from the JRT section shows that the lowlands of the Ili Valley were typical desert or desert-steppe vegetation for the past 36 ka. The surrounding mountains are dominated by Pinus and Picea forests. During the Early LGM, vegetation conditions deteriorated in both of mountainous and lowland. The above phenomena coincide with the pollen records from lakes in the ACA. Our results further suggest that mountain forests reappear and the lowland environment improves in response to increased insolation in the Northern Hemisphere at high latitudes in the Late LGM. This point in time is earlier by about 5–10 ka compared to previous records. We attribute it to the fact that pollen assemblages from the loess-paleosol sequence are more sensitive to vegetation and climate change during the transition from the glacial to interglacial and propose a simple model to characterize them. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:31:35Z |
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| id | doaj.art-25e7fbf32b4947c2a5fbe47f48f96dd4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-6463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:31:35Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-25e7fbf32b4947c2a5fbe47f48f96dd42023-01-17T04:34:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632023-01-011010.3389/feart.2022.10413741041374Vegetation history and its links to climate change during the last 36 ka in arid Central Asia: Evidence from a loess-paleosol sequence in the Eastern Ili ValleyPeilun Liu0Peilun Liu1Peilun Liu2Shanjia Zhang3Menghan Qiu4Qiurong Ruan5Jiaming Luo6Yunfa Miao7Zhiyong Ling8Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaCollege of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaInstitute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in Xinjiang, Urumqi, ChinaInstitute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in Xinjiang, Urumqi, ChinaKey Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Comprehensive and Highly Efficient Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Geology and Environment of Salt Lakes, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Xining, ChinaDetailed vegetation history response to complex influencing factors of arid Central Asia (ACA) is crucial to understanding ecological sustainability. Here, we present the first pollen record in the Ili Valley during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) using the Jirentai (JRT) loess-paleosol sequence. Combining the results of multi-climate proxies and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, we aim to reconstruct the vegetative response to climate change during the last 36 ka. Our results show that rapid loess accumulation in the JRT section began in the Late MIS3 (Marine isotope stage 3), and a thin paleosol layer developed in the Late LGM and Post Glacial. The pollen concentrations in the loess are significantly lower than in the paleosol, but the pollen assemblages are richer. Artemisia and Asteraceae are the dominant non-arboreal types in the loess, and abundant arboreal species are present (e.g., Pinus, Picea, Quercus, Betulaceae). The percentage of Artemisia remains high in the paleosol, and typical drought-tolerant plants are an important component (e.g., Orthomorphic, Ephedra). We suggest that the rich variety of pollen in loess is transported by frequent and intense dust activities, and these pollen may come from regional vegetation. Less diverse pollen assemblages in paleosol respond to the vegetation surrounding the JRT section. The vegetation history obtained from the JRT section shows that the lowlands of the Ili Valley were typical desert or desert-steppe vegetation for the past 36 ka. The surrounding mountains are dominated by Pinus and Picea forests. During the Early LGM, vegetation conditions deteriorated in both of mountainous and lowland. The above phenomena coincide with the pollen records from lakes in the ACA. Our results further suggest that mountain forests reappear and the lowland environment improves in response to increased insolation in the Northern Hemisphere at high latitudes in the Late LGM. This point in time is earlier by about 5–10 ka compared to previous records. We attribute it to the fact that pollen assemblages from the loess-paleosol sequence are more sensitive to vegetation and climate change during the transition from the glacial to interglacial and propose a simple model to characterize them.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.1041374/fullvegetationCentral Asiaili valleylast glacial maximumloess-paleosol sequencepollen |
| spellingShingle | Peilun Liu Peilun Liu Peilun Liu Shanjia Zhang Menghan Qiu Qiurong Ruan Jiaming Luo Yunfa Miao Zhiyong Ling Vegetation history and its links to climate change during the last 36 ka in arid Central Asia: Evidence from a loess-paleosol sequence in the Eastern Ili Valley Frontiers in Earth Science vegetation Central Asia ili valley last glacial maximum loess-paleosol sequence pollen |
| title | Vegetation history and its links to climate change during the last 36 ka in arid Central Asia: Evidence from a loess-paleosol sequence in the Eastern Ili Valley |
| title_full | Vegetation history and its links to climate change during the last 36 ka in arid Central Asia: Evidence from a loess-paleosol sequence in the Eastern Ili Valley |
| title_fullStr | Vegetation history and its links to climate change during the last 36 ka in arid Central Asia: Evidence from a loess-paleosol sequence in the Eastern Ili Valley |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vegetation history and its links to climate change during the last 36 ka in arid Central Asia: Evidence from a loess-paleosol sequence in the Eastern Ili Valley |
| title_short | Vegetation history and its links to climate change during the last 36 ka in arid Central Asia: Evidence from a loess-paleosol sequence in the Eastern Ili Valley |
| title_sort | vegetation history and its links to climate change during the last 36 ka in arid central asia evidence from a loess paleosol sequence in the eastern ili valley |
| topic | vegetation Central Asia ili valley last glacial maximum loess-paleosol sequence pollen |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.1041374/full |
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