Late Holocene Peatland Evolution in Terelj and Tuul Rivers Drainage Basins in the Khentii Mountain Range of Northeastern Mongolia

This study reviews the late Holocene peatlands in Terelj River and Tuul River drainage basins in the Khentii (<i>Khentii</i> has been misspelled as Khentey (or Hentey) and Khentei (or Hentei) in many publications. The Khentii is the right English translation from Mongolian <i>Xэнmu...

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Main Authors: Alexander Orkhonselenge, Munkhjargal Uuganzaya, Tuyagerel Davaagatan, Ganbaatar Enkhbayar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-02-01
Series:Water
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/4/562
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author Alexander Orkhonselenge
Munkhjargal Uuganzaya
Tuyagerel Davaagatan
Ganbaatar Enkhbayar
author_facet Alexander Orkhonselenge
Munkhjargal Uuganzaya
Tuyagerel Davaagatan
Ganbaatar Enkhbayar
author_sort Alexander Orkhonselenge
collection DOAJ
description This study reviews the late Holocene peatlands in Terelj River and Tuul River drainage basins in the Khentii (<i>Khentii</i> has been misspelled as Khentey (or Hentey) and Khentei (or Hentei) in many publications. The Khentii is the right English translation from Mongolian <i>Xэнmuй</i>) Mountain Range of northeastern Mongolia. The peatlands were examined through their physical and chemical properties, diatom assemblages, and radiocarbon dating. In the Terelj River basin, the high contents of organic matter and biogenic silica and the dominant benthic diatom assemblages such as <i>Eunotia praerupta</i>, <i>Pinnularia borealis</i>, and <i>Navicula mutica</i> in the peat deposits indicate the warm and humid climates in the late Holocene. The high accretion rate of 0.97 mm/yr in the peatland records the intensive erosion in the surrounding landscape and deposition in the peatland due to increased precipitation and runoff in the humid climate since 0.5 cal. ka BP. In the Tuul River basin, the high content of mineral fractions and diatom assemblages dominated by benthic species <i>Cymbella proxima</i>, <i>Encyonema silesiacum</i>, and planktonic species <i>Cyclotella ocellata</i> in the peat deposits show a transition from humid to arid climates at 0.9 cal. ka BP. The accretion rate of 0.56 mm/yr in the peatland on the paleo-floodplain indicates strengthened erosion in the peatland over the past ~1000 years. This study in the southern Khentii Mountain Range provides new descriptive insights to extend the underestimated Mongolia’s peat studies, and it would be a useful proof-of-concept study for future detailed paleo-environmental analyses.
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spelling doaj.art-623737ac70984bf09c6d8b0b15fc75a52023-12-11T18:05:45ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412021-02-0113456210.3390/w13040562Late Holocene Peatland Evolution in Terelj and Tuul Rivers Drainage Basins in the Khentii Mountain Range of Northeastern MongoliaAlexander Orkhonselenge0Munkhjargal Uuganzaya1Tuyagerel Davaagatan2Ganbaatar Enkhbayar3Laboratory of Geochemistry and Geomorphology, School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 14201, MongoliaLaboratory of Geochemistry and Geomorphology, School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 14201, MongoliaLaboratory of Geochemistry and Geomorphology, School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar 14201, MongoliaSchool of Industrial Technology, University of Science and Technology, Ulaanbaatar 14191, MongoliaThis study reviews the late Holocene peatlands in Terelj River and Tuul River drainage basins in the Khentii (<i>Khentii</i> has been misspelled as Khentey (or Hentey) and Khentei (or Hentei) in many publications. The Khentii is the right English translation from Mongolian <i>Xэнmuй</i>) Mountain Range of northeastern Mongolia. The peatlands were examined through their physical and chemical properties, diatom assemblages, and radiocarbon dating. In the Terelj River basin, the high contents of organic matter and biogenic silica and the dominant benthic diatom assemblages such as <i>Eunotia praerupta</i>, <i>Pinnularia borealis</i>, and <i>Navicula mutica</i> in the peat deposits indicate the warm and humid climates in the late Holocene. The high accretion rate of 0.97 mm/yr in the peatland records the intensive erosion in the surrounding landscape and deposition in the peatland due to increased precipitation and runoff in the humid climate since 0.5 cal. ka BP. In the Tuul River basin, the high content of mineral fractions and diatom assemblages dominated by benthic species <i>Cymbella proxima</i>, <i>Encyonema silesiacum</i>, and planktonic species <i>Cyclotella ocellata</i> in the peat deposits show a transition from humid to arid climates at 0.9 cal. ka BP. The accretion rate of 0.56 mm/yr in the peatland on the paleo-floodplain indicates strengthened erosion in the peatland over the past ~1000 years. This study in the southern Khentii Mountain Range provides new descriptive insights to extend the underestimated Mongolia’s peat studies, and it would be a useful proof-of-concept study for future detailed paleo-environmental analyses.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/4/562peatlandwetlandwater resourcesclimate changeTuulTerelj
spellingShingle Alexander Orkhonselenge
Munkhjargal Uuganzaya
Tuyagerel Davaagatan
Ganbaatar Enkhbayar
Late Holocene Peatland Evolution in Terelj and Tuul Rivers Drainage Basins in the Khentii Mountain Range of Northeastern Mongolia
Water
peatland
wetland
water resources
climate change
Tuul
Terelj
title Late Holocene Peatland Evolution in Terelj and Tuul Rivers Drainage Basins in the Khentii Mountain Range of Northeastern Mongolia
title_full Late Holocene Peatland Evolution in Terelj and Tuul Rivers Drainage Basins in the Khentii Mountain Range of Northeastern Mongolia
title_fullStr Late Holocene Peatland Evolution in Terelj and Tuul Rivers Drainage Basins in the Khentii Mountain Range of Northeastern Mongolia
title_full_unstemmed Late Holocene Peatland Evolution in Terelj and Tuul Rivers Drainage Basins in the Khentii Mountain Range of Northeastern Mongolia
title_short Late Holocene Peatland Evolution in Terelj and Tuul Rivers Drainage Basins in the Khentii Mountain Range of Northeastern Mongolia
title_sort late holocene peatland evolution in terelj and tuul rivers drainage basins in the khentii mountain range of northeastern mongolia
topic peatland
wetland
water resources
climate change
Tuul
Terelj
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/4/562
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