Pollen-based reconstructions of Holocene vegetation and climatic change of Tibetan Plateau
A synthesis of Holocene pollen records from the Tibetan Plateau shows the history of vegetation and climatic changes during the Holocene. Palynological evidences from 24 cores/sections have been compiled and show that the vegetation shifted from subalpine/alpine conifer forest to subalpine/alpine ev...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC
2003
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://library.arcticportal.org/2260/ http://library.arcticportal.org/2260/1/A200302002.pdf |
| Summary: | A synthesis of Holocene pollen records from the Tibetan Plateau shows the history of vegetation and climatic changes during the Holocene. Palynological evidences from 24 cores/sections have been compiled and show that the vegetation shifted from subalpine/alpine conifer forest to subalpine/alpine evergreen sclerophyllous forest in the southeastern par of the plateau; from the alpine steppe to alpine desert in the central, western and northern part; and from alpine meadow to alpine steppe in the eastern and southern plateau regions during the Holocene. These records show that increases in precipitation began about 9 ka from the southeast, and a wide ranging level of increased humidity developed over the entire of the plateau around 8 - 7 ka, followed by aridity from 6 ka and a continuous drying over the plateau after 4 - 3 ka. The changes in Holocene climates of the plateau can be interpreted qualitatively as a response to orbital forcing and its secondary effects on the Indian Monsoon which expanded northwards during the early Holocene and retreated from the plateau since the mid-Holocene. Also, there is teleconnection between the Tibetan Plateau and North Atlantic. |
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