Holocene vegetation reconstruction in the forest–steppe of Mongolia based on leaf waxes and macro-charcoals in soils
Vegetation and climate reconstruction in the forest–steppe of Mongolia is still challenging regarding the pattern of forest and grassland distribution during the Holocene. Different sediments containing paleosols and humic layers provide geomorphological archives for landscape development in Mongoli...
Published in: | E&G Quaternary Science Journal |
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ftsubgoettingen:oai:publications.goettingen-research-online.de:2/112650 2023-09-05T13:22:35+02:00 Holocene vegetation reconstruction in the forest–steppe of Mongolia based on leaf waxes and macro-charcoals in soils Lerch, Marcel Unkelbach, Julia Schneider, Florian Zech, Michael Klinge, Michael 2022 https://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gro-2/112650 https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-91-2022 en eng 2199-9090 https://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gro-2/112650 doi:10.5194/egqsj-71-91-2022 CC BY 4.0 journal_article original_ja yes 2022 ftsubgoettingen https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-91-2022 2023-08-20T22:16:32Z Vegetation and climate reconstruction in the forest–steppe of Mongolia is still challenging regarding the pattern of forest and grassland distribution during the Holocene. Different sediments containing paleosols and humic layers provide geomorphological archives for landscape development in Mongolia. n-Alkane and macro-charcoal ratios represent specific indicators to distinguish the share between grasses and trees. In a preliminary study, we investigated the applicability of these two paleo-proxies from soils for vegetation reconstruction comparing different relief positions and site conditions in the northern Khangai Mountains of Mongolia. n-Alkanes that are deposited from leaf waxes in the soil have the potential to indicate vegetation composition on a local scale. Depending on site-specific environmental conditions, n-alkanes are subjected to different degrees of microbiological decomposition, which is more intensive in soils of dry steppe than of forests. Mongolian forests are often underlain by permafrost that may reduce microbiological activity. In steppe soils, the decomposition of n-alkanes increases the quantity of mid-chain n-alkanes that adulterate the biomarker proxy signal to indicate more forest share. Macro-charcoals in soils have a site-specific component, but additional eolian input of macro-charcoals from long-distance transport can provide a distinct proportion in sediments. Thus, eolian influx of wood-derived macro-charcoal can dominate the proxy signal at sites where trees were few or had never existed. Radiometric dating of several paleosols and humic layers has shown that both proxies coincide as evidence for high grassland-to-forest ratios during the Early Holocene. By contrast, the proxy signals diverge for the Late Holocene. For this period, n-alkanes generally indicate more grassland, whereas macro-charcoals show increased wood-derived proportions. We imply that this difference is caused by increased forest fires and simultaneously spreading steppe area. A main portion of leaf waxes ... Article in Journal/Newspaper permafrost Georg-August-Universität Göttingen: GoeScholar E&G Quaternary Science Journal 71 1 91 110 |
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Open Polar |
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Georg-August-Universität Göttingen: GoeScholar |
op_collection_id |
ftsubgoettingen |
language |
English |
description |
Vegetation and climate reconstruction in the forest–steppe of Mongolia is still challenging regarding the pattern of forest and grassland distribution during the Holocene. Different sediments containing paleosols and humic layers provide geomorphological archives for landscape development in Mongolia. n-Alkane and macro-charcoal ratios represent specific indicators to distinguish the share between grasses and trees. In a preliminary study, we investigated the applicability of these two paleo-proxies from soils for vegetation reconstruction comparing different relief positions and site conditions in the northern Khangai Mountains of Mongolia. n-Alkanes that are deposited from leaf waxes in the soil have the potential to indicate vegetation composition on a local scale. Depending on site-specific environmental conditions, n-alkanes are subjected to different degrees of microbiological decomposition, which is more intensive in soils of dry steppe than of forests. Mongolian forests are often underlain by permafrost that may reduce microbiological activity. In steppe soils, the decomposition of n-alkanes increases the quantity of mid-chain n-alkanes that adulterate the biomarker proxy signal to indicate more forest share. Macro-charcoals in soils have a site-specific component, but additional eolian input of macro-charcoals from long-distance transport can provide a distinct proportion in sediments. Thus, eolian influx of wood-derived macro-charcoal can dominate the proxy signal at sites where trees were few or had never existed. Radiometric dating of several paleosols and humic layers has shown that both proxies coincide as evidence for high grassland-to-forest ratios during the Early Holocene. By contrast, the proxy signals diverge for the Late Holocene. For this period, n-alkanes generally indicate more grassland, whereas macro-charcoals show increased wood-derived proportions. We imply that this difference is caused by increased forest fires and simultaneously spreading steppe area. A main portion of leaf waxes ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lerch, Marcel Unkelbach, Julia Schneider, Florian Zech, Michael Klinge, Michael |
spellingShingle |
Lerch, Marcel Unkelbach, Julia Schneider, Florian Zech, Michael Klinge, Michael Holocene vegetation reconstruction in the forest–steppe of Mongolia based on leaf waxes and macro-charcoals in soils |
author_facet |
Lerch, Marcel Unkelbach, Julia Schneider, Florian Zech, Michael Klinge, Michael |
author_sort |
Lerch, Marcel |
title |
Holocene vegetation reconstruction in the forest–steppe of Mongolia based on leaf waxes and macro-charcoals in soils |
title_short |
Holocene vegetation reconstruction in the forest–steppe of Mongolia based on leaf waxes and macro-charcoals in soils |
title_full |
Holocene vegetation reconstruction in the forest–steppe of Mongolia based on leaf waxes and macro-charcoals in soils |
title_fullStr |
Holocene vegetation reconstruction in the forest–steppe of Mongolia based on leaf waxes and macro-charcoals in soils |
title_full_unstemmed |
Holocene vegetation reconstruction in the forest–steppe of Mongolia based on leaf waxes and macro-charcoals in soils |
title_sort |
holocene vegetation reconstruction in the forest–steppe of mongolia based on leaf waxes and macro-charcoals in soils |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gro-2/112650 https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-91-2022 |
genre |
permafrost |
genre_facet |
permafrost |
op_relation |
2199-9090 https://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gro-2/112650 doi:10.5194/egqsj-71-91-2022 |
op_rights |
CC BY 4.0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-91-2022 |
container_title |
E&G Quaternary Science Journal |
container_volume |
71 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
91 |
op_container_end_page |
110 |
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1776203086151286784 |