Abstract
The Amur Basin, on the border of Russia and China, has accumulated substantial quantities of peat that have allowed the reconstruction of past vegetation and environments, especially during the Holocene. In this paper, a detailed pollen record from the Basin has been constructed for the last 3800 years and interpreted with the assistance of 40 surface pollen samples taken from vegetation types representative of a broader region. In addition, fossil microcharcoal counts were undertaken to explore variation in fire frequency and the role of fire in peat development and landscape disturbance. The record can be divided into four periods. (1) A period of deciduous broadleaved forest dominated by Betula and Quercus accompanied by thriving sedge-dominated wetlands indicating relatively warm and wet conditions between about 3800 and 2000 cal BP. (2) Coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest domination between about 2000 and 680 cal BP indicating a shift to a cooler climate. (3) Betula-dominant deciduous forest, reduced sedge-dominated wetlands and increased burning between about 680 and 250 cal BP indicating further drying and cooling during the Little Ice Age. (4) Secondary pine forest combined with a large increase in fire activity as well as a further reduction in the swamp environment signaling substantial human impact in the last 250 years.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 79-92 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Quaternary International |
| Volume | 432 |
| Issue number | Part A |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Mar 2017 |
Keywords
- Amur Basin
- Microcharcoal analysis
- Modern pollen samples
- Pollen record
- Wetland history
Cite this
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A late Holocene record of vegetation and fire from the Amur Basin, far-eastern Russia. / Yu, Shao-Hua; Zheng, Zhuo; Kershaw, Arnold Peter; Skrypnikova, Marina; Huang, Kang-You.
In: Quaternary International, Vol. 432, No. Part A, 08.03.2017, p. 79-92.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - A late Holocene record of vegetation and fire from the Amur Basin, far-eastern Russia
AU - Yu, Shao-Hua
AU - Zheng, Zhuo
AU - Kershaw, Arnold Peter
AU - Skrypnikova, Marina
AU - Huang, Kang-You
PY - 2017/3/8
Y1 - 2017/3/8
N2 - The Amur Basin, on the border of Russia and China, has accumulated substantial quantities of peat that have allowed the reconstruction of past vegetation and environments, especially during the Holocene. In this paper, a detailed pollen record from the Basin has been constructed for the last 3800 years and interpreted with the assistance of 40 surface pollen samples taken from vegetation types representative of a broader region. In addition, fossil microcharcoal counts were undertaken to explore variation in fire frequency and the role of fire in peat development and landscape disturbance. The record can be divided into four periods. (1) A period of deciduous broadleaved forest dominated by Betula and Quercus accompanied by thriving sedge-dominated wetlands indicating relatively warm and wet conditions between about 3800 and 2000 cal BP. (2) Coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest domination between about 2000 and 680 cal BP indicating a shift to a cooler climate. (3) Betula-dominant deciduous forest, reduced sedge-dominated wetlands and increased burning between about 680 and 250 cal BP indicating further drying and cooling during the Little Ice Age. (4) Secondary pine forest combined with a large increase in fire activity as well as a further reduction in the swamp environment signaling substantial human impact in the last 250 years.
AB - The Amur Basin, on the border of Russia and China, has accumulated substantial quantities of peat that have allowed the reconstruction of past vegetation and environments, especially during the Holocene. In this paper, a detailed pollen record from the Basin has been constructed for the last 3800 years and interpreted with the assistance of 40 surface pollen samples taken from vegetation types representative of a broader region. In addition, fossil microcharcoal counts were undertaken to explore variation in fire frequency and the role of fire in peat development and landscape disturbance. The record can be divided into four periods. (1) A period of deciduous broadleaved forest dominated by Betula and Quercus accompanied by thriving sedge-dominated wetlands indicating relatively warm and wet conditions between about 3800 and 2000 cal BP. (2) Coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest domination between about 2000 and 680 cal BP indicating a shift to a cooler climate. (3) Betula-dominant deciduous forest, reduced sedge-dominated wetlands and increased burning between about 680 and 250 cal BP indicating further drying and cooling during the Little Ice Age. (4) Secondary pine forest combined with a large increase in fire activity as well as a further reduction in the swamp environment signaling substantial human impact in the last 250 years.
KW - Amur Basin
KW - Microcharcoal analysis
KW - Modern pollen samples
KW - Pollen record
KW - Wetland history
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028279043&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.quaint.2014.07.059
DO - 10.1016/j.quaint.2014.07.059
M3 - Article
VL - 432
SP - 79
EP - 92
JO - Quaternary International
JF - Quaternary International
SN - 1040-6182
IS - Part A
ER -