Article
Geography, Physical
Jian Wang, Xinying Zhou, Shiqi Wang, Hai Xu, Hermann Behling, Jie Ye, Yan Zheng, Junchi Liu, Yan Wu, Keliang Zhao, Ran Zhang, Xiaoqiang Li
Summary: This study investigates the Duolebulejin section in the Junggar Basin and reveals a significant expansion of C4 vegetation during 15.5-14.0 million years ago, which is linked to a shift in precipitation configuration and likely caused by the intensification of the Indian summer monsoon. These findings provide important insights into the water vapor source in Central Asia during the middle Miocene Climatic Optimum.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xinying Zhou, Jilong Yang, Guoqiao Xiao, Jian Wang, Yunzhuang Hu, Yan Zheng, Junchi Liu, Xiaoqiang Li
Summary: This study examines the vegetation evolution in the North China Plain over the past 3 million years. The findings demonstrate the occurrence of multiple cool and dry intervals, which were closely related to Earth's orbital eccentricity and likely influenced by the global ocean carbon reservoir. Additionally, a shift in vegetation occurred around 1.2 million years ago, leading to the aridification of the Asian interior.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Allison T. Karp, Jake W. Andrae, Francesca A. McInerney, Pratigya J. Polissar, Katherine H. Freeman
Summary: The establishment of C-4 grasslands in Australia was delayed compared to other continents, possibly due to the presence of fire-adapted C-3 woody vegetation and changes in rainfall affecting soil carbon transport. This ecosystem shift altered carbon storage and hydroclimate, leading to unique responses to climate change in Australian ecosystems.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jun-Wei Ye, Bin Tian, De-Zhu Li
Summary: The East Asia region has high species diversity and endemism due to its extreme physiographical heterogeneity and the establishment of the East Asia monsoon. The evolution of flora in East Asia coincided with the intensification of the monsoons, particularly the summer monsoon.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Akane O. Abbasi, Xiaolu Tang, Nancy L. Harris, Elizabeth D. Goldman, Javier G. P. Gamarra, Martin Herold, Hyun Seok Kim, Weixue Luo, Carlos Alberto Silva, Nadezhda M. Tchebakova, Ankita Mitra, Yelena Finegold, Mohammad Reza Jahanshahi, Cesar Ivan Alvarez, Tae Kyung Kim, Daun Ryu, Jingjing Liang
Summary: Planted forests in East Asia, which account for approximately 36% of global planted forest area, play a critical role in climate change mitigation and timber/non-timber production. However, there is limited information available on the geographic distribution and tree species composition of these planted forests. This study presents the first spatial database of planted forests in East Asia, based on extensive data collection and modeling. The maps generated in this study provide valuable information for understanding the role of planted forests in climate change mitigation and guiding forest conservation and management decisions.
Article
Ecology
Rafael Cesar Silva, Guilherme Resende Correa, Daniel Meira Arruda, Gustavo Vieira Veloso, Elpidio Inacio Fernandes-Filho, Hugo Galvao Candido, Fabio Soares de Oliveira, Gabriel Palucci Rosa, Hermann Behling, Carlos Ernesto Gonsalves Renaud Schaefer
Summary: This article focuses on paleoecological studies in the Brazilian Semiarid region, using machine learning algorithms to predict vegetation changes. The inclusion of edaphic predictors improves the classification accuracy of vegetation formations. The research also reveals significant vegetation changes during the Last Glacial Maximum in this region.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jinzhong Fu, Longying Wen
Summary: Continental East Asia has a mild Pleistocene climate and a complex recent geological history. Phylogeographic studies of animals show diverse patterns of glaciation refugia and postglaciation range expansions. Geographic features such as the three-step terrain of China and the northern arid belt significantly impact species histories. Geological events play a more significant role than climatic changes in shaping species history. Future phylogeographic research should focus on hypothesis-driven approaches and utilize genomic data to explore older history.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Fangliang Li, Shouye Yang, Daniel O. Breecker, Evan J. Ramos, Xiangtong Huang, Zongqi Duan, Yulong Guo, Chao Li, Xi Mei
Summary: Silicate weathering plays a key role in maintaining a habitable climate on Earth. Over the past 4 million years, weathering intensity has been decreasing, corresponding to global cooling. East Asia shows a more sensitive response to temperature change compared to Southeast Asia, possibly due to amplified midlatitude cooling.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tianyi Wang, Wei Wang, Guangmao Xie, Zhen Li, Xuechun Fan, Qingping Yang, Xichao Wu, Peng Cao, Yichen Liu, Ruowei Yang, Feng Liu, Qingyan Dai, Xiaotian Feng, Xiaohong Wu, Ling Qin, Fajun Li, Wanjing Ping, Lizhao Zhang, Ming Zhang, Yalin Liu, Xiaoshan Chen, Dongju Zhang, Zhenyu Zhou, Yun Wu, Hassan Shafiey, Xing Gao, Darren Curnoe, Xiaowei Mao, E. Andrew Bennett, Xueping Ji, Melinda A. Yang, Qiaomei Fu
Summary: The study reveals the presence of ancient East Asian ancestry in southern China's Guangxi region, as well as a history of admixture with deep Asian ancestry related to Southeast Asia and local ancestry. Historical populations in Guangxi dating back to 1,500 to 500 years ago are closely related to Tai-Kadai and Hmong-Mien speakers, indicating interactions between East and Southeast Asia.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yajie Dong, Naiqin Wu, Fengjiang Li, Dan Zhang, Yueting Zhang, Caiming Shen, Houyuan Lu
Summary: Analyzing terrestrial mollusk assemblages from northern China, we found that the long-term warming trend and seasonal bias explanation observed in climate simulations during the Holocene does not align with the independent evidence from mollusk records. Summer and winter temperatures have a greater contribution to the mean annual temperature (MAT) than spring and autumn temperatures.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Kexin Wang, Huayu Lu, Carmala N. Garzione, Lin Zhao, Chenghong Liang, Shuyue Li, Daniel O. Breecker, Fang Lei, Hongyan Zhang
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between soil respiration flux and stable carbon isotopic compositions of pedogenic carbonate (δ13C-carb) in the Chinese Loess Plateau during the Pliocene to early Pleistocene. The results show that soil respiration flux was enhanced during Pliocene warmth, associated with increased vegetation density and East Asian Summer Monsoon precipitation. The study suggests that global temperature dominates the ecosystem and soil variations in East Asia through its influence on the hydrological cycle.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shi-Xia Yang, Fa-Gang Wang, Fei Xie, Jian-Ping Yue, Cheng-Long Deng, Ri-Xiang Zhu, Michael D. Petraglia
Summary: The study reveals that early and middle Pleistocene environmental changes in high-latitude northern China were associated with increased toolmaking skills and technological innovations at the onset of the Mid-Pleistocene Climate Transition. Analysis of lithic technology in the Nihewan Basin and other Palaeolithic sites in China suggests that toolkits exhibited growing diversity during and after the MPT. This contradicts the traditional view that stone-tool technologies in China remained homogeneous and continuous throughout the Early Pleistocene.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yanhong Zheng, Alexey Fedorov, Natalie J. Burls, Rui Zhang, Chris M. Brierley, Zhengkun Fang, Xuefeng Yu, Feng Xian, Hongxuan Lu
Summary: This study reconstructs the hydroclimate changes in Northern China during the Pliocene and finds previously undocumented severe drought conditions. It also highlights the significant impact of the reduction in the Pacific meridional sea surface temperature gradient on precipitation over Northern China, indicating the crucial role of the tropical ocean in controlling the extra-tropical hydrological cycle.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Julia C. Tindall, Alan M. Haywood, Ulrich Salzmann, Aisling M. Dolan, Tamara Fletcher
Summary: Reconciling palaeodata with model simulations of the Pliocene climate is crucial for understanding the climate conditions during that time. However, there is a discrepancy between model simulations and terrestrial data, particularly in the coldest months, which is referred to as the warm winter paradox. This paradox may be attributed to factors such as model uncertainty, weak constraint of proxy data by winter temperatures, uncertainties in data reconstruction methods, and the unique nature of the Pliocene northern high-latitude climate. The study suggests that focusing on comparing summer temperatures may provide more meaningful and accurate results.
CLIMATE OF THE PAST
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Amelia Villasenor, Kevin T. Uno, Rahab N. Kinyanjui, Anna K. Behrensmeyer, Rene Bobe, Eldert L. Advokaat, Marion Bamford, Susana C. Carvalho, Ashley S. Hammond, Dan Palcu, Mark J. Sier, Carol Ward, David R. Braun
Summary: This study describes a new hominin locality from the Koobi Fora Formation in the Turkana Basin, dated to 3.60-3.44 Ma. By analyzing multiple proxies, including sedimentology, associated mammalian fauna, phytoliths, and stable isotopes, the paleoenvironment of the locality and its surroundings is reconstructed. The results indicate that the Pliocene hominins inhabited a biodiverse community of primates in a humid, grassy woodland setting, with woody vegetation resilient to periods of aridity, similar to the vegetation structure in the Turkana Basin today.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Niels C. Munksgaard, Ickjai Lee, Thomas Napier, Costijn Zwart, Lucas A. Cernusak, Michael I. Bird
Summary: This study provides a 1-year dataset of atmospheric surface CO2, CH4, and H2O concentrations and delta C-13-CO2 values from an Australian savanna site. The study reveals pronounced seasonal variations in CO2 and CH4 concentrations, influenced by soil and vegetation sources. This dataset is important for modeling greenhouse gas budgets, improving satellite measurements, and understanding the role of vegetation and soil in modulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
GEOSCIENCE DATA JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robin van der Ploeg, Margot J. Cramwinckel, Ilja J. Kocken, Thomas J. Leutert, Steven M. Bohaty, Chris D. Fokkema, Pincelli M. Hull, A. Nele Meckler, Jack J. Middelburg, Inigo A. Muller, Donald E. Penman, Francien Peterse, Gert-Jan Reichart, Philip F. Sexton, Maximilian Vahlenkamp, David De Vleeschouwer, Paul A. Wilson, Martin Ziegler, Appy Sluijs
Summary: The Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) experienced a transient warming of 3 degrees Celsius, leading to increased salinity in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and potentially a poleward expansion of its northern boundary.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Danica Mitrovic, Ellen C. Hopmans, Nicole J. Bale, Nora Richter, Linda A. Amaral-Zettler, Allix J. Baxter, Francien Peterse, Pedro Miguel Raposeiro, Vitor Goncalves, Ana Cristina Costa, Stefan Schouten
Summary: Membrane-spanning archaeal lipids were examined in sediment samples from various lacustrine environments using UHPLC-HRMS. Regular isoprenoidal GDGTs and GDDs were found to be the most abundant membrane-spanning lipids in all samples.
ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Zu Dienle Tan, Sigit Sutikno, L. Roman Carrasco, David Taylor
Summary: Taking into account the diverse ways that local communities relate to peatlands is crucial for successful long-term restoration. This can be done through understanding how these communities perceive and represent peatlands, including their benefits, functions, characteristics, relationships, and appropriate management strategies. The study conducted interviews with three communities living in and around peatlands in Indonesia, showing that there are various and divergent representations of peatlands among the individuals interviewed.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Massimo Lupascu, Pierre Taillardat, Sigit D. Sasmito, F. Agus, Daniel Mudiyarso, Sorain J. Ramchunder, Hesti L. Tata, David Taylor
Summary: Tropical peatlands are important for balancing competing sustainable development demands, but progress in meeting sustainable development goals has been slow in low to middle income countries. This study examines land-use allocation in Indonesia and the role of peatland provinces in food security and climate change. The analysis shows the need for less damaging peatland management practices and highlights obstacles such as lack of common definitions and uncoordinated sectoral policies.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jingjing Guo, Xiulan Zong, Niels J. J. de Winter, Barbara Goudsmit-Harzevoort, Francien Peterse, Martin Ziegler
Summary: Embedding resins are commonly used to fix carbonates, but are difficult to remove and can affect the accuracy of isotopic analysis. The impact of resin addition on clumped isotope analysis has not been tested. The study found that resin-containing samples decreased the reproducibility of clumped isotope values and increased the standard deviation compared to long-term observations. It was recommended to purify embedded samples or avoid using resins during sample preparation and workup to ensure measurement quality.
RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Andrew R. Jones, Ram C. Dalal, Vadakattu V. S. R. Gupta, Susanne Schmidt, Diane E. Allen, Geraldine E. Jacobsen, Michael Bird, A. Stuart Grandy, Jonathan Sanderman
Summary: Managing and increasing organic matter in soil requires understanding of persistence mechanisms. This study used a novel technique to quantify the complexity and diversity of persistent soil organic matter (SOM). The results showed that persistent SOM had lower molecular complexity and diversity, while fresh surface SOM had higher complexity and diversity, indicating a decline in molecular complexity and diversity over time and depth.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
A. J. Baxter, D. Verschuren, F. Peterse, D. G. Miralles, C. M. Martin-Jones, A. Maitituerdi, T. van der Meeren, M. Van Daele, C. S. Lane, G. H. Haug, D. O. Olago, J. S. Sinninghe Damste
Summary: By studying organic geochemical climate-proxy data from the sediment record of Lake Chala in Kenya and Tanzania, it was found that the positive relationship between effective moisture and temperature in easternmost Africa has shifted to negative in the past 75,000 years. This implies that under continued anthropogenic warming, the Horn of Africa will probably experience further drying.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Pablo Martinez-Sosa, Jessica E. Tierney, Lina C. Perez-Angel, Ioana C. Stefanescu, Jingjing Guo, Frederique Kirkels, Julio Sepulveda, Francien Peterse, Bryan N. Shuman, Alberto V. Reyes
Summary: GDGTs can be used to reconstruct environmental conditions and depositional settings. The BIGMaC algorithm accurately identifies the depositional environment based on GDGT distribution, providing new information for paleoenvironmental and paleotemperature reconstructions.
PALEOCEANOGRAPHY AND PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Suning Hou, Foteini Lamprou, Frida S. Hoem, Mohammad Rizky Nanda Hadju, Francesca Sangiorgi, Francien Peterse, Peter K. Bijl
Summary: This study reconstructs the paleotemperature evolution of the subtropical front area in the Southern Ocean using two independent proxies. The results show that the temperature in the area was high during the early Miocene, decreased in the mid-to-late Miocene, and then increased again in the Pliocene to modern times. These findings reveal the changes in temperature gradient near the Antarctic and expansion of subpolar conditions during the Neogene.
CLIMATE OF THE PAST
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christopher Muggaga, Ipolto Okello-Uma, Archileo Natigo Kaaya, David Taylor, Duncan Ongeng, Mugonola Basil
Summary: This study investigated the dietary intake of women in Karamoja sub-region during pregnancy and breastfeeding periods, and examined the socio-economic factors influencing inadequate energy and nutrient intake. The results demonstrated that women in the region have insufficient intake of energy and nutrients, which is mainly influenced by factors such as age, number of married women, education level, and occupation of the household head.
JOURNAL OF HEALTH POPULATION AND NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Archaeology
Lauren Linnenlucke, Michael I. Bird, Fiona Petchey, Geordie Alliston, IIan J. Mcniven, Bruno David, Sean Ulm
Summary: A new quality assurance framework was developed to assess the reliability of 14C ages from archaeological sites across the Torres Strait. Three stages of data analysis were conducted to evaluate the 14C ages and associated metadata. Reliability ratings were assigned to represent data confidence, with 73% of the 343 14C ages awarded a reliability rating of 3* or above.
JOURNAL OF OPEN ARCHAEOLOGY DATA
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yord W. Yedema, Francesca Sangiorgi, Appy Sluijs, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damste, Francien Peterse
Summary: Rivers play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle by transporting terrestrial organic matter from land to the ocean. The dispersal patterns of different types of organic matter in marine sediments are still poorly understood. This study analyzes the properties of bulk organic matter, lipid biomarkers, pollen, and dinoflagellate cysts to identify the dispersal patterns of different types of organic matter in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Michelle Ann Miller, David Taylor
Summary: Nature-based Solutions (NbS) play a crucial role in addressing global warming and meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement. However, the transboundary governance dimensions of NbS in Southeast Asia are unclear and often fail to achieve their intended goals. This perspective paper proposes a research agenda to enhance transboundary cooperation, inclusion, and equity in carbon sink governance in the region.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yongfeng Zhu, David Taylor, Zilong Wang
Summary: Implementing environmental taxes and increasing the availability of renewable energy can effectively reduce carbon emissions, but it may also lead to carbon leakage to neighboring regions. The study found that the effectiveness of environmental taxes in reducing carbon emissions is positively related to the share of renewable energy in a country's energy mix. Therefore, considering the spatial interactions between environmental regulations, renewable energy availability, and carbon emissions, as well as adopting a more regional approach, is crucial in setting and achieving carbon neutrality targets.