Article
Geography, Physical
Yuan Li, Xiaozhong Huang, Lixiong Xiang, Jun Zhang, Yue Xu, Erik Jeppesen
Summary: Glacier retreat in high altitude areas triggered by anthropogenic warming has a significant impact on the ecology of glacier-fed lakes. This study analyzed a core from Kanas Lake in the Altai Mountains, China, and found that intense meltwater influxes resulted in increased nutrient levels, promoting phytoplankton growth, and a decrease in benthic algae and invertebrates. These findings suggest that future anthropogenic warming could lead to significant changes in aquatic ecosystems in glacier-fed lakes worldwide.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Rong Luo, Qiangqiang Yuan, Linwei Yue, Xiaogang Shi
Summary: Estimating lake dynamics is essential for climate change and water resources assessment. Using multimission remote sensing data, this study examined lake variations and responses to climate change in the Altai Mountains, finding fluctuations in lake surface area and water storage over the years.
IEEE JOURNAL OF SELECTED TOPICS IN APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATIONS AND REMOTE SENSING
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Huihui Cao, Xiaozhong Huang, Lixiong Xiang
Summary: Radiocarbon (C-14) dating of lacustrine sediments is influenced by C-14 reservoir effect, resulting in systematically older ages. This study investigated the temporal changes of the C-14 reservoir effect in Lake Kanas sediments and found that the reservoir ages progressively increased from approximately 0 to 2800 years between 9700 and 530 cal BP. Soil erosion, caused by increased precipitation during the mid-to-late Holocene and anthropogenic forest clearance, was identified as the major factor contributing to the increase in reservoir age.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhong Xin-Yue, Zhang Tingjun, Su Hang, Xiao Xiong-Xin, Wang Shu-Fa, Hu Yuan-Tao, Wang Hui-Juan, Zheng Lei, Zhang Wei, Xu Min, Wang Jian
Summary: This study investigated the spatial variations of snow depth, SWE, and snow density in the Altai Mountains of northwestern China from 2015 to 2017. Results showed that snow properties were strongly controlled by topography and vegetation, with elevation and latitude being the most important factors affecting snow depth and SWE, while snow density was strongly influenced by longitude.
ADVANCES IN CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Igor V. Volkov, Valeriy A. Zemtsov, Alexander A. Erofeev, Andrey S. Babenko, Anastasia Volkova, Terry Callaghan
Summary: The study presents climate-dependent changes in various ecosystems in the Aktru glacial basin, highlighting the influence of historical temperatures on tree line altitude and glacier dynamics in the Altai Republic, Russia. Unlike the European Alps, glaciers in the Altai Mountains disappeared before forming again, and the upper limit of mountain forests during the Holocene was greater than in the Alps. The high variability of mountain ecosystems in southern Siberia suggests potential instability under a changing climate.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Shen Qin, Pengfeng Xiao, Xueliang Zhang
Summary: This study investigates the spatiotemporal changes in snow cover over Altai Mountains in China from 2002 to 2020. The results show that the distribution and changes of snow cover fraction (SCF) are highly heterogeneous. The SCF is influenced by elevation and shows a positive correlation with precipitation and a negative correlation with air temperature. Temperature is found to be the major factor affecting the changes in SCF.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jiaying Zhang, Rafael L. Bras, Marcos Longo, Tamara Heartsill Scalley
Summary: This study examines the impact of frequent major hurricanes on tropical ecosystems using climate projections and increased hurricane recurrence and intensity scenarios. The results indicate that frequent hurricane disturbances would decrease overall aboveground biomass and the dominance of late-successional species, while increasing the dominance of palm species. Warmer climates and increased CO2 levels would have minor effects on the functional-type composition, but would increase aboveground biomass. However, these climate and CO2 fertilization effects would not compensate for the biomass loss caused by more frequent severe-hurricane disturbances.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Yang Liu, Ralph Trancoso, Qin Ma, Philippe Ciais, Lidiane P. Gouve, Chaofang Yue, Jorge Assis, Juan A. Blanco
Summary: In order to accurately estimate the size of forest carbon pools and identify the factors affecting them, national forest inventory data and additional field plots were used to estimate carbon storage and density in the Greater Khingan Mountains. From 1999 to 2018, there was an increase in vegetation carbon storage and density, with trees having the highest carbon stocks. The total carbon density in forest ecosystems was influenced by mean annual temperature, with positive effects observed below a certain temperature and negative effects observed above it. Natural and anthropogenic disturbances had weaker effects on carbon density compared to temperature and precipitation.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Anastasia Makhnykina, Alexey Panov, Anatoly Prokushkin
Summary: Boreal forest ecosystems are vulnerable to climate change and may switch from being carbon sinks to emitting atmospheric carbon. Wildfires play a significant role in ecosystem modification and functioning. The effect of wildfires on soil CO2 emission rates was studied using a fire chronosequence and it was found that the rates varied based on the successional stage and were influenced by factors such as soil moisture and temperature.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cancan Qiao, Shi Shen, Changxiu Cheng, Junxu Wu, Duo Jia, Changqing Song
Summary: The study found that the phenology in the Qilian Mountains showed spatial and temporal heterogeneity, with the start of the growing season gradually delayed as altitude increased from southeast to northwest. Overall, there was an advanced trend in the annual average start of the growing season, a delayed trend in the end of the growing season, and an extended trend in the length of the growing season. Preseason temperatures were found to affect the start and end of the growing season, with the length of the growing season being positively correlated with annual mean temperature.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Robert Sysolyatin, Sergei Serikov, Mikhail Zheleznyak, Mark Shatz, Yana Tikhonravova
Summary: This study provides a long-term temperature monitoring of the Russian Altai Mountains, exploring the temperature regime of permafrost areas in contrast to Mongolian and Chinese parts. The research found significant variation in mean annual ground temperature at different altitudes, and emphasized the importance of continued monitoring for assessing response to climate changes in the region.
JOURNAL OF MOUNTAIN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Remus Pravalie, Igor Sirodoev, Ion-Andrei Nita, Cristian Patriche, Monica Dumitrascu, Bogdan Rosca, Adrian Tiscovschi, Georgeta Bandoc, Ionut Savulescu, Valentina Manoiu, Marius-Victor Birsan
Summary: This study analyzed recent ecological changes in forests across Romania in relation to climate dynamics. The results showed a general greening trend in forests nationally, particularly in the Carpathians region, while a browning trend was found in the Extra-Carpathians region. The analysis also suggested that warming in the Carpathians may be driving the forest greening, while increased evapotranspiration may contribute to forest browning in lowland areas.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Yanmin Teng, Chao Wang, Xiaoqing Wei, Meirong Su, Jinyan Zhan, Lixiang Wen
Summary: This study examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation coverage in the Qilian Mountains in northwest China and identified the driving factors behind the vegetation change. The results showed that climate change, particularly precipitation change, played a significant role in the increase of vegetation coverage. Human interference also led to a significant decrease in certain vegetation types. This study provides guidance for local ecological protection and restoration efforts.
Article
Forestry
Qian Hao, Shilei Yang, Zhaoliang Song, Zhengang Wang, Changxun Yu, Hailong Wang
Summary: By analyzing sediment records and reconstructing the climate, soil erosion, and vegetation development over the past 6800 years, this study reveals the driving factors of carbon accumulation in the forest-steppe ecotone. The results indicate that vegetation dynamics and local soil erosion are the main drivers of carbon accumulation rate.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Cong Yin, Yaping Yang, Fei Yang, Xiaona Chen, Ying Xin, Peixian Luo
Summary: Climate factors have a significant impact on spring phenology, with temperature being the dominant factor in the Qinling Mountains. Photoperiod plays a significant role in grassland areas.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Fang Tian, Wei Wang, Natalia Rudaya, Xingqi Liu, Xianyong Cao
Summary: Past precipitation patterns in arid central Asia can be better understood through reliable quantitative pollen-based reconstructions. By analyzing modern pollen data from arid central Asian sites, the study created a pollen-P-ann calibration-set and reconstructed past P-ann variations. The results showed that RF is a slightly better model for climate reconstruction using pollen data, reflecting overall multi-year climate changes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Muthusamy Balasubramanian, Sithu Govindasamy Dinakaran Sridhar, Ramamoorthy Ayyamperumal, Shankar Karuppannan, Gnanachandrasamy Gopalakrishnan, Monica Chakraborty, Xiaozhong Huang
Summary: The research paper investigates the consequences of seawater intrusion in the Chennai coastal aquifer through a comprehensive analysis of groundwater samples, stable isotopic analyses, and correlations between various influencing factors. The study reveals that seasonal, geogenic, and anthropogenic factors all play significant roles in the heterogeneous chemistry of groundwater in the area.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Jun Zhang, Xiao-zhong Huang, Jia-le Wang, Richard H. W. Bradshaw, Tao Wang, Li-xiong Xiang, De-rui Luo, Zong-li Wang, Fa-hu Chen
Summary: Precipitation is a crucial factor in primary productivity in arid and semi-arid regions. This study in the north Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau revealed the relationship between grazing intensity and regional humidity, indicating that drier regional climates can push human and livestock activities to mountainous areas. The findings provide insights on how ancient people adapted to climate change in arid regions with high mountains.
PROGRESS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY-EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xianyong Cao, Jianhui Chen, Fang Tian, Qinghai Xu, Ulrike Herzschuh, Richard Telford, Xiaozhong Huang, Zhuo Zheng, Caiming Shen, Wenjia Li
Correction
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Fang Tian, Wei Wang, Natalia Rudaya, Xingqi Liu, Xianyong Cao
Article
Ecology
Wenjia Li, Fang Tian, Natalia Rudaya, Ulrike Herzschuh, Xianyong Cao
Summary: With the recent thawing of permafrost in northern Asia caused by anthropogenic climate change, understanding detailed palaeoecological records from past warm periods is crucial for predicting future permafrost variations. This study successfully reconstructed the history of permafrost in northern Asia during the Holocene by training a Random Forest model using pollen and permafrost data. The findings show different thawing and freezing trends during different periods, consistent with climatic proxies such as summer solar radiation and Northern Hemisphere temperature.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Huihui Cao, Xiaozhong Huang, Lixiong Xiang
Summary: Radiocarbon (C-14) dating of lacustrine sediments is influenced by C-14 reservoir effect, resulting in systematically older ages. This study investigated the temporal changes of the C-14 reservoir effect in Lake Kanas sediments and found that the reservoir ages progressively increased from approximately 0 to 2800 years between 9700 and 530 cal BP. Soil erosion, caused by increased precipitation during the mid-to-late Holocene and anthropogenic forest clearance, was identified as the major factor contributing to the increase in reservoir age.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jun Zhang, Sisi Liu, Mingrui Qiang, Yingyu Chen, Shengrui Zhang, Bo Cheng, Xiaoduo Pan, Yuan Li, Xiaozhong Huang
Summary: This study examined the pollen record from a lake on the Tibetan Plateau and found that there were opposite changes in vegetation and effective moisture between the mountainous and basin areas. The results suggest that both natural and human factors may have contributed to vegetation changes in the region.
Article
Geography, Physical
Dongliang Zhang, Tatiana A. Blyakharchuk, Elena V. Bezrukova, Xiaozhong Huang, Chengbang An, Chenjie Su, Yuejing Li
Summary: In this study, we calculated the rates of vegetation composition changes (RoCs) in the Central Arid Zone of Asia during the Holocene using 46 pollen records. We also examined the importance of six drivers (temperature, precipitation, CO2 concentration, fire, pasture, and cropland activities) using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results showed that RoCs at high elevations had high values in the early Holocene, decreased to their lowest values at -6000 cal. yr BP, gradually increased between -6000 and -3000 cal. yr BP, abruptly decreased in the past 3000 years, and then resumed an upward trend. RoCs at lower elevations experienced a steady acceleration throughout the Holocene, possibly due to climate cooling and wetting, as well as intensified fire activities.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Tao Wang, Xiaozhong Huang, Jun Zhang, Derui Luo, Min Zheng, Lixiong Xiang, Mingjie Sun, Xiuxiu Ren, Yuanhao Sun, Shengrui Zhang
Summary: This study reconstructs the long-term changes in vegetation cover on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau using a pollen record from Luanhaizi Lake. The findings show that the vegetation in this region was alpine tundra during the late Marine Isotope Stage 3 and changed to alpine steppe, shrub, and sparse forest during the last deglaciation. The Holocene was dominated by alpine steppe and meadow, with sparse forest in lower elevations. The reconstructions also suggest that changes in insolation and monsoonal precipitation played a significant role in shaping the vegetation cover.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lixiong Xiang, Xiaozhong Huang, Mingjie Sun, Virginia N. Panizzo, Chong Huang, Min Zheng, Xuemei Chen, Fahu Chen
Summary: This study reconstructed the climate history of the Altai Mountain region during the middle to late Holocene by analyzing sediments from Kanas Lake and neighboring Tiewaike Lake. The results showed that the warm climate during 6.5-3.6 kyr promoted human migration and cultural exchange during the Bronze Age.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ulrike Herzschuh, Thomas Boehmer, Chenzhi Li, Manuel Chevalier, Raphael Hebert, Anne Dallmeyer, Xianyong Cao, Nancy H. Bigelow, Larisa Nazarova, Elena Y. Novenko, Jungjae Park, Odile Peyron, Natalia A. Rudaya, Frank Schluetz, Lyudmila S. Shumilovskikh, Pavel E. Tarasov, Yongbo Wang, Ruilin Wen, Qinghai Xu, Zhuo Zheng
Summary: In this study, LegacyClimate 1.0 dataset is described, which reconstructs the mean July temperature (T-July), mean annual temperature (T-ann), and annual precipitation (P-ann) using 2594 fossil pollen records from the Northern Hemisphere throughout the Holocene period. Two reconstruction methods, the modern analog technique (MAT) and weighted averaging partial least squares regression (WA-PLS), show similar spatial and temporal patterns. To improve the accuracy of the reconstructions, customized reconstructions using modern pollen data are provided to reduce the impact of precipitation on temperature reconstruction, and vice versa. The dataset is useful for synthesis studies, evaluating climate models, and improving the models themselves.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gajendran Chellaiah, Ramamoorthy Ayyamperumal, Basker Rengaraj, Gnanachandrasamy Gopalakrishnan, Venkatramanan Senapathi, Chengjun Zhang, Xiaozhong Huang
Summary: This research develops metrics for groundwater quality assessment using a multi-proxy approach. The study collected and analyzed groundwater samples from Tamirabarani river basin, comparing them with national and international standards. The results show higher concentrations of calcium and chloride ions, possibly due to regional point sources and agricultural practices. Principal component analysis indicates that the post-monsoon season explains a significant proportion of the variance. The dominance of certain anions and cations suggests significant degradation of groundwater quality in the region, resulting from urban pollutants and unprotected river sites.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Furong Li, Marie-Jose Gaillard, Xianyong Cao, Ulrike Herzschuh, Shinya Sugita, Jian Ni, Yan Zhao, Chengbang An, Xiaozhong Huang, Yu Li, Hongyan Liu, Aizhi Sun, Yifeng Yao
Summary: This study presents the first gridded and temporally continuous quantitative pollen-based plant-cover reconstruction for temperate and northern subtropical China over the Holocene. The dataset provides valuable information for palaeoclimate modelling and assessing past vegetation cover. The dataset includes estimates of plant cover and standard errors for 27 plant taxa in the study region.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)
