The Pollen Representation of Vegetation and Climate Along an Altitudinal Gradient on the Eastern Tibetan Plateau

Weihe Ren, Min Liu, Feng Qin, Quan Li, Guitian Yi, Weiyu Chen, Shuming Li, Zijian Liu, Qing Peng, Chen Liang and Yan Zhao ()
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Weihe Ren: College of Geography and Tourism/HIST Hengyang Base, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang 421010, China
Min Liu: College of Geography and Tourism/HIST Hengyang Base, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang 421010, China
Feng Qin: Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Quan Li: Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Guitian Yi: College of Geography and Tourism/HIST Hengyang Base, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang 421010, China
Weiyu Chen: Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Shuming Li: College of Geography and Tourism/HIST Hengyang Base, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang 421010, China
Zijian Liu: College of Geography and Tourism/HIST Hengyang Base, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang 421010, China
Qing Peng: College of Geography and Tourism/HIST Hengyang Base, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang 421010, China
Chen Liang: Department of Land Resource and Urban Planning, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, China
Yan Zhao: Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-19

Abstract: Understanding the relationship between modern pollen assemblages and vegetation/climate for various elevations is essential for accurately interpreting fossil pollen records and conducting quantitative climate reconstructions in mountainous regions. However, these relationships for the Tibetan Plateau, which is the highest and one of the most ecologically sensitive regions globally, are still scarce. We present modern pollen assemblages from 78 topsoil samples collected along altitudinal gradients from 498 to 4046 m above sea level on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. They were distributed in alpine shrub meadows, coniferous forests, and mixed broad-leaved and coniferous forest vegetation types. Multivariate statistical methods, including discriminant analysis, indicator species analysis, logistic regression, and redundancy analysis, were employed to identify relationships among modern pollen assemblages, vegetation types, and climate along an altitudinal gradient. The results revealed that (1) vegetation types along the altitudinal gradient can be effectively differentiated by comparing pollen assemblages, discriminant analysis, and indicator species analysis; (2) the conifer/broadleaf pollen ratio (C/B) efficiently distinguished coniferous forests (C/B > 5) from mixed forests (C/B < 5); and (3) variations in modern pollen assemblages are primarily influenced by temperature, with pollen ratios, such as Artemisia /Cyperaceae ( Art /Cy) and Tsuga /( Tsuga + Abies + Picea ) (T/TAP), displaying notable altitudinal and temperature differences. These findings demonstrate that variations in modern pollen assemblages on the eastern Tibetan Plateau differentiate between vegetation types and correlate with temperature variations associated with elevation. The results provide insights for future paleovegetation and paleoclimatic reconstructions for similar mountainous regions.

Keywords: modern pollen; altitudinal vegetation zone; representation; eastern Tibetan Plateau (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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