Anthropogenic Impact on the Terrestrial Environment in the Lake Dian Basin, Southwestern China during the Bronze Age and Ming–Qing period

Peilun Liu, Fengwen Liu (), Gang Li, Yuejiao Li, Huihui Cao and Xiaorui Li ()
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Peilun Liu: Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Fengwen Liu: Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environment Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
Gang Li: Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Yuejiao Li: School of Geography and Tourism, Zhaotong University, Zhaotong 657000, China
Huihui Cao: Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Xiaorui Li: Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kunming 650504, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: The role of human activity in shaping the terrestrial environment has been a core scientific issue of interest across various disciplines. However, it remains unclear whether there are significant differences in the patterns of the anthropogenic impact on the terrestrial environment in terms of spatial and temporal dimensions, and we are yet to identify the underlying factors that have driven it. Here, we present an analysis of sporopollen and geochemical proxies from a section of the Anjiangbei site (AJB) on the Yunnan Plateau, spanning the Ming–Qing period, in order to explore the spatio-temporal variation in the anthropogenic impact on the terrestrial environment in the Lake Dian basin. Integrating the reported multidisciplinary evidence, we aim to reveal the influencing factors of anthropogenic impact. Our results show that there were remarkable differences in anthropogenic impact on the terrestrial environment in the Lake Dian basin between the Late Bronze Age and the Ming–Qing period. Changes in crop vegetation and the forest were all affected by human activity in the Lake Dian basin during the two periods, and were more evident during the Ming–Qing period. The heavy metal pollution in the soil was obvious during the Ming–Qing period. The increase in the intensity of human activity, especially the rise in population, could be attributed to changes in the hydrological environment in the Lake Dian basin during the Late Bronze Age and to geopolitical change during the Ming–Qing period. This study reveals the different patterns in human impact on the terrestrial environment in the Lake Dian basin during the Late Bronze Age and the Ming–Qing period, providing new evidence to enable a deeper understanding of past human–environment interactions on the Yunnan Plateau.

Keywords: anthropogenic impact; hydrological change; geopolitical patterns; Lake Dian basin; Late Bronze Age and Ming–Qing period (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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