Distribution and vegetation reconstruction of the deserts of northern China during the mid-Holocene

• Published in: Geophysical research letters Vol. 41; no. 14; pp. 5184 - 5191
• Main Authors: Li, Qin, Wu, Haibin, Guo, Zhengtang, Yu, Yanyan, Ge, Junyi, Wu, Jianyu, Zhao, Deai, Sun, Aizhi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Blackwell Publishing Ltd 28.07.2014; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: aeolian deposits; biome reconstruction; China; Climate; Climate change; Deposition; desert distribution; Desertification; Deserts; Eolian deposits; Holocene; Paleobotany; pollen; Steppes; Summer; Vegetation
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1002/2014GL059952

Desertification is potentially a serious threat to society, and therefore, it is critical to understand how deserts may respond to future climate change. The mid‐Holocene (6 ± 0.5 14C ka) was warmer than present, and the distribution of deserts at this time may have implications for understanding their response to future warming. Here we reconstruct the distribution of deserts in northern China during the mid‐Holocene by combining data on vegetation type and the sedimentary facies of aeolian deposits. The results demonstrate that during the mid‐Holocene, the deserts retreated northwestward to the location of the modern 300 mm isohyet. Most of the Eastern Desert was stabilized with steppe or forest‐steppe vegetation, whereas the Western Desert exhibited no significant change and remained mobile, occupied by desert vegetation. The deserts in northern China were greatly reduced during the mid‐Holocene because of the enhancement of the East Asian summer monsoon in a warmer climate than today. Key Points We reconstructed the 6 ka desert extent from vegetation and sedimentary facies At 6 ka, most of the Eastern Desert was stable but the Western Desert was mobile The desert in China was greatly reduced at 6 ka compared to the present day