Anthropocene最新文献

{"title":"Nonlinear threshold response and erosion-driven pathways of sediment organic carbon to anthropogenic activities in a large lake","authors":"Fengwei Ran ,&nbsp;Tao Xiao ,&nbsp;Zhongwu Li ,&nbsp;Shilan Wang ,&nbsp;Yinglong Hou ,&nbsp;Haipeng Wu ,&nbsp;Xiaodong Nie","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100536","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100536","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the response of lake sediment organic carbon fluxes (F_SOC) to anthropogenic activities in upper basins is critical for managing global carbon fluxes. However, the quantitative relationship between F_SOC and human activity intensity (HAI) in large lakes remains poorly constrained. Here, we investigated the response functions, magnitudes, and pathways of F_SOC to HAI across rivers draining into large lakes and their upper eco-environment. HAI was quantified by key anthropogenic drivers (e.g., land use intensity, economic growth), which explained 71 %–87 % of soil erosion variability in the basins. The logarithmic-linear model revealed a significant nonlinear response of F_SOC to HAI (R²&gt;0.44, P &lt; 0.001). Distinct response thresholds were identified across sub-basin types: four thresholds (HAI = 1.0, 1.6, 2.3, 2.9) in developed basin, four (HAI = 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.9) in developing basin, and one (HAI = 1.3) in undeveloped basin. Partial least squares path model (goodness-of-fit: 0.72–0.81) further quantified the driving path of HAI on F_SOC. The direct factors were soil erosion in developed basin (r_∂: 0.84, p &lt; 0.001), soil erosion in developing basin (r_∂: −0.94, p &lt; 0.001), and land use changes in undeveloped basin (r_∂: 0.60, p &lt; 0.01). Our findings revealed that F_SOC in large shallow lakes responded nonlinearly to upstream HAI, with threshold-driven shifts and erosion-mediated pathways. This work advanced mechanistic insights into human-climate-carbon interactions and provided critical information for optimizing carbon management strategies in aquatic ecosystem under global changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 100536"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecological responses of the largest lake-wetland system (North China Plain) to hydrological regulation and cultural eutrophication over the past 70 years","authors":"Longjuan Cheng ,&nbsp;John P. Smol ,&nbsp;Qi Lin ,&nbsp;Chaoran Wei ,&nbsp;Shuyi Yang ,&nbsp;Dejun Wan ,&nbsp;Qingfeng Jiang ,&nbsp;Dongliang Ning ,&nbsp;Bin Xue","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100534","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100534","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Zooplankton composition and abundance changes highlight the urgent need to unravel the complex impacts of multiple stressors on the ecological conditions of freshwater wetlands. However, the temporal trajectory of ecological responses of zooplankton in large freshwater wetland system during the Anthropocene still remains largely unsolved. This study presents an evolutionary process to explore these ecological dynamics over an extended historical timeline. Based on subfossil records of Cladocera zooplankton and other paleolimnological evidence, along with historical data on hydrological patterns, climate variables, and human activities, this study examines the ecological responses of Baiyangdian, a large freshwater lake–wetland system in northern China, to changes in hydrological regulation and cultural eutrophication. Two notable ecological regime shifts in the Cladocera community over the past ∼70 years, occurred around the 1950s and again the early 2000s driving by the accumulation of sedimentary nutrient and organic matter. Especially during the early 2000s, a notable increase in socioeconomic development and hydrological regulation led to an unprecedented acceleration of water eutrophication and ecosystem degradation in Baiyangdian. This trajectory threatened aquatic ecosystem safety and prompted further ecological shifts. Our multidecadal study provides fundamental support for the ecological conservation and integrated management of this iconic lake-wetland ecosystem under multiple stressors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 100534"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Agriculture and the rising ecological footprint in India","authors":"Shadman Zafar","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100532","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100532","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>India’s ecological footprint has been rising alarmingly, posing a serious challenge to its sustainability goals. Despite agriculture’s potential to act as a carbon sink, the sector has increasingly become a source of environmental degradation due to energy-intensive and unsustainable practices. This paradox forms the core problem that this study addresses: Why is the agricultural sector in India, despite its scale and importance, unable to mitigate emissions and instead contributing to worsening ecological outcomes? Using annual data from 1965 to 2022, the study employs a Non-Linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) model to examine the asymmetric effects of agricultural value added on ecological footprint, along with the roles of energy consumption, trade openness, and urbanization. Findings show a strong asymmetry: 1 % increase in agricultural value added aggravates ecological footprint by 1.20 %, whereas<!--> <!-->the same decline reduces ecological footprint by only 0.58 %. It reveals that positive shocks in agricultural value added have a disproportionately larger adverse impact on the ecological footprint than the negative shocks. The findings provide evidence-based support for transformative agricultural policies that decouple economic growth from environmental harm emphasizing the need for a transition toward sustainable agricultural practices in India. For policymakers, these insights offer a roadmap to redesign agricultural subsidies, incentives, and regulations that promote climate-smart techniques, renewable energy adoption, and efficient resource management across India's diverse agricultural landscape. By quantifying the asymmetric relationship between agricultural value added and ecological footprint, this research provides crucial benchmarks for India's climate commitments and sustainable development goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 100532"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anthropogenically driven deterioration of water quality in macrophyte-dominated freshwater lakes from Yangtze River basin, Eastern China","authors":"Lu Peng ,&nbsp;Huan Fu ,&nbsp;Yongdong Zhang ,&nbsp;Kunshan Bao","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100533","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100533","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid development of social-economic activities in Yangtze River basin over the past century has a significant potential to degrade environment of local lakes; however, environmental dynamic in macrophyte-dominated lakes of this region and its interaction with anthropogenic forcing remains inadequately understood. Here, long-term successive change of water quality in two typical macrophyte-dominated freshwater lakes (Xiliang and Liangzi) from the middle reaches of the Yangtze River basin was examined by high-resolution paleolimnological approach using multiple geochemical proxies, including lipid biomarker (short-chain <em>n</em>-alkane abundance, <em>n</em>-C₁₇/<em>n</em>-C₁₆ alkane, αβ-hopane abundance, homohopane index), hydrogen index (HI), and trace element (As, Cd, Pb, and Zn) enrichment factors (EFs), and anthropogenic drivers responsible for altering natural water quality variability was isolated by comparing timing of changes in geochemical results and documental records of human activities within and around the lakes. In Lake Xiliang, notable increase of HI and <em>n</em>-C₁₇/<em>n</em>-C₁₆ alkane in sediments after ca. 1961 indicated phytoplankton proliferation and thus a nutrient enriched lake water in this period, with agricultural expansion being the major driver of change. After ca. 1977, all geochemical proxies above prominently increased relative to before, implying the lake was more eutrophic and simultaneously polluted by petroleum products and heavy metals, which might have been linked to in-lake aquaculture and further development of agriculture in lake catchment especially the use of new technologies. In Lake Liangzi, the geochemical proxies highlight that the lake underwent eutrophication, petroleum and heavy metal pollution since ca. 1993, and the delayed deterioration of water quality in this lake might be related to the development of dense submerged macrophytes in littoral area which rendered the lake less vulnerable to external stressors by prohibiting the transport of nutrients and contamination to lake center until a critical threshold was crossed. This study highlights the utility of multiple proxies to provide a complete record of water quality dynamics in macrophyte-dominated freshwater lakes. The paleolimnological perspective of how water quality responds to synergistic external stressors and in-lake processes could be helpful for designing environmental management and restoration strategies to mitigate water quality deterioration in these lakes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 100533"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forests, pastures, and furnaces in the south-eastern Alps: the Mid-Late Holocene palaeoenvironmental record of Lake Caldonazzo","authors":"Giorgio Piazzalunga ,&nbsp;Marta Dal Corso ,&nbsp;Maela Baldan ,&nbsp;Mara Bortolini ,&nbsp;Dario Battistel ,&nbsp;Ingo Feeser ,&nbsp;Emanuele Farinini ,&nbsp;Riccardo Leardi ,&nbsp;Jesper Olsen ,&nbsp;Federico Polisca ,&nbsp;Michele Cupitò ,&nbsp;Marco Avanzini ,&nbsp;Cristiano Nicosia","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drawing on the Lake Caldonazzo sedimentary record (Valsugana, Italy), this study reconstructs palaeoecological dynamics from the 6th to 1st millennium BCE, revealing the environmental imprint of pre-protohistoric copper mining in the south-eastern Alps. Integrating bio- and geochemical proxies (micro-botanical data, micro-charcoal, faecal biomarkers, and trace elements) we reconstruct the interplay between environmental dynamics and anthropogenic impacts from the Neolithic to the beginning of Iron Age. During the Middle Holocene, pristine silver fir-beech forests dominated the landscape, with incipient Neolithic human influence evidenced by pastoral indicators despite the absence of known settlements in the valley. Copper Age forest decline resulted from climate-induced cooling interacting with agropastoral activity expansion. During the Early and Middle Bronze Age, human impact on mountain ecosystems increased with the integrated development of farming, forest exploitation, and pastoral activities, while early geochemical signals raise the possibility of incipient local metallurgy during the advanced Middle Bronze Age. The Recent-Final Bronze Age marked a metallurgical apex, as evidenced by a surge in the heavy metal enrichment factor and micro-charcoal peaks, corroborating the current archaeological interpretative model. The latter saw the south-eastern Trentino as a continental-scale production hub before environmental degradation and resource depletion marked its end between the 2nd and 1st millennium BCE. Land use reactivation became evident during the subsequent territorial reorganisation of the Early Iron Age. Notably, the Löbben and Göschenen 1 climatic oscillation modulated but did not override anthropic pressures. The study demonstrates that pre-protohistoric communities triggered significant environmental impacts (e.g., deforestation, erosion, heavy metal pollution), underscoring the ecological consequences of resource exploitation within sensitive Alpine ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 100530"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shifting drivers of holocene fire regimes in Uzbekistan: From natural factors to anthropogenic impact","authors":"Chéïma Barhoumi ,&nbsp;Lucas Dugerdil ,&nbsp;Marie-Estelle Delpiroux ,&nbsp;Julie Alibert ,&nbsp;Dilfuza Egamberdieva ,&nbsp;Jahongir Alimov ,&nbsp;Marion Lestienne ,&nbsp;Christelle Hély ,&nbsp;Adam A. Ali ,&nbsp;Elise Luneau ,&nbsp;Johanna Lhuillier ,&nbsp;Sébastien Joannin","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100531","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100531","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the context of the current fire intensification associated to climate aridification, this study explores Holocene fire regimes in the foothills of the Pamir-Alai Range (Uzbekistan) through macro-charcoal analysis of sediment cores from Lake Fazilman and the Ogshagil wetland, spanning the past 11000 years. In addition to their novelty, the results reveal distinct fire phases driven by both climatic fluctuations and human activities. During the early Holocene (12000–5000 cal. yr BP), fire activity was primarily climate-driven, with higher frequencies during arid phases. A significant shift occurred around 4000 – 3000 cal. yr BP, with synchronous fire trends at both sites suggesting increased anthropogenic influence linked to agro-pastoral practices of the Oxus Civilization, the Andronovo Cultures and the Handmade Painted Ware Cultures. Fire frequency declined during periods of intensified agricultural practices but increased again in later centuries, likely influenced by shifts in land use and socio-economic dynamics. Over the past 500 years, a rise in fire activity and woody plant combustion, likely influenced by post-medieval pastoral land use and firewood transportation, suggests intensified human impact. This study provides new insights into the interplay between climate, vegetation, human activity and fire in shaping Central Asia's steppe landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 100531"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human-environment dynamics at Lake Burdur (Southwestern Türkiye): A Paleoenvironmental perspective from a 4600-year pollen sequence","authors":"Demet Biltekin ,&nbsp;Mesut Kolbüken","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100529","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100529","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates a long–term interaction between climate, vegetation and human societies in the Burdur Basin in southwestern Türkiye during the last 4600 years. The regional vegetation was dominated primarily by evergreen Mediterranean species, such as <em>Quercus ilex</em>, <em>Pinus, Olea europaea</em> and <em>Juglans regia</em>. The recurrent presence of <em>Cedrus libani</em> pollen indicates long–distance transport from the Taurus Mountains. The continuous occurrence and increased abundance of cultivated and disturbance–related taxa, including <em>Juglans regia</em>, <em>Olea europaea</em>, Poaceae, Amaranthaceae, <em>Plantago lanceolata</em> type and other ruderal and grazing indicators, indicates anthropogenic influence. A pronounced increase in arboreal pollen, particularly from <em>Pinus</em>, around 2700 yr BP marks a transition from relatively open landscapes to denser forest cover. This period was characterised by significant fluctuations in the dominant species, with <em>Pinus</em> and <em>Quercus ilex</em> initially expanding and then declining before showing renewed increases after 1000 yr BP. <em>Juniperus</em> and deciduous <em>Quercus</em> also display marked variability, reflecting shifting climatic conditions and land use intensity. Pollen–based climate reconstructions indicate a gradual rise in summer temperatures (MTWA), reaching a maximum of ∼24 °C around 2700 yr BP, while winter temperatures (MTCO) remained comparatively stable. The increasing summer warmth led to enhanced thermal stress on vegetation, as reflected by rising GDD0 values, while plant moisture conditions remained relatively stable. After ∼2500 yr BP, climatic variability intensified, with pronounced fluctuations in MTWA and modest changes in moisture availability. Principal Component Analysis identifies a dominant gradient separating arboreal from non–arboreal vegetation, reflecting long–term alternations between forested and open landscapes. Redundancy analysis further demonstrates that temperature exerts primary control over vegetation structure, while moisture availability acts as a secondary driver, influencing grazing pressure, disturbance taxa and human land use intensity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 100529"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating biodiversity and key ecosystem services into the optimization of multi-scenario land use simulation in the Three-River-Source National Park region, China","authors":"Shengwang Bao ,&nbsp;Fan Yang ,&nbsp;Fanzhen Kong ,&nbsp;Yongsheng Lin ,&nbsp;Yingshuang Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100528","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100528","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As an important ecological barrier in China, land use degradation in the Three-River-Source National Park (TRSNP) poses significant threats to regional ecosystem health. Therefore, optimizing land use in the alpine ecosystem is crucial for achieving sustainable development. Based on the ecosystem service assessment and species distribution modeling, we identify the priority protection area, which serves as a constraint for future land use simulation under various climate change scenarios. The results show that: (1) Using the priority protected area as a constraint results in higher accuracy in land use simulation, with a Kappa of 0.98 and an FoM of 0.78. (2) The historical land use evolution indicates a trend of degradation from 2000 to 2005 (744.52 km²) but shows subsequent restoration from 2005 to 2020 (7037.71 km²). (3) A persistent degradation trend remains evident, manifested as a decline in grassland coverage. Although under the SSP-126 scenarios, the quantity of grassland shows an increasing trend, the quality exhibits a declining trend (a decrease of 412.19 km² in high coverage of grassland, and increases of 424.28 km² and 7537.89 km² in middle and low coverage of grassland, respectively). Furthermore, we construct a Species Distribution Index that integrates the joint distribution probability of multiple key species across both plant and animal kingdoms, providing a mechanistically grounded and spatially explicit metric to quantify biodiversity and offering a transferable framework for regional application. This research outlines strategic directions for alpine ecosystems and provides actionable recommendations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 100528"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impacts of the humid climate on the development of two ancient civilizations on the northeastern margin of the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau","authors":"Mingjun Gao,&nbsp;Yu Li,&nbsp;Tingting Xi,&nbsp;Jiarui Zhao,&nbsp;Zhansen Zhang,&nbsp;Junjie Duan,&nbsp;Yaxin Xue,&nbsp;Hao Shang,&nbsp;Shiyu Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100527","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100527","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The impact of climate change on human social development and civilizational evolution in the Holocene has been widely recognized by researchers. During the arid conditions of the late Holocene, the Siba and Shajing cultures flourished in the Hexi Corridor at the northeastern edge of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. This occupation may be closely related to a short-term humid climate; however, the climate change patterns in the Hexi Corridor since the Holocene and their possible impact on human remain unclear. In this study, we acquired three lake sections in the Hexi Corridor and integrated paleoclimate records from surrounding areas, radiocarbon dates from human and animal bones, and plants from archaeological sites to investigate the relationship between human activity and climate change in the Hexi Corridor. The results indicate that the eastern and western regions of the Hexi Corridor experienced humid periods during different periods of the mid-Holocene, which were influenced by the East Asian summer monsoon and Westerly jet, and the climate in the Hexi Corridor was generally arid during the late Holocene. During the period of ∼4300–3700 cal yr BP, increased humidity and cultural exchanges promoted the development of agriculture and animal husbandry at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, and the Siba culture flourished during this period. A brief humid period occurred in the eastern section of the Hexi Corridor during the period of ∼2500–2300 cal yr BP, providing the conditions for the development of animal husbandry in the Shajing culture. Our research suggests that there is a close correlation between humid climates and the flourishing of ancient cultures, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 100527"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145926304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inception of anthropogenic activities and palaeoclimatic reconstruction during the Late Holocene from a high-altitude region, Western Himalaya, India: Palynological perspective","authors":"Amit Kumar Mishra ,&nbsp;Ruchika Bajpai Mohanty ,&nbsp;Ratan Kar","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100526","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2026.100526","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Palynological analyses of surface soil and sub-surface sediments were undertaken from Chopta-Tungnath, Uttarakhand State, India, to decipher the Late Holocene climatic changes, along with the inception, intensification and impact of anthropogenic activities in this high-altitude Himalayan region. The study area is characterised by mixed-temperate forests and alpine meadows. The development of modern palynological analogues has been done by the surface soil samples that were collected along an altitudinal transect (2700–3680 m), encompassing three distinct vegetation zones: mixed-temperate forests, tree-line vegetation, and alpine-scrub and meadows. The modern analogues were primarily generated to interpret the pollen-vegetation relationship and are compatible with the sub-surface fossil pollen records. Sub-surface sampling was done from a trial trench (105 cm), dug in the zone of mixed-temperate forests. Based on the radiocarbon dates (¹⁴C), climate fluctuations over the last 5070 years have been inferred through variations in the ratio of arboreal to non-arboreal pollen (AP/NAP), along with the subtle variations in the frequencies of temperate broad-leaved taxa. Besides, deducing the Late Holocene climatic changes, the palynological assemblages were also used to record the anthropogenic activities in the region. Around 850 yr BP, the evidence of human impact is manifested by the declining trend in the pollen frequencies of <em>Quercus</em> and <em>Rhododendron</em>, which indicate the degradation of these two arboreal components of the forest. There is a corresponding spike of Asteroideae, Cichorioideae and ruderal pollen, which are related to human activities. The increasing frequencies of coprophilous (dung-loving) fungi in the palynological assemblages of the sub-surface sediments, around 900 yr BP, provide further evidence towards the introduction of grazers in the area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 100526"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145926302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}