Glacier Extent and Volume Change （1966-9000） on the Su-lo Mountain in Northeastern Tibetan Plateau,China

The topographic maps of 1：50, 000 scales, aerial photographs taken in 1966, one Landsat image taken in 1999, and SRTM data from 2000 were used to quantify the losses in area and volume of the glaciers on the Su-lo Mountain, in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, China in the past 30 years. The total glacier area decreased from 492.9 km^2 in 1966 to 458.2 km^2 in 1999. The volume loss of the studied glaciers reached 1.4 km^3 from 1966 to 2000. This agrees with documented changes in other mountain glaciers of the whole Tibetan Plateau.     

Critical Approach to Methods of Glacier Reconstruction in High Asia and Discussion of the Probability of a Qinghai-Xizang （Tibetan） Inland Ice

This overview discusses old and new results as to the controversy on the past glacier extension in High Asia, which has been debated for 35 years now. This paper makes an attempt to come closer to a solution. H.v. Wissmann's interpretation (1959) of a small-scale glaciation contrasts with M. Kuhle's reconstruction (1974) of a large-scale glaciation with a 2.4 million km2 extended Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) inland glaciation and a Himalaya-Karakorum icestream network. Both opinions find support but also contradiction in the International and Chinese literature (Academia Sinica). The solution of this question is of supraregional importance because of the subtropical position of the concerned areas. In case of large albedo-intensive ice surfaces, a global cooling would be the energetical consequence and, furthermore, a breakdown of the summer monsoon. The current and interglacial heat-low above the very effective heating panel of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau exceeding 4000 m, which gives rise to this monsoon circulation, would be replaced by the cold-high of an inland ice. In addition, the plate-tectonically created Pleistocene history of the uplift of High Asia — should the occasion arise up to beyond the snowline (ELA) —would attain a paleoclimatically great, perhaps global importance. In case of a heavy superimposed ice load, the question would come up as to the glacio-isostatic interruption of this primary uplift. The production of the loesses sedimentated in NE-China and their very probable glacial genesis as well as an eustatic lowering of the sea-level by 5 to 7 m in the maximum case of glaciation are immediately tied up with the question of glaciation we want to discuss. Not the least, the problems of biotopes of the sanctuary-centres of flora and fauna, i.e., interglacial re-settlement, are also dependent on it. On the basis of this Quaternary- geomorphological-glaciological connection, future contributions are requested on the past glaciation, the current and glacial permafrost table and periglacial development, the history of uplift, and the development of Ice Age lakes and loess, but also on the development of vegetation and fauna in High Asia.     

Quaternary glacio-erosional landforms in Laoshan Mountain and their constraints on the origin of Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, east of China

A field investigation on Quaternary glacial landforms in Laoshan Mountain has discovered many glacial potholes, scouring grooves on top of granite ridges, and large boulders. These erosional landforms were formed by the meltwater from the overlying ice cap, suggesting that there was at least an ice cap covering Laoshan Mountain and the surrounding areas or even a continental ice sheet over the vast area of Shandong Province in the Late Pleistocene. The ice sheet was obstructed by the Laoshan Mountain, Dazhu Mountain and Xiaozhu Mountain in the coastal areas as it moved toward the Yellow Sea. The ice flows eroded the bedrock and carved the weak intersection of the fault systems in the NE and NW directions into a deep channel, which gradually formed a fjord in the area of the Jiaozhou Bay basin by 20.00 ka BP. The seawater gradually invaded the fjord from the beginning of the Holocene (11.00 ka BP) and Jiaozhou Bay was eventually formed. Similar fjords are easily found along the east of China and they share a similar origin because of the Quaternary glaciation in the region.     

Vegetation and Community Changes of Elm （Ulmuspumila） Woodlands in Northeastern China in 1983-2011

Elm (Ulmus pumila), widely distributed in the north temperate zone, contributes to a special savanna-like woodland in typical grassland region in the northeastern China. This woodland performs a variety of ecological functions and environmental significance, such as decreasing soil erosion, stabilizing sand dunes, preserving species diversity. However, in the last approximate 30 years, the species composition, productivity and distribution area of elm woodland has decreased severely. A series of studies have been carried out to find out whether the climate changes or human disturbances caused the degradation of elm woodland and how these factors affected elm woodland. In this study, undisturbed, plowing and grazing elm woodland were investigated in 1983 and 2011 by using Point-Centered Quarter method. The relationship between vegetation changes and environmental factors was analyzed by Bray-Curtis ordination. The results show that in 2011, species diversity and understory productivity of undisturbed elm woodland decrease slightly compared to those of undisturbed elm woodland in 1983. However, nearly 60% of the species is lost in the plowing and grazing elm woodland relative to the species undisturbed elm woodland in 1983. Interestingly, plowing stimulates the growth of elm and certain understory species through furrowing soil and accelerating soil nutrient turnover rate. Grazing disturbance not only leads to species loss and productivity decrease, but also induces changes in elm growth (small, short and twisted). The mean age of the elm was 29 ± 2 yr in undisturbed and plowing elm woodland, while only 15 yr in the grazing elm woodland. The results of Bray-Curtis ordination analysis show that all sample stands clustered to three groups: Group I including the undisturbed sample stands of 83UE (undisturbed elm woodland in 1983) and 11UE (undisturbed elm woodland in 2011); Group II including sample stands of PE (elm woodland disturbed by plowing); Group III including samples stands of GE (elm woodland disturbed by grazing). The results indicate that the long time disturbance of the plowing and grazing have converted elm woodland to different community types. Climate change is not the primary reason causing the degradation of elm woodland, but plowing and grazing disturbance. Both plowing and grazing decrease the vegetation composition and species diversity. Grazing further decreases vegetation productivity and inhibits the growth of elm tree. Therefore, we suggest that reasonable plowing and exclusive grazing would be favorable for future regeneration of degraded elm woodland.     

Succession Features and Dynamic Simulation of Subalpine Forest in the Gongga Mountain, China

The Gongga Mountain of eastern Tibet Plateau is a representative of the alpine regions with high peaks and deep valleys. Climate change over the last thousand years has controlled the dynamics of glacier and debris flow occurrence, which resulted in substantial changes in the mountainous environment. The authors surveyed the community structure of primary forests in Gongga Mountain and forest successign processes in woodland plots. The changing features in the subalpine environment are discussed in this paper. Tree species and sizes between the glacier shrinking areas and debris flow fans in Hailuogou Valley are compared. The pioneer species that settle in debris flow fans and the glacier shrinking areas are Salix spp. and Populus purdomii. Abies fabri and Picea brachytyla are the climax tree species. The succession process of primary vegetation in Hailuogou (2700 ～ 3200 m) can be divided into four stages:     

Characteristics and Cause Analysis of Variations in Light Precipitation Events in the Central and Eastern Tibetan Plateau,China, During 1961–2019

The Tibetan Plateau(TP) is one of the most sensitive areas and is more susceptible to climate change than other regions in China. The TP also experiences extremely frequent light precipitation events compared to precipitation of other intensities. However, the definition, influencing factors, and characteristics of light precipitation in the TP have not been accurately explained. This study investigated the variation characteristics of light precipitation with intensities(Pre) of 0.1–10.0 mm/d b...     

Late Pleistocene environmental information on the Diexi paleo-dammed lake of the upper Minjiang River in the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau,China

In 1999, Diexi paleo-dammed lake(2349 m a.s.l.) was discovered around Diexi town along the Minjiang River in Sichuan province. Diexi is located where the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the Sichuan Basin meet. The dammed lake was formed during the Last Glacial Maximum of the Late Pleistocene(~30,000 years ago) and began to empty about 15,000 years ago. The lacustrine sediments(up to 240 m thick) preserve abundant paleoenvironment information. In this paper, a mass of oxygen isotopes and 14 C dating from drilled cores are analyzed and discussed. The δ18 O curve on the paleo climate from this section is comparable with the coeval paleo climatic curves of ice cores and karsts in China and others. Furthermore, the physical model testing has confirmed that the disturbed zones in the core are caused by strong earthquakes occurred at least 10 times, which implies strong crustal deformation, as an important driving force, affecting climate change. This study provides a new window to observe East Asian monsoon formation, paleoenvironmental evolution and the global climate change.     

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins （PCDDs） and dibenzofurans （PCDFs） in surface sediment and bivalve from the Changjiang Estuary, China

Surface sediments and bivalves were collected from the Changjiang Estuary in December 2003 and November 2004, respectively. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in these samples were measured with high-resolution chromatography (HRGC)/High Resolution Mass Spectrometer (HRMS). The concentrations of total PCDD/Fs and toxic equivalent (TEQ) were 169.83±119.63 and 0.81±0.36 pg/g dry weight (dw) in sediments, and 580.33±240.17 and 7.24±3.65 pg/g dw in bivalves. The homolog compositions of PCDD/Fs were similar among samples, the most abundant congener was octa-chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) and then octa-chlorinated dibenzofuran (OCDF) and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-hepta-chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (HpCDD). The herbicide pentachlorophenol (PCP) and sodium pentachlorophenol (Na-PCP) were proved the main source of PCDD/Fs in this area.     

Local Knowledge on Plants and Domestic Remedies in the Mountain Villages of Peshkopia（Eastern Albania）

Ethnobotanical studies in the Balkans are crucial for fostering sustainable rural development in the region and also for investigating the dynamics of change of Traditional Ecological Knowledge（TEK）,which has broad-sweeping implications for future biodiversity conservation efforts.A survey of local botanical and medical knowledge and practices was conducted in four mountainous villages of the Peshkopia region in northeast Albania,near the Macedonian border.Snowball sampling techniques were employed to recruit 32 informants for participation in semi-structured interviews regarding the use of the local flora for food,medicinal,veterinary and ritual purposes.The uses of 84 botanical taxa were recorded as well as a number of other folk remedies for the treatment of both humans and livestock.Comparison of the collected data with another ethnobotanical field study recently conducted among Albanians living on the Macedonian side of Mount Korab shows a remarkable divergence in medicinal plant uses,thus confirming the crucial role played by the history of the last century in transforming TEK.Most noteworthy,as a legacy of the Communist period,a relevant number of wild medicinal taxa are still gathered only for trade rather than personal/familial use.This may lead to unsustainable exploitation of certain taxa（i.e.Orchis and Gentiana spp.） and presents some important conservation challenges.Appropriate development and environmental educational frameworks should aim to reconnect local people to the perception of limitation and renewability of botanical resources.     

Livelihood strategy change and land use change —Case of Danzam Village in upper Dadu River watershed, Tibetan Plateau of China

Land use change in rural China since the 1980s, induced by institution reforms, urbanization, industrialization and population increase, has received more attention. However, case studies on how institution reforms affect farmers’ livelihood strategies and drive land use change are scarce. By means of cropland plots investigations and interviews with farmers, this study examines livelihood strategy change and land use change in Danzam Village of Jinchuan County in the upper Dadu River watershed, eastern Tibetan Plateau, China. The results show that, during the collective system period, as surplus labor forces could not be transferred to the secondary and tertiary industries, they had to choose agricultural involution as their livelihood strategy, then the farmers had to produce more grains by land reclamation, increasing multiple cropping index, improving input of labor, fertilizer, pesticide and adopting advanced agricultural techniques. During the household responsibility system period, as labors being transferred to the secondary and tertiary industries, farmers chose livelihood diversification strategy. Therefore, labor input to grain planting was greatly reduced, which drove the transformation of grain to horticulture, vegetable or wasteland and decrease of multiple cropping index. This study provides a new insight into understanding linkages among institution reforms, livelihood strategy of smallholders and land use change in rural China. Foundation item: Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40601006, 40471009), National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2005CB422006)     

Anthropogenic Effect on Deposition Dynamics of Lake Sediments Based on ~（137）Cs and ~（210）Pb_（ex） Techniques in Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve,China

Radionuclide dating techniques characterized by137Cs and210Pbex have recently been applied in the study of lake sediments around the world.In this study,a chronological series of sediment cores was established based on137Cs and210Pbex analyses along with the evaluation of sediment properties,such as particle size distribution,total organic carbon(TOC),carbonate content,and acid-insoluble residue,to study sediment accumulation rates,sediment sources,and responses to human activities in the Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve in southwestern China.In terms of the particle size distribution of sediments,silt content was the highest,and clay and sand contents were relatively low.The sediments displayed high TOC contents because of the significant amounts of vegetation grown in the lakes.The carbonate content was also high due to the overall geological background of carbonates in Jiuzhaigou.Carbonate content tended to decline from top to bottom in the sediment cores,whereas the acid-insoluble residue tended to increase.These results suggested that the depth variation of the environmental parameters of the sediments in two lakes in Jiuzhaigou would correspond to each other.The results indicated that the sediment rate of Jiuzhaigou was generally high with strong siltation,indicating that serious soil loss was induced by intensive human activities in the basin over the past decades.The increases in the mass accumulation rate,contents of acid-insoluble residue,and mean particle size during the periods of 1840–1900s,late 1930s–early 1950s,1966–1978,and2003–2006 revealed the occurrence of severe soil and water loss as a result of extensive agricultural expansion,large-scale deforestation,and road construction in Jiuzhaigou.The deposition rate and the properties of lacustrine sediments could reflect the significant impact of human activities on lake sedimentation during Jiuzhaigou′s history.     

Biomass and carbon storage of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis （Rhodophyta） in Zhanshan Bay,Qingdao, China

Marine macroalgae can absorb carbon and play an important role in carbon sequestration. As an important economic macroalga, Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis has the potential to significantly affect carbon absorption and storage in wave-sheltered intertidal reef systems. However, detailed knowledge on seasonal biomass changes and carbon storage of G. lemaneiformis is lacking, especially in many small and scattered ecosystems. Considering the influence of human activities on wild distribution of G. lemaneiformis, the understanding of seasonal dynamics of an economically important species in nature is necessary. In this study, we first investigated seasonal variations in biomass, coverage area, and carbon storage during low tide from August 2011 to July 2012 in Zhanshan Bay, Qingdao, China. Furthermore, we estimated the carbon storage potential of wild G. lemaneiformis using light use efficiency(LUE). The results show that the standing biomass and coverage area changed significantly with season. However, seasonal variations in carbon content and water content were not obvious, with an average content of 35.1% and 83.64%, respectively. Moreover, carbon storage in individual months varied between 0.67 and 47.03 g C/m 2, and the value of carbon storage was the highest in August and June and the lowest in February. In Zhanshan Bay, LUE of G. lemaneiformis was only 0.23%. If it is increased to the theoretical maximum(5%–6%), the carbon storage will have an increase of at least 21 times compared with the current, which suggested that carbon storage of wild G. lemaneiformis had a high enhancement potential. The study will help to assess a potential role of G. lemaneiformis in reducing atmospheric CO2.     

Accumulation of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals in clams （Ruditapes philippinarum） in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Accumulation and distributions of aliphatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals were measured in tissues of the clam Ruditapes philippinarum collected from 5 sites in Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, China. The concentrations of total aliphatic hydrocarbon and PAHs ranged from 570 to 2 574 ng/gdw (gram dry weight) and from 276 to 939 ng/gdw, in the most and least polluted sites, respectively. The bio-accumulation of hydrocarbons and PAHs in the clams appeared to be selective. Aliphatic hydrocarbons were predominantly represented by short chain (<nC₂₃) n-alkanes, suggesting that petroleum hydrocarbons were likely the major contamination source. The selective uptake of 3 and 4 ring PAHs, such as naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene, by the clams was probably related to the physiological and bio-kinetic processes that were energetically favorable for uptake of compounds with fewer rings. Accumulation of the metals Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Hg, and As in the clam tissues also showed high variability, ranging from 0.043 to 87 μg/gdw. Among the 7 detected metals, Zn, Cd, Cu, and As had a particularly high potential of accumulation in R. philippinarum. In general, a positive correlation was found between the tissue concentrations and sediment concentrations of hydrocarbons and of some metals. Our study suggests that moderate contamination with polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and low to moderate contamination with metals, currently exists for clam R. philippinarum in Jiaozhou Bay, in comparison with other regional studies. A long-term monitoring program is certainly needed for assessment of the potential ecological influence and toxicity of these contaminants of R. philippinarum in Jiaozhou Bay.     

Age and Growth of Chub Mackerel （Scomberjaponicus） in the East China and Yellow Seas Using Sectioned Otolith Samples

Although chub mackerel (Scomberjaponicus) is a primary pelagic fish species,we have only limited knowledge on itskey life history processes.The present work studied the age and growth of chub mackerel in the East China and Yellow Seas.Agewas determined by interpreting and counting growth rings on the sagitta otoliths of 252 adult fish caught by the Chinese commercialpurse seine fleet during the period from November 2006 to January 2007 and 150 juveniles from bottom trawl surveys on the spawn-ing ground in May 2006.The difference between the assumed birth date of 1 st April and date of capture was used to adjust the agedetermined from counting the number of complete translucent rings.The parameters of three commonly used growth models,the vonBertalanffy,Logistic and Gompertz models,were estimated using the maximum likelihood method.Based on the Akaike InformationCriterion (AIC),the von Bertalanffy growth model was found to be the most appropriate model.The size-at-age and size-at-maturityvalues were also found to decrease greatly compared with the results achieved in the 1950s,which was caused by heavy exploitationover the last few decades.     

The Relationship between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index （NDVI） and Climate Factors in the Semiarid Region： A Case Study in Yalu Tsangpo River Basin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Yalu Tsangpo River basin is a typical semi-arid and cold region in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where significant climate change has been detected in the past decades. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how the regional vegetation, especially the typical plant types, responds to the climate changes. In this study, the model of gravity center has been firstly introduced to analyze the spatial-temporal relationship between NDVI and climate factors considering the time-lag effect. The results show that the vegetation grown has been positively influenced by the rainfall and precipitation both in moving tracks of gravity center and time-lag effect especially for the growing season during the past thirteen years. The herbs and shrubs are inclined to be influenced by the change of rainfall and temperature, which is indicated by larger positive correlation coefficients at the 0.05 confidence level and shorter lagging time. For the soil moisture, the significantly negative relationship of NDV-PDI indicates that the growth and productivity of the vegetation are closely related to the short-term soil water, with the correlation coefficients reaching the maximum value of o.81 at Lag 0-1. Among the typicalvegetation types of plateau, the shrubs of low mountain, steppe and meadow are more sensitive to the change of soil moisture with coefficients of -0.95, -0.93, -0.92, respectively. These findings reveal that the spatial and temporal heterogeneity between NDVI and climatic factors are of great ecological significance and practical value for the protection of eco-environment in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.     

Source Evolution and Its Relationship to Climate Change Since the Middle–Late Pleistocene in Laizhou Bay,China

Through the geochemical analysis of two hundred-meters cores KD4 and ZK3 from Laizhou Bay,in this study,we determined the distribution law and controlling factors of the geochemical elements.We analyzed 24 elements with respect to their R factors and major principal components,which were combined with the source discrimination functions DFCr/Th and DFCa/Al to obtain the sediment source index and its variation with depth for this area.A comparison of the changes in climate indicators suggests a clear correlation between the source and climate changes.The results show that the Yellow River and surrounding short-term rivers are the main sediment sources in this area.The PC3 of the KD4 core and PC2 of the ZK3 core(e.g.,CaO,MnO,SiO2)exhibit significant variations and reflect the relative contributions of Yellow River sources.The deposition process can be divided into six stages:in Phase I(MIS 5c–MIS 5a),the Yellow River formed,and the composition of the Yellow River had a greater influence on the sedimentary composition of the study area.In Phase II(MIS 5a–MIS 3),the sediment sources of the Yellow River and the short-term streams in this area were wavering,with the sediments derived from short-term rivers playing a more important role.In Phase III(MIS 3),with a sharp drop in temperature,the study area was in the process of retreat,and the sediment source changed from the Yellow River to short-term rivers,after which the Yellow River source material remained the main sediment source for the region.A similar process occurred three more times in Phase IV(MIS 3–MIS 2),Phase V(MIS 2–MIS 1),and Phase VI(MIS 1).With changes in climate,especially during alternating sea-land phases,the sediment source varied in marine-terrestrial-marine phases,and the changes are observed as Yellow River source-surrounding provenance-Yellow River source.However,this process of change is not synchronized with the sea-land strata alternation.     

Land Use Change During 1960-2000 Period and its Eco-environmental Effects in the Middle and Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River： a Case Study in Yiliang County, Yunnan, China

Land use/land cover change (LUCC) is a focus of the research of global environmental changes.The middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River,which are the most ecologically fragile mountainous area in China as well as one of the areas in China with most notable LUCC, have been on the Chinese Government‘s list of priority areas for ecological restoration. This paper is to reveal the trend of LUCC and the ecological degradation arising from it, and to provide a basis for the future sustainable use of land resources in the region based on a detailed analysis of Yiliang County. Based on the county‘s land use/cover maps in 1960, 1980 and 2000 drawn with the aid of aerial photograph interpretation, field investigation and GIS based spatial-temporal data analysis, LUCC during 1960-2000 period and the ecological degradation arising from it were analyzed. Using the Markv model, the paper brings out a forecast of what the county‘s LUCC would be like if the county‘s current land use continues, as well as the reasons and countermeasures for restoring degraded ecosystems.     

Palynoflora of Wulaga dinosaur site in Jiayin （ Zeya-Bureya Basin,China）

The palynological assemblage from Wulaga dinosaur site in Jiayin from southeastern Zeya-Bureya Basin was studied. The high content of pteridophytes spores is characteristic for this assemblage. The further characters are in decrease of abundance-tricolpate pollen, Ginkgocycadophytus, pollen of Taxodiaceae, Cupressaceae and Taxaceae （TCT） , bisaccate pollen of Pinaceae, and triporate pollen. The bone-bearing burials of Wulaga dinosaur site formed under conditions of vast swampy river valley covered by ferns and taxodialeans. Tricolpate pollen, produced by plants, close to those of Platanaceae, Fagaceae, Betulaceae, and Juglandaceae, counts in favor of valley river open canopy forests.