Spatial pattern of Abies and Picea surface pollen distribution along the elevation gradient in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau and Xinjiang, China |
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| Authors: | HOUYUAN LU NAIQIN WU XIANGDONG YANG CAIMING SHEN LIPING ZHU LUO WANG QUAN LI DEKE XU GUOBANG TONG XIANGJUN SUN |
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| Institution: | Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China,;Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China,;Nanjing Institute of Limnology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China,;Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA,;Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, State University of New York, Albany, New York 12203, USA,;Institute of Hydrology and Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Zhengding 050803, China and;Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China |
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| Abstract: | In this study we examine the relationships between Abies and Picea abundance in surface pollen and sub-alpine coniferous forest (SCF) distribution, elevation and climate in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau using a large modern pollen data set consisting of 857 samples. Results indicate that Abies and Picea pollen are abundant in the southern and eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, where SCF dominates the landscape. Pollen percentages of both Abies and Picea show a unimodal pattern with changes in elevation and climate, and their optima occur at elevations from 2500 to 4000 m a.s.l., mean annual temperature from ?1 to 10 °C and mean annual precipitation from 450 to 850 mm. The optimal elevation of Abies and Picea pollen distribution decreases with latitude from c . 4000 m in the south (21–32°N) to c . 2500 m in the north (43–49°N). The spatial pattern of Abies and Picea pollen abundance is highly correlated with the modern distribution of these taxa, which is largely controlled by elevation and climate. These relationships could provide a practical reference for interpretation of fossil pollen data in terms of climate and elevation in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. |
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