How old is the human footprint in the world's largest alpine ecosystem? A review of multiproxy records from the Tibetan Plateau from the ecologists' viewpoint

Quaternary Science Reviews

Volumn 86, Issue , 2014, Pages 190-209

  Miehe, Georg ^a   Miehe, Sabine ^a   Böhner, Jürgen ^b   Kaiser, Knut ^c   Hensen, Isabel ^d   Madsen, David ^e   Liu, JianQuan ^f   Opgenoorth, Lars ^a  

^a PHILIPPS UNIVERSITY MARBURG   (Germany)

^b UNIVERSITY OF HAMBURG   (Germany)

^c GFZ GERMAN RESEARCH CENTRE FOR GEOSCIENCES   (Germany)

^d MARTIN LUTHER UNIVERSITY HALLE WITTENBERG   (Germany)

^e UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN   (United States)

^f LANZHOU UNIVERSITY   (China)

Author keywords

Anthropocene; Fire; Forest decline; Grazing; Holocene; Palaeosol

Indexed keywords

ANTHROPOCENE; FOREST DECLINE; GRAZING; HOLOCENES; PALAEOSOL;

AGRICULTURE; CHARCOAL; FIRES; REFORESTATION; VEGETATION;

ECOSYSTEMS;

ALPINE ENVIRONMENT; ALTITUDE; CHARCOAL; ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT; FUNCTIONAL GROUP; FUNCTIONAL ROLE; GRAZING MANAGEMENT; HOLOCENE; PALEOECOLOGY; PALEOENVIRONMENT; PALEOSOL; PASTORALISM; PASTURE; PEDOLOGY; PERCEPTION; POLLEN; REFORESTATION;

AGRICULTURE; CHARCOAL; ECOSYSTEMS; FOREST FIRES; PLANTS; REFORESTATION;

CHINA; QINGHAI-XIZANG PLATEAU;

EID: 84893184961     PISSN: 02773791     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.12.004     Document Type: Article

References (152)

1. Adamczyk S. Vegetationsgeschichtliche Untersuchung zur Geschichte des menschlichen Eingriffs in den Haushalt der Natur Ost-, Zentral-Tibets und West-Sichuans, sowie zum Problem der Waldrefugien 2009, (Ph.D. thesis), University Hohenheim, Germany.
2. Aldenderfer M. Moving up in the world. Am. Sci. 2003, 91:542-549.
3. Aldenderfer M. Modeling the Neolithic on the Tibetan Plateau. Dev. Quat. Sci. 2007, 9:151-165.
4. Aldenderfer M., Zhang Y.N. The prehistory of the Tibetan Plateau to the seventh century A.D.: perspectives and research from China and the West since 1950. J.World Prehist. 2004, 18:1-55.
5. Atlas of Tibetan Plateau 1990, Beijing Science Press, (in Chinese). the Institute of Geography (Ed.).
6. Beall C.M., Decker M.J., Brittenham G.M., Kushner I., Gebremedhin A., Strohl K.P. An Ethiopian pattern of human adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2002, 99:17215-17218.
7. Beaufort L., de Garidel-Thoron T., Lindsey B., Oppo D., Buchet N. Burning biomass and oceanic primary production estimates in the Sulu Sea area over the last 380kyr and the East Asian monsoon dynamics. Mar. Geol. 2003, 201:53-65.
8. Behre K.E. The interpretation of anthropogenic indicators in pollen diagrams. Pollen Spores 1981, 23:225-245.
9. Bigham A., Bauchet M., Pinto D., Mao X.Y., Akey J.M., Mei R., Scherer S.W., Julian C.G., Wilson M.J., Herraez D.L., Brutsaert T., Parra E.J., Moore L.G., Schriver M.D. Identifying signatures of natural selection in Tibetan and Andean populations using dense genome scan data. PlosGenetics 2010, 6(9):1-14.
10. Bird M.I., Cali J.A. Amillion-year record of fire in sub-Saharan Africa. Nature 1998, 394:767-769.
11. Böhner J. Säkulare Klimaschwankungen und rezente Klimatrends Zentral- und Hochasiens. Göttinger Geographische Abhandlungen 1996, 101.
12. Böhner J., Lehmkuhl F. Environmental change modeling for Central and High Asia: pleistocene, present and future scenarios. Boreas 2005, 34:220-231.
13. Bond W.J., Keeley J.E. Fire as a global 'herbivore': the ecology and evolution of flammable ecosystems. Trends Ecol. Evol. 2005, 20:387-394.
14. Bork H.-R., Lang A. Quantification of past soil erosion and land use/land cover changes in Germany. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences 101 2003, 231-239. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York. A. Lang, K. Hennrich, R. Dikau (Eds.).
15. Bowman D.M.J.S., Balch J., Artaxo P., Bond W.J., Cochrane M.A., D'Antonio C.M., De Fries R., Johnston F.H., Keeley J.E., Krawchuk M.A., Kull C.A., Mack M., Moritz M.A., Pyne S., Roos C.I., Scott A.C., Sodhi N.S., Swetnam T.W. The human dimension of fire regimes on Earth. J.Biogeogr. 2011, 38:2223-2236.
16. Brantingham P.J., Ma H.Z., Olsen J.W., Gao X., Madsen D.B., Rhode D.E. Speculation on the timing and nature of Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherer colonization of the Tibetan Plateau. Chin. Sci. Bull. 2003, 48:1510-1516.
17. Brantingham P.J., Gao X., Olsen J.W., Ma H.Z., Rhode D.E., Zhang H.Y., Madsen D.B. Ashort chronology for the peopling of the Tibetan Plateau. Dev. Quat. Sci. 2007, 9:129-150.
18. Brierley G., Stankoviansky M. Geomorphic responses to land use change. Catena 2003, 51:173-179.
19. Carcaillet C., Brun J.J. Changes in landscape structure in the northwestern Alps over the last 7000 years: lessons from soil charcoal. J.Veg. Sci. 2000, 11:705-714.
20. Chen H. AStudy of the Zongri Remains 2002, (Ph.D. thesis), Beijing University, School of Archaeology and Museology, China.
21. Cierjacks A., Salgado S., Wesche K., Hensen I. Post-fire population dynamics of two tree species in high-altitude Polylepis (Rosaceae) forests of Central Ecuador. Biotropica 2008, 40:176-182.
22. Cingolani A.M., Noy-Meir I., Diaz S. Grazing effects on rangeland diversity: a synthesis of contemporary models. Ecol. Appl. 2005, 15:757-773.
23. Cui X.F., Graf H.F., Langmann B., Chen W., Huang R.F. Climate impacts of anthropogenic land use changes on the Tibetan Plateau. Global Planet. Change 2006, 54:433-456.
24. Cui X.F., Graf H.F., Langmann B., Chen W., Huang R.F. Hydrological impacts of deforestation on the southeast Tibetan Plateau. Earth Interact. 2007, 11:1-18.
25. Dickoré B.W. Flora Karakorumensis I. Stapfia 39 1995.
26. Dierschke H. Pflanzensoziologie 1994, Stuttgart.
27. Du Y.R., Guo S.C., Wang Z.F., Ci H.X., Cai Z.Y., Zhang Q., Su J.P., Liu J.Q. Demographic history of the Tibetan antelope Phantholops hodgsonii (chiru). J.Syst. Evol. 2010, 48:490-496.
28. Duo La Studies in the Ecology and Palaeoecology of the Lhasa Valley, Tibet Autonomous Region, China 2008, (Ph.D. thesis), University of Bergen, Norway.
29. Ellenberg H. Man's influence on tropical mountain ecosystems in South America. J.Ecol. 1979, 67:401-416.
30. Ellenberg H., Weber H.E., Düll R., Wirth V., Werner W., Paulißen D. Zeigerwerte von Pflanzen in Mitteleuropa. Scripta Geobotanica 18 1991.
31. Ellis E.C., Goldewijk K.K., Siebert S., Lightman D., Ramankutty N. Anthropogenic transformation of the biomes, 1700 to 2000. Global Ecol. Biogeogr. 2010, 19:589-606.
32. Fairbairns A.S., Hope G.S., Summerhayes G.R. Pleistocene occupation of New Guinea's highland and subalpine environments. World Archaeol. 2006, 38:371-386.
33. FAO Guidelines for Soil Description 2006, Rome. fourth ed.
34. Farjon A. AMonograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys 2005, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
35. Flad R.K., Yuan J., Li S.C. Zooarchaeological evidence for animal domestication in northwest China. Dev. Quat. Sci. 2007, 9:167-204.
36. Flick U., von Kardorff E., Steinke I. Qualitative Forschung. Ein Handbuch 2005, Reinbek.
37. Fontes J.C., Gasse F., Gibert E. Holocene environmental changes in Bangong Co basin (western Tibet). Part 1: chronology and stable isotopes of carbonates of a Holocene lacustrine core. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 1996, 120:25-47.
38. Frenzel B. Über Probleme der holozänen Vegetationsgeschichte Osttibets. Göttinger Geographische Abhandlungen 1994, 95:143-166.
39. Frenzel B. History of flora and vegetation during the Quaternary. Prog. Bot. 2002, 63:368-385.
40. Gaillard M.J. Pollen methods and studies/archaeological implications. Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science 2007, 2570-2595. Elsevier. S.A. Elias (Ed.).
41. Gaillard M.J., Sugita S., Broström A., Eklöf M., Pilesjö P. Long-term land-cover changes on regional to global scales inferred from fossil pollen - how to meet the challenges of climate research. Pages Newslett. 2000, 8:30-32.
42. Gasse F., Fontes J.C., van Campo E., Wei K. Holocene environmental changes in Bangong Co basin (western Tibet). Part 4: discussion and conclusions. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 1996, 120:79-92.
43. Guo S.C., Savolainen P., Su J.P., Zhang Q., Qi D.L., Zhou J., Zhong Y., Zhao X.Q., Liu J.Q. Origin of mitochondrial DNA diversity of domestic yak. BMC Evol. Biol. 2006, 6:73.
44. Haberle S.G. Prehistoric human impact on rainforest biodiversity in highland New Guinea. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 2007, 362:219-228.
45. Heath D., Williams D.R. Man at High Altitude. The Pathophysiology of Acclimatization and Adaptation 1981, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.
46. Henning I. Hydroklima und Klimavegetation der Kontinente. Münstersche Geographische Arbeiten 37 1994.
47. Herzschuh U. Palaeo-moisture evolution in monsoonal Central Asia during the last 50,000 years. Quat. Sci. Rev. 2006, 25:163-178.
48. Herzschuh U. Reliability of pollen ratios for environmental reconstructions on the Tibetan Plateau. J.Biogeogr. 2007, 34:1265-1273.
49. Herzschuh U., Birks J.H.B. Evaluating the indicator value of Tibetan pollen taxa for modern vegetation and climate. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 2010, 160:197-208.
50. Herzschuh U., Kürschner H., Mischke S. Temperature variability and vertical vegetation belt shifts during the last ~50,000 yr in the Qilian Mountains (NE margin of the Tibetan Plateau, China). Quat. Res. 2006, 66:133-146.
51. Herzschuh U., Winter K., Wünnemann B., Li S. Ageneral cooling trend on the central Tibetan Plateau throughout the Holocene recorded by the Lake Zigetang pollen spectra. Quat. Int. 2006, 154/155:113-121.
52. Herzschuh U., Birks J.H.B., Liu X.Q., Kubatzki C., Lohmann G. What caused the mid-Holocene forest decline on the eastern Tibet-Qinghai Plateau?. Global Ecol. Biogeogr. 2010, 19:278-286.
53. Herzschuh U., Birks J.H.B., Mischke S., Zhang C.G., Böhner J. Amodern pollen-climate calibration set based on lake sediments from the Tibetan Plateau and its application to a Late Quaternary pollen record from the Qilian Mountains. J.Biogeogr. 2010, 37:752-766.
54. 2 concentrations. Quat. Sci. Rev. 2011, 30:1907-1917.
55. Holzner W., Kriechbaum M. Pastures in South and Central Tibet (China) I. Methods for a rapid assessment of pasture conditions. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 2000, 51:259-266.
56. Hope G. Early fire and forest change in the Baliem valley, Irian Jaya, Indonesia. J.Biogeogr. 1998, 25:453-461.
57. Hope G. Environmental change and fire in the Owen Stanley Ranges, Papua New Guinea. Quat. Sci. Rev. 2009, 28:2261-2276.
58. Hou X. Vegetation Atlas of China 2001, Beijing, China.
59. Hou G.L., Xu C.J., Fan Q.S. Three expansions of prehistoric humans towards northeast margin of Qinghai-Tibet plateau and environmental change. Acta Geogr. Sin. 2010, 65:65-72.
60. Huang W. The prehistoric human occupation of the Qinghai-Xizang plateau. Göttinger Geographische Abhandlungen 1994, 95:201-219.
61. Jungerius P.D. Soils and geomorphology. Catena Suppl. 1985, 6:1-18.
62. Kaiser K., Miehe G., Schoch W.H., Zander A., Schlütz F. Relief, soil and lost forests: Late Holocene environmental changes in southern Tibet under human impact. Z.Geomorphol. Suppl. 2006, 142:149-173.
63. Kaiser K., Schoch W.H., Miehe G. Holocene palaeosols and colluvial sediments in Northeast Tibet (Qinghai Province, China): properties, dating and palaeoenvironmental implications. Catena 2007, 69:91-102.
64. Kaiser K., Miehe G., Barthelmes A., Ehrmann O., Scharf A., Schult M., Schlütz F., Adamczyk S., Frenzel B. Turf-bearing topsoils on the central Tibetan Plateau, China: pedology, botany, geochronology. Catena 2008, 73:300-311.
65. Kaiser K., Lai Z.P., Schneider B., Reudenbach C., Miehe G., Brückner H. Stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental implications of Pleistocene and Holocene aeolian sediments in the Lhasa area, southern Tibet (China). Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 2009, 271:329-342.
66. Kaiser K., Opgenoorth L., Schoch W.H., Miehe G. Charcoal and fossil wood from palaeosols, sediments and artificial structures indicating Late Holocene forest decline in southern Tibet. Quat. Sci. Rev. 2009, 28:1539-1554.
67. Kaiser K., Lai Z.P., Schneider B., Schoch W.H., Shen X.H., Miehe G., Brückner H. Sediment sequences and paleosols in the Kyichu Valley, southern Tibet (China), indicating Late Quaternary environmental changes. Island Arc. 2009, 18:404-427.
68. Kershaw A.P. Climatic change and aboriginal burning in northeast Australia during the last two glacial/interglacial cycles. Nature 1986, 322:47-49.
69. Kessler M. The "Polylepis problem" - where do we stand?. Ecotropica 2002, 8:97-110.
70. Kingdon-Ward F. Tibet as a grazing land. Geogr. J. 1947, 100:60-75.
71. 26Al dating of paleolake shorelines in Tibet. J.Asian Earth Sci. 2011, 41:263-273.
72. Körner C. Alpine Plant Life 2003, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York. second ed.
73. Körner C. Alpine Treelines 2012, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York.
74. Kramer A., Herzschuh U., Mischke S., Zhang C.J. Holocene treeline shifts and monsoon variability in the Hengduan Mountains (southeastern Tibetan plateau), implications from palynological investigations. Palaogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 2010, 286:23-41.
75. Kürschner H., Herzschuh U., Wagner D. Phytosociological studies in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NW China) - a first contribution to the subalpine scrub and alpine meadow vegetation. Bot. Jahrbuch Syst. 2005, 126:273-315.
76. Laegaard S. Influence of fire in the grass páramo vegetation of Ecuador. Páramo, an Andean Ecosystem under Human Influence 1992, 151-170. Academic Press. H. Balslev, J.L. Luteyn (Eds.).
77. Lang H. Quartäre Vegetationsgeschichte Europas: Methoden und Ergebnisse. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag 1994.
78. Lehmkuhl F. Geomorphologische Untersuchungen zum Klima des Holozäns und Jungpleistozäns Osttibets und einem Beitrag zur holozänen Vegetationsgeschichte von Frank Schlütz. GGA 1995, 102.
79. Lister G.S., Kelts K., Chen J., Niessen F. Lake Qinghai, China: closed-basin lake levels and oxygen isotope record of ostracoda since the latest Pleistocene. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 1991, 84:141-162.
80. Löffler E. Ursprung und Verbreitung der Páramo-Grasländer in Ostneuguinea. Erdkunde 1979, 33:226-236.
81. Madsen D.B., Ma H.Z., Brantingham P.J., Gao X., Rhode D., Zhang H.Y., Olsen J.W. The Late Upper Paleolithic occupation of the northern Tibetan Plateau margin. J.Archaeol. Sci. 2006, 33:1433-1444.
82. McNaughton S.J. Grazing lawns: animals in herds, plant form, and coevolution. Am. Nat. 1984, 124:863-886.
83. Meng L.H., Yang R.,J., Abbot R.J., Miehe G., Hu T.H., Liu J.Q. Mitochondrial and chloroplast phylogeography of Picea crassifolia Kom. (Pinaceae) in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and adjacent highlands. Mol. Ecol. 2007, 16:4128-4137.
84. Miehe G. Vegetation patterns on Mt. Everest as influenced by monsoon and föhn. Vegetatio 1989, 79:21-32.
85. Miehe G., Miehe S. Zur oberen Waldgrenze in tropischen Gebirgen. Phytocoenologia 1994, 24:53-110.
86. Miehe G., Winiger M., Böhner J., Zhang Y.L. The climate diagram map of High Asia. Purpose and concepts. Erdkunde 2001, 55:94-95.
87. Miehe G., Miehe S., Dickoré B.W. Alpine deserts in High Asia. Desert and Alpine Environments (Hövermann Festschrift) 2002, 59-79. Beijing. X.P. Yang (Ed.).
88. Miehe G., Miehe S., Koch K., Will M. Sacred forests in Tibet. Using geographical information systems for forest rehabilitation. Mt. Res. Dev. 2003, 23:324-328.
89. Miehe G., Miehe S., Schlütz F., Kaiser K., Duo La Palaeoecological and experimental evidence of former forests and woodlands in the treeless desert pastures of Southern Tibet (Lhasa, A.R. Xizang, China). Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 2006, 242:54-67.
90. Miehe G., Miehe S., Vogel J., Co Sonam, Duo La Highest treeline in the Northern Hemisphere found in Southern Tibet. Mt. Res. Dev. 2007, 27:169-173.
91. Miehe G., Miehe S., Schlütz F., Lehmkuhl F. Wie natürlich ist die Vegetation der Hochweiden Osttibets?. Geogr. Rundschau 2007, 59:28-34.
92. Miehe G., Miehe S., Will M., Opgenoorth L., Duo La, Tsering Dorgeh, Liu Q.J. An inventory of forest relics in the pastures of Southern Tibet (Xizang A.R., China). Plant Ecol. 2008, 94:157-177.
93. Miehe G., Miehe S., Kaiser K., Liu J.Q., Zhao X.Q. Status and dynamics of the Kobresia pygmaea ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau. Ambio 2008, 37:272-279.
94. Miehe G., Kaiser K., Co Sonam, Zhao X.Q., Liu J.Q. Geo-ecological transect studies in northeast Tibet (Qinghai, China) reveal human-made mid-Holocene environmental changes in the upper yellow river catchment changing forest to grassland. Erdkunde 2008, 62:187-199.
95. Miehe G., Miehe S., Kaiser K., Reudenbach C., Behrendes L., Duo La, Schlütz F. How old is pastoralism in Tibet? An ecological approach to the making of a Tibetan landscape. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 2009, 276:130-147.
96. Miehe G., Miehe S., Noelling J., Hanspach J., Reudenbach C., Kaiser K., Wesche K., Mosbrugger V., Yang Y.P., Ma Y.M. Plant communities of Central Tibetan pastures in the Alpine Steppe/Kobresia pygmaea ecotone. J.Arid Environ. 2011, 75:711-723.
97. Miehe G., Miehe S., Bach K., Kluge J., Wesche K., Yang Y.P., Liu J.Q. Ecological stability during the LGM and the mid-Holocene in the Alpine Steppes of Tibet?. Quat. Res. 2011, 76:243-252.
98. Miehe S., Miehe G., van Leeuwen J.F.N., Wrozyna C., van der Knaap W.O., Duo La, Haberzettl T. Persistence of Artemisia steppes in the Tangra Yumco basin, west-central Tibet (China) - despite or in consequence of Holocene lake level changes?. J.Paleolimnol. 2013, 10.1007/s10933-013-9720-z.
99. Mischke S., Zhang C. Holocene cold events on the Tibetan Plateau. Gobal Planet. Change 2010, 72:155-163.
100. Mischke S., Herzschuh U., Zhang C., Bloemendal J., Riedel F. ALate Quaternary lake record from the Qilian Mountains (NW China): Lake level and salinity changes inferred from sediment properties and ostracod assemblages. Global Planet. Change 2005, 46:337-359.
101. Morrill C., Overpeck J.T., Cole J.E. Asynthesis of abrupt changes in the Asian summer monsoon since the last deglaciation. Holocene 2003, 13:465-476.
102. Mügler I., Gleixner G., Günther F., Mäusbacher R., Daut G., Schütt B., Berking J., Schwalb A., Schwark L., Xu B., Yao T., Zhu L., Yi C. Amulti-proxy approach to reconstruct hydrological changes and Holocene climate development of Nam Co, Central Tibet. J.Paleolimnol. 2010, 43:625-648.
103. Ni J. Asimulation of biomes on the Tibetan plateau and their responses to global climate change. Mt. Res. Dev. 2000, 20:80-89.
104. Ni J., Herzschuh U. Simulating biome distribution on the Tibetan plateau using a modified global vegetation model. Arc. Antar. Alp. Res. 2011, 43:429-441.
105. Ni J., Sykes M.T., Prentice I.C., Cramer W. Modelling the vegetation of China using the process-based equilibrium terrestrial biosphere model BIOME 3. Global Ecol. Biogeogr. 2000, 9:463-479.
106. Niemann H., Behling H. Late Quaternary vegetation, climate and fire dynamics inferred from El Tirro record in the southeastern Ecuadorian Andes. J.Quat. Sci. 2008, 23:203-212.
107. Ogden J., Basher L., McGlone M. Fire, forest regenerations and links with early human habitations: evidence from New Zealand. Ann. Bot. 1998, 81:687-696.
108. Olsen S.J. Fossil ancestry of the yak its cultural significance and domestication in Tibet. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1990, 142:73-100.
109. Opgenoorth L., Vendramin G.G., Mao C.S., Miehe G., Miehe S., Liepelt S., Liu J.Q., Ziegenhagen B. Tree endurance on the Tibetan Plateau marks the world highest known treeline of the Last Glacial Maximum. New Phytol. 2010, 185:332-342.
110. Overpeck J.T., Liu K.B., Morrill C., Cole J., Shen C., Anderson D., Tang L. Holocene environmental change in the Himalayan-Tibetan Plateau: lake sediments and the future. Adv. Global Change Res. 2005, 23:83-92.
111. Pelletier J.D., Quade J., Goble R.J., Aldenderfer M.L. Widespread hillslope gullying on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau: human or climate - induced?. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 2011, 123:1926-1938.
112. Pyne S.J. World Fire. The Culture of Fire on Earth 1997, University of Washington Press, Seattle.
113. Raper D., Bush M. Atest of Sporormiella representation as a predictor of megaherbivore presence and abundance. Quat. Res. 2009, 71:490-496.
114. Ren G.Y. Changes in forest cover in China during the Holocene. Veg. Hist. Archaeobot. 2007, 16:119-126.
115. Renssen H., Seppä H., Crosta X., Goose H., Roche D.M. Global characterization of the Holocene Thermal maximum. Quat. Sci. Rev. 2012, 48:7-19.
116. Rhode D., Zhang H.Y., Madsen D.B., Gao X., Brantingham P.J., Ma H.Z., Olsen J.W. Epipaleolithic/early Neolithic settlements at Qinghai Lake, western China. J.Archaeol. Sci. 2007, 34:600-612.
117. Rhode D., Madsen D.B., Brantingham P.J., Tsultrim D. Yaks, yak dung and prehistoric human habitation of the Tibetan plateau. Dev. Quat. Sci. 2007, 9:205-226.
118. Roberts N. The Holocene: an Environmental History 1998, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
119. Roebroeks W., Villa P. On the earliest evidence for the habitual use of fire in Europe. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2011, 108:5209-5214.
120. Ruddiman W.F. The anthropogenic greenhouse era began thousands of years ago. Clim. Change 2003, 61:261-293.
121. Sanderson E.W., Jaiteh M., Levy M.A., Redford K.H., Wannebo A.V., Woolmer G. The human footprint and the last of the wild. BioScience 2002, 52:891-904.
122. Schaller G.B. Mountain Monarchs. Wild Sheep and Goats of the Himalayas 1977, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
123. Schaller G.B. Wildlife of the Tibetan Plateau 1998, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
124. Schlütz F., Lehmkuhl F. Holocene climatic change and the nomadic Anthropocene in Eastern Tibet: palynological and geomorphological results from the Nianbaoyeze Mountains. Quat. Sci. Rev. 2009, 28:1449-1471.
125. Schlütz F., Miehe G., Lehmkuhl F. Zur Geschichte des größten alpinen Ökosystems der Erde. Palynologische Untersuchungen zu den Kobresia-Matten SE-Tibets. Berichte der RTG 2007, 19:23-36.
126. Shang Y.J., Yang Z.F., Li L.H., Liu D.A., Liao Q.L., Wang Y.C. Asuper-large landslide in Tibet in 2000: background, occurrence, disaster, and origin. Geomorphology 2003, 54:225-243.
127. Shen C.M. Millenial Scale Variations and Centennial-scale Events in the Southwest Asian Monsoon: Pollen Evidence from Tibet 2003, (Ph.D. thesis), Lousiana State University.
128. Shen J., Liu X.Q., Wang S.M., Matsumoto R.R. Palaeoclimatic changes in the Qinghai Lake area during the last 18,000 years. Quat. Int. 2005, 136:131-140.
129. Song M.H., Zhou C.P., Hua Q.Y. Distributions of dominant tree species on the Tibetan plateau under current and future climate scenarios. Mt. Res. Dev. 2004, 24:166-173.
130. Storz J.F. Genes for high altitudes. Science 2010, 329:40-41.
131. Sun X.J., Chen J.S. Palynological records of the last 11,000 years in China. Quart. Sci. Rev. 1991, 10:537-544.
132. Thelaus M. Some characteristics of the mire-development in Hongyuan County, eastern Tibet plateau. Proceedings of the 9th International Peat Congress 1. Uppsala 1992, 334-351.
133. Tinner W., Ammann B., Germann P. Treeline fluctuations recorded for 12 500 years by soil profiles, pollen, and plant macrofossils in the Central Swiss Alps. Arc. Alp. Res. 1996, 28:131-147.
134. van Campo E., Cour P., Hang S.X. Holocene environmental changes in Bangong Co Basin (western Tibet). Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 1996, 120:49-63.
135. 14C dating of riser offsets, and climatic origin of the regional morphology. Geophys. J. Int. 2002, 148(3):356-388.
136. Wesche K. The High-altitude Environment of Mt. Elgon (Uganda/Kenya). Climate vegetation and the impact of fire. Ecotropical Monographs 2 2002, Society for Tropical Ecology.
137. Wu C.Y. Flora Xizangica 1987, 5 vols. Beijing, China.
138. Wu Y.C., Raven P.H. Flora of China 1994 ff, Beijing, China.
139. Wu Y.H., Lücke A., Jin Z.D., Wang S.M., Schleser G.H., Battarbee R.W., Xia W.L. Holocene climate development on the central Tibetan Plateau: a sedimentary record from Cuoe Lake. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 2006, 234:328-340.
140. Yan G., Wang F.B., Shi G.R., Li S.F. Palynological and stable isotope study of palaeoenvironmental changes on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau in the last 30,000 years. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 1999, 153:143-159.
141. Yang X., Scuderi L. Hydrological and climatic changes in deserts of China since the late Pleistocene. Quat. Res. 2010, 73(1):1-9.
142. Yang B., Bräuning A., Shi Y.F. Late Holocene temperature fluctuations on the Tibetan Plateau. Quat. Sci. Rev. 2003, 22:2335-2344.
143. Yu G., Chen X., Ni J., Cheddadi R., Guiot J., Han H., Harrison S.P., Huang C., Ke M., Kong Z., Li S., Li W., Liew P., Liu G., Liu J., Liu Q., Liu K.B., Prentice I.C., Qui W., Ren G., Song C., Sugita S., Sun X., Tang L., VanCampo E., Xia Y., Xu Q., Yan S., Yang X., Zhao J., Zheng Z., Yu F., Zhou W.J., Franzen C.L., Pengand C., Jull A.J.T. High resolution peat records for Holocene monsoon history in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Sci. China Ser. D Earth Sci. 2006, 49:615-621.
144. Yuan D., Cheng H., Edwards R.L., Dykoski C.A., Kelly M.J., Zhang M., Qing J., Lin Y., Wang Y., Wu J., Dorale J.A., An Z., Cai Y. Timing, duration and transitions of the last interglacial Asian monsoon. Science 2004, 304:575-578.
145. Zhang J.W. Vegetation of Xizang 1988, Science Press, Bejing.
146. Zhang Q., Chiang T.Y., Liu J.Q., Miehe G., Abbott R.J. Phylogeography of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau endemic Juniperus przewalskii (Cupressaceae) inferred from chloroplast DNA sequence variation. Mol. Ecol. 2005, 14:3513-3524.
147. Zhang J.W., Chen F.H., Holmes J.A., Li H., Guo X.Y., Wang J.L., Li S., Lü Y.B., Zhao Y., Qiang M.R. Holocene monsoon climate documented by oxygen and carbon isotopes from lake sediments and peat bogs in China: a review and synthesis. Quat. Sci. Rev. 2011, 30:1973-1987.
148. Qilian shuili zhi [Annals of Water Management in Qilian County] 2000, 330. Lanzhou University Press, Lanzhou. Y. Zhang, G. Yuan, M. Wan (Eds.).
149. Zhao M., Kong Q.-P., Wang H.-W., Peng M.-S., Xie X.-D., Wang W.-Z., Jiayang, Duan J.-G., Cai M.-C., Zhao S.-N., Cidanpingcuo, Tu Y.-Q., Wu S.-F., Yao Y.-G., Bandelt H.-J., Zhang Y.-P. Mitochondrial genome evidence reveals successful Late Palaeolithic settlement on the Tibetan Plateau. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2009, 106:21230-21235.
150. Zhao Y., Yu Z.C., Chen F.H., Zhang J.W., Yang B. Vegetation response to Holocene climate in monsoon-influenced region of China. Earth-Sci. Rev. 2009, 97:242-256.
151. Zhao Y., Yu Z.C., Zhao W.W. Holocene vegetation and climate histories in the eastern Tibetan Plateau: controls by insolation-driven temperature or monsoon-derived precipitation changes?. Quat. Sci. Rev. 2011, 30:1173-1184.
152. Zhu L.P., Wu Y.H., Wang J.B., Liu X., Ju J.T., Xie M.P., Li M.H., Mäusbacher R., Schwalb A., Daut G. Environmental changes since 8.4ka reflected in the lacustrine core sediments from Nam Co, central Tibetan Plateau, China. Holocene 2008, 18:831-839.