Pre‐Columbian fisheries catch reconstruction for a subtropical estuary in South America

Small‐scale fisheries provide food and livelihoods for thousands of people along the Brazilian coastline. However, considerable uncertainties still surround the extent to which artisanal and subsistence fisheries contribute to the total of national landings and their historical ecological significance. Fisheries monitoring is deficient in Brazil, and historical records are limited to irregular accounts spanning the last few decades, while this coastline has supported human populations for at least 6,000 years. Here, we estimate pre‐Columbian subsistence catches for a large subtropical estuary in southern Brazil. Our results suggest that prehistoric populations may have extracted volumes of fish biomass higher than or comparable with historical subsistence fisheries in the region, and that the latter is likely underestimated. If a long‐term perspective is required to evaluate the current economic value and status of fisheries in subtropical and tropical South America, this should go beyond the historical time interval and integrate the contribution of pre‐Columbian archaeology.     

Mangrove Habitat Formation and Response to Holocene Sea-level Changes on Kosrae Island,Micronesia

Mangrove habitats on Kosrae are divided into three types, i.e., an estuary or delta type, a backmarsh or lagoon type and a coral reef or tidal-flat type. Most of the mangrove forests of Kosrae have been developed during the last 2000 years by accumulating mangrove peat with the gradual sea-level rise of 1 to 2 mm/yr except the landward part of the estuary or delta type. On the other hand, during the period of rapid sea-level rise of about 10 mm/yr between 4100 and 3700 yr B.P., the mangrove forests ceased peat accumulation and retreated landward. Until 3500 yr B.P., mangrove forests were distributed only in narrow bands in the inlets. Therefore, the critical rate of mangrove peat accretion with sea-level rise is estimated at more than 2 mm/yr and less than 10 mm/yr. If the anticipated sea-level rise exceeds this critical rate, all of the mangrove forests of Kosrae will retreat landward and reduce rapidly.     

淮河上游全新世黄土-古土壤序列元素地球化学特性研究

在野外考察研究的基础上,对河南禹州全新世风成黄土-古土壤剖面系统采样,利用X-荧光光谱仪测定了常量元素和微量元素的含量及其变化,并与磁化率曲线、粒度变化曲线对比分析发现:常量元素氧化物比值钾钠比、残积系数和以Rb为代表的微量元素含量等随剖面层次呈规律性变化,即在古土壤层(S0)中含量最高,表土层(MS)中次之,在黄土层(L1、Lt、L0)中最低。硅铝率和Sr的含量表现出相反的变化规律。表明在全新世古土壤层和表土层形成时期,气候温暖湿润,成壤作用和次生粘化作用较强;在黄土堆积时期,气候比较干旱,沙尘暴频繁,成壤作用微弱。这些化学参数与磁化率曲线可以进行对比,表明成土过程中元素的迁移变化受全新世以来气候变化和成壤环境变化的控制。与黄土高原腹地的洛川剖面相比,淮河上游禹州剖面中绝大多数常量元素的含量较高,而绝大多数微量元素的含量偏低,磁化率也显著偏低,绝对值差别很大,粒度组成当中细沙成分含量很高,这说明淮河上游黄土物质来源与黄土高原地区明显不同。联系全新世时期黄河频繁泛滥、改道、沉积与黄淮平原盛行东北风形成流沙地的事实,认为淮河上游的黄土是黄河泛滥沉积物质经过风沙活动改造,由东北风力系统搬运而来的近源粉尘堆积,再经过就地风化或者成土改造而形成。     

周原全新世土壤剖面木炭屑与野火活动的关系研究

研究陕西周原全新世黄土剖面磁化率曲线、总有机碳曲线、木炭屑曲线和野火活动及其与生态环境演变的关系结果表明,马兰黄土堆积时期气候干旱,在当时半荒漠草原上当地时常有自然野火发生;全新世大暖时期(85 0 0～310 0aB .P)气候湿润,生物成壤作用强度大,呈现森林或森林草原自然景观,野火活动极少发生;先周人迁居到周原地区(310 0aB .P)开始,人类用火及其放火烧荒开垦农田等活动,加之气候变得干旱,生物化学成壤作用减弱,致使生态环境发生重大变化,自然生态景观向半自然、半人工景观演替;15 0 0aB .P开始可耕种土地几乎开垦殆尽,生态景观完全被人工农田生态景观所代替;而近几百年来随着人口密度和聚落的增加,人类生活用火和垃圾随之加大,人类对土壤环境的干扰进一步增强     

黄土高原全新世以来土壤侵蚀强度的定量分析初探

黄土高原全新世以来可划分出5个侵蚀阶段,其起始年龄分别为11,7.0,0.7,0.3,0.15kaBP。根据高原现代河流沉积物的粒度组成、河流输沙量、径流量和年降水量等数据建立了各个指标的回归方程。根据各方程和全新世不同时期阶地沉积物的实测数据,计算了各个阶段的平均古侵蚀强度和流域输沙量。结果表明,不同时期水土流失的主要控制因素是不同的:在11000～7000aBP时期以构造活动因素为主,在7000～2000aBP期间以气候因素为主,在2000～700aBP和300aBP以来以人为活动因素为主,而在700～300aBP是构造活动、气候变迁和人类活动的共同作用因素。自然因素的突变作用一般大于人类活动的作用,而现代人类活动的加剧程度大约是自然侵蚀强度的45.5%。     

新疆湖泊沉积记录的气候水文变化及其环境效应

在综合分析湖泊沉积记录的西北干旱区全新世气候特征及演变规律基础上,对新疆不同时间尺度上湖泊的水文变化进行了研究.新疆不同地区全新世气候环境存在差异,北疆全新世主要经历了早期温干、中期暖湿以及后期温十的气候演化过程,但不同湖泊记录的气候转型时间有所差别.南疆全新世以来湖泊记录研究较少,对气候演变规律有不同的认识,但中全新世暖湿气候特征具有一致性.根据近千年来的湖泊沉积记录研究,近百年来新疆处于暖干化阶段.总体来看,全新世以来湖泊水位出现了明显的波动.并呈现总体下降的趋势.然而,近50年来,随着流域人口增加、社会经济发展等强烈的人类活动影响,造成流域水资源的匮乏,导致湖面的快速萎缩,引起严重的区域环境问题.地质历史时期的湖面升降,敏感地体现了气候的波动过程,由气候因子波动及人类活动趋势分析,新疆湖泊水面将继续萎缩.     

基于光释光测年法的三江源地区高山草甸土形成年代与成因研究

[目的]分析三江源区高山草甸土壤的年代及发生发育过程,为维系该区土壤安全和生态安全提供指导.[方法]采用粗颗粒石英与钾长石光释光(OSL)测年法,对三江源区4个高山草甸土剖面夏琼(XQ)、歇武(XW)、桐勒栋(TLD)、斗地村(DDC)土壤的形成发育时间进行研究,结合土壤粒度、元素地球化学特征分析该区土壤形成过程.[结...     

农业起源与中国早期文明的演进

农业是早期人类社会生产的主要部门,适当的农作物和特定的自然环境相结合,导致了文明的出现。位于黄河中游的中原地区是粟黍的发源地,全新世大暖期适宜的气候和黄河中下游地区优越的环境条件促成了这一区粟黍农业的形成,并在在中原地区孕育出中国最早的文明。     

青海官亭盆地黄河二级阶地的结构分析

通过对黄河上游官亭盆地地貌及古文化遗址的野外考察,分析了盆地中黄河二级阶地的结构,认为该阶地形成于全新世中期。距今4000年左右的史前洪水阶地上加积了一层平流沉积物,形成复合型阶地,其下部为基座阶地,上部为上叠阶地。     

Environmental change and its impacts on human settlement in the Yangtze Delta, P.R. China

Archaeological excavations and environment–archaeology studies over many years in the Yangtze Delta region have provided exceptional information about climatic variations, growth and demise of human civilization and human–environment interactions. The archaeological excavations show that the cultural layers of the Neolithic sites are interrupted by barren layers without any cultural relics (so-called cultural interruptions), which may be the result of harsh environmental conditions (arid, flooding, extreme cold or warmth). Temporal and spatial analyses of ¹⁴C-dates for buried trees, peat, shell ridges, and Neolithic sites show that environmental changes are responsible for the rise and fall of human civilization. The progress of human civilization was interrupted at least 5 times in the Yangtze Delta, matching 5 periods of high sea level, peat accumulation, and burial of trees. The collapse of the Liangzhu culture about 4000 BP was followed by the less-developed Maqiao culture and resulted from extreme environmental and hydrological conditions such as floods.