AUTHOR=Duan Ronglei , Wei Haicheng , Hou Guangliang , Gao Jingyi , Du Yongsheng , Qin Zhanjie TITLE=Modern Pollen Assemblages in Typical Agro-Pastoral Ecotone in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau and Its Implications for Anthropogenic Activities JOURNAL=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution VOLUME=9 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.685942 DOI=10.3389/fevo.2021.685942 ISSN=2296-701X ABSTRACT=
Long-term evolution of human-environment interaction in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) has been discussed intensively in recent years. The identification of human-related pollen types may help explore the coupled process of climate change, ecological response and anthropogenic activities on the QTP. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic activities on surface pollen assemblages and identify pollen indicators associated with grazing and cultivation in typical agro-pastoral ecotone of the eastern QTP. Totally 84 surface samples were analyzed from five vegetational communities in the eastern QTP, which are identifiable based on surface pollen assemblages. Principal component analysis of 29 pollen types and two supplementary variables of human influences were used to assess the impact of anthropogenic activities on surface pollen assemblages in eastern QTP. Severe grazing led to increase of Rosaceae, Ranunculaceae, Fabaceae,