Bridging Glaciological and Hydrological Trends in the Pamir Mountains, Central Asia

Knoche, Malte; Merz, Ralf; Lindner, Martin; Weise, Stephan M.

doi:10.3390/w9060422

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…The current patterns of ruggedness in the landscape corroborated with the present DEM, and suggested that ibex distribution from Lahaul, India, to Tajikistan (geo-points #1 to 6) were sustained with enormous undulation and substantial increase in the contours than relatively less heterogeneity in the landscape from Tajikistan to Kazakhstan (geo-points from #6 to 8) during the Pleistocene Transitions ( Figure 3 ; ruggedness graph). Further, the annual mean temperature and precipitation, which are the major contributors of the climatic envelope supported by the mountains that lie in the south of the Pamir range to the border of Hindu Kush Mountains along Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, have been warmer than the north of the Pamir range as they connect to Tian Shan mountains along the Alay Valley of Kyrgyzstan [ 69 ]. Since the annual temperature and precipitation regulate vegetation growth [ 48 , 49 , 63 ], we believe that after the geographical split of Himalayan ibex into glacial refugium during the Middle Pleistocene Transitions, this population would have experienced relatively more conducive ecological conditions than its counterparts in the north of the Pamir range.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mid-Pleistocene Transitions Forced Himalayan ibex to Evolve Independently after Split into an Allopatric Refugium

Jabin,

Joshi,

Wang

et al. 2023

Biology

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Pleistocene glaciations had profound impact on the spatial distribution and genetic makeup of species in temperate ecosystems. While the glacial period trapped several species into glacial refugia and caused abrupt decline in large populations, the interglacial period facilitated population growth and range expansion leading to allopatric speciation. Here, we analyzed 40 genomes of four species of ibex and found that Himalayan ibex in the Pamir Mountains evolved independently after splitting from its main range about 0.1 mya following the Pleistocene species pump concept. Demographic trajectories showed Himalayan ibex experienced two historic bottlenecks, one each c. 0.8–0.5 mya and c. 50–30 kya, with an intermediate large population expansion c. 0.2–0.16 mya coinciding with Mid-Pleistocene Transitions. We substantiate with multi-dimensional evidence that Himalayan ibex is an evolutionary distinct phylogenetic species of Siberian ibex which need to be prioritized as Capra himalayensis for taxonomic revision and conservation planning at a regional and global scale.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mid-Pleistocene Transitions Forced Himalayan ibex to Evolve Independently after Split into an Allopatric Refugium

Jabin,

Joshi,

Wang

et al. 2023

Biology

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“…The highest rates of climate change were recorded in Uzbekistan between 1950 and 2005 at rate of 0.29 °C and in Kazakhstan at 0.26 °C per decade [6]. In addition, the climate change rate in Kirgizstan (1883-2005) and Tajikistan were 0.08 °C and 0.10 °C per decade, respectively [7]. In Kirgizstan and Tajikistan the area of forests and mountain ranges is comparatively more and the possible negative impact of climatic factors is relatively small.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contemporary climate change problems in Central Asia

Kulmatov

Khasanov

2023

E3S Web of Conf.

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According to the moderate climate change scenario, the direct impact of climate change on irrigated crops, including cotton, wheat, apples, tomatoes, and potatoes, is pro-jected to decrease the yields by 1–13% by 2050. However, the demand for food is expected to increase overall due to the population growth and poverty reduction goals. The rate of climate change in the countries varies. The highest decadal rates of climate change were recorded in Uzbekistan at 0.29°C (1950-2005) and in Kazakhstan at 0.26°C (1936-2005). The climate change rate in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were 0.08°C and 0.10°C, respectively. In these upstream countries, the area of forests and mountain ranges is relatively large, and the possible negative impact of climatic factors is relatively small. Thus, the contemporary problems in Central Asia in the context of climate change are related to a growing scarcity of water resources; uneven distribution of water resources across the countries in relation to the needs; relatively low water use efficiency (especially in agriculture); relatively high population growth rates and intensification of economic processes. If additional resource-saving measures are not taken, the negative consequences of climate change in the region may include an increased risk of water shortages, droughts, and other dangerous hydrome-teorological events that lead to instability of agricultural production and threaten food secu-rity; and particularly the shrinkage of glaciers and therewith one of the key sources of freshwater. Overall, a strategy of action plans on climate change nationally and region-wide is urgently needed, including both adaptation and mitigation measures.

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“…Mass balances of the glaciers located in the eastern part of Western Pamir can respond to the north-to-south gradient (summer cooling for northern Pamir and warming trend for southern Pamir) reported by Knoche et al (2017). These mass balances are therefore mainly driven by air temperatures (Fig.…”

Section: Analysis I: Har Dataset and Mb Barandunetalmentioning

confidence: 93%

Central Asia's spatiotemporal glacier response ambiguity due to data inconsistencies and regional simplifications

Barandun

Pohl

2023

The Cryosphere

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Abstract. We have investigated the drivers behind the observed spatiotemporal mass balance heterogeneity in Tien Shan and Pamir, in High Mountain Asia. To study the consistency of the different interpretations derived from the available meteorological reanalysis and remote sensing products, we used correlation analyses between climatic and static drivers with novel estimates of region-wide annual glacier mass balance time series. These analyses were performed both spatially using different spatial classifications of glaciers and temporally for each individual glacier. Our results show that the importance of the variables studied depends strongly on the dataset used and which spatial classification of glaciers is chosen. This extends to opposing results using the different products. Even supposedly similar datasets lead to different and partly contradicting assumptions on dominant drivers of mass balance variability. The apparent but false consistencies across studies using a single dataset are related, according to our results, to the chosen dataset or spatial classification rather than to the processes or involved environmental variables. Without a glaciological, meteorological, and hydrological in situ observation network providing data that allow for the direct calibration and validation of extensive datasets, our understanding of neither the changing cryosphere at the regional scale for Tien Shan and Pamir nor glacier response to climate change or the assessment of water availability for the region’s growing population can improve.

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Bridging Glaciological and Hydrological Trends in the Pamir Mountains, Central Asia

Abstract: With respect to meteorological changes and glacier evolution,

Cited by 12 publications

References 75 publications

Mid-Pleistocene Transitions Forced Himalayan ibex to Evolve Independently after Split into an Allopatric Refugium

Mid-Pleistocene Transitions Forced Himalayan ibex to Evolve Independently after Split into an Allopatric Refugium

Contemporary climate change problems in Central Asia

Central Asia's spatiotemporal glacier response ambiguity due to data inconsistencies and regional simplifications

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