Mid-late Holocene environmental history of Kulunda, southern West Siberia: vegetation, climate and humans

Quantitative reconstructions of mid- to late holocene climate and vegetation in the north-eastern altai mountains recorded in lake teletskoye

“…Increased afforestation after 3.7 cal ka BP is documented in the pollen record from Big Yarovoe Lake in the foothills of the Altai Mountains, 600 km north-west of Teletskoye Lake (Rudaya et al, 2012;Figs. 1A, 6e).…”

“…However, changes in the pollen percentages and the results of the numerical analysis here reveal pronounced fluctuations in climate and vegetation. (Rudaya et al, 2012); f. A/C ratio from pollen palaeorecord of Balicun Lake, Xinjiang, China ; and g. d18O record from Dongge Cave, China, reflecting Asian monsoon intensity (Dykoski et al, 2005). A relatively cool and dry interval occurred prior to ca.…”

“…published in recent decades (Gunin et al, 1999;Tarasov et al, 2000;Blyakharchuk et al, 2004Blyakharchuk et al, , 2007Blyakharchuk et al, , 2008Andreev et al, 2007;Schlütz, Lehmkuhl, 2007;Rudaya et al, 2009Rudaya et al, , 2012. However, these records and their resolutions are insufficient for detailed palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, taking into account the size and heterogeneity of the territory.…”

Environmental context and adaptations of prehistoric and early historical occupation in the Southern Altai (SW Siberia–East Kazakhstan)

“…The investigated region encompasses all topographic and vegetation zones of the Altai, with locally specific climatic conditions and ecosystems which have changed little since the mid-/late Holocene formation of the mountain steppe environments of the Russian and Mongolian Altai (Borisova et al 2005;Rudaya et al 2012;Rudaya and Li 2013). The present climate in the region is strongly continental with major seasonal temperature variations between the northern lowlands and the southern mountains (Chlachula and Sukhova 2011).…”

“…At that time, parklandsteppes and mountain tundra-steppes covered most of the Altai and the adjoining West Sayan territory following climate cooling and landscape drying after ca. 6000 year BP that brought about a decline of coniferous (spruce and fir) taiga (Blyakharchuk et al 2007;Blyakharchuk 2009;Rudaya et al 2012, 2016, Rudaya and Li 2013. Opening of mountain valleys allowed for expansion of prehistoric settlements and seasonally based pastoral household mobility still characteristic of modern communities inhabiting this geographic area.…”