The peatlands developing history in the Sanjiang Plain, NE China and its response to East Asian monsoon variation

Abstract

Studying the peatlands accumulation and carbon (C) storage in monsoonal areas could provide useful insights into the response of C dynamics to climate variation in the geological past. Here, we integrated 40 well-dated peat/lake sediment cores to reveal the peatlands evolution history in the Sanjiang Plain and examine its links to East Asian monsoon variations during the Holocene. The results show that 80% peatlands in the Sanjiang Plain initiated after 4.7 ka (1 ka = 1000 cal yr BP), with the largest initiating frequency around 4.5 ka. The mean C accumulation rate of peatlands in the Sanjiang Plain exhibits a synchronous increase with the peatlands expansion during the Holocene. Such a peatlands expanding and C accumulating pattern corresponds well to the remarkable drying event subsequent to the Holocene monsoon maximum. We suggest that in addition to the locally topographic conditions, Holocene variations of East Asian summer monsoon (especially its associated precipitation) have played a critical role in driving the peatlands initiation and expansion in the Sanjiang Plain.

Carbon accumulation in Dahu Swamp in the eastern Nanling Mountains (south China) and its implications for hydroclimatic variability over the past 47 000 years

“…D. CAR synthesized for peatlands in NEC (n = 15) (Zhang et al . ). E. Record of the west–east thermal gradient in the equatorial Pacific (Koutavas & Joanides ).…”

“…; Zhang et al . ), where climate changes are significantly influenced by the Indian summer monsoons (ISM) and the EASM, respectively. Comparison of the CARs records in monsoonal regions of China may provide valuable insights into the factors that control regional carbon cycles in China.…”

“…; Zhang et al . ). However, these studies mainly focus on the peatland initiation and C accumulation patterns in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and northeastern China (NEC).…”

Fungal Communities in Ancient Peatlands at Sanjiang Plain, China

“…The three fens were started to develop during different periods in Holocene [23]. Over 70% of this region is dominated by fresh water wetlands developing in ancient riverbeds and waterlogged depressions [24] and approximately 30% (or nearly 3.3 × 104 ha) of this region is covered by peatlands, which developed under certain topographic conditions during the Holocene or earlier [25].…”

“…The cores were subsampled for chronological, microbiological and physico-chemical analyses. The soil sample handling for chronological analysis is described in more detail in the work of Zhang et al [23]. For microbiological and physico-chemical analyses, surface peat soil (0 to 30 cm) was homogenized in sterile bags.…”