Tibetan terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems collapsed with cryosphere loss inferred from sedimentary ancient metagenomics

Abstract

Glacier and permafrost shrinkage and land-use intensification threaten mountain wildlife and affect nature conservation strategies. Here, we present paleometagenomic records of terrestrial and aquatic taxa from the southeastern Tibetan Plateau covering the last 18,000 years to help understand the complex alpine ecosystem dynamics. We infer that steppe-meadow became woodland at 14 ka (cal BP) controlled by cryosphere loss, further driving a herbivore change from wild yak to deer. These findings weaken the hypothesis of top-down control by large herbivores in the terrestrial ecosystem. We find a turnover in the aquatic communities at 14 ka, transitioning from glacier-related (blue-green) algae to abundant nonglacier-preferring picocyanobacteria, macrophytes, fish, and otters. There is no evidence for substantial effects of livestock herding in either ecosystem. Using network analysis, we assess the stress-gradient hypothesis and reveal that root hemiparasitic and cushion plants are keystone taxa. With ongoing cryosphere loss, the protection of their habitats is likely to be of conservation benefit on the Tibetan Plateau.