Anthropogenic Impacts on a Temperate Forest Ecosystem, Revealed by a Late Holocene Pollen Record from an Archaeological Site in NE China

Abstract

Pollen records from archaeological sites provide a direct reflection of the vegetation in the immediate vicinity, enabling an accurate depiction of anthropogenic impacts on vegetation. In this study, we applied the biomization technique to fossil pollen data to reconstruct human impact on the biome at the Chengzishan archaeological site in western Liaoning, China, and hence to explore the response of temperate forest vegetation to human activities. The results indicate that the original vegetation at Chengzishan was warm temperate coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest (TEDE). The findings suggest a shift in biome dominance over time, with cool temperate steppe (STEP) replacing TEDE as the dominant biome in response to human activities. Combined with archaeobotanical records, we conclude that the observed vegetation changes in the pollen record were closely linked to deforestation, fire use, and agricultural activities.