Arid Zone Research ›› 2022, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (1): 30-40.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2022.01.04

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Paleoenvironmental implications of α-cellulose carbon and oxygen isotopes from Heiyangpo peatland in the Altai Mountains

LIU Qi1(),XU Zhonglin1,ZHANG Dongliang2,3,4()   

  1. 1. College of Resource and Environmental Science, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, Xinjiang, China
    2. Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    3. Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2021-06-02 Revised:2021-10-14 Online:2022-01-15 Published:2022-01-24
  • Contact: Dongliang ZHANG E-mail:liuqi@stu.xju.edu.cn;zhdl@ms.xjb.ac.cn

Abstract:

The Altai Mountains are affected by westerlies all year round and are therefore the focus of paleoclimate research. To explore the rationnality of using the modern process of carbon and oxygen isotopes from peat plants in centennial-or millennial-scale paleoclimate reconstruction in the Altai Mountains, we analyzed the relationship between the α-cellulose carbon and oxygen isotopes (δ 13Ccell and δ18Ocell) of Heiyangpo peatland and the meteorological parameters (temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity) measured in the cold season (October-April), warm season (May-September), and annually from Habahe station from 1962 to 2017. Significant relationships were found between δ13Ccell and relative humidity in May-August(r=-0.52, P<0.05), and between δ18Ocell and precipitation in November-January(r=0.49, P<0.05). Thus, δ13Ccell and δ18Ocell values are reliable proxies of May-August relative humidity and November-January precipitation, respectively. Our work provides multi-year scale data support for the interpretation of paleoclimate information recorded by peat cellulose isotopes in the Altai Mountains. The research not only informs the modern process study of peat isotopes in China, but also has great significance for quantitative paleoclimate reconstruction in areas using peat cellulose isotopes over long periods.

Key words: Heiyangpo peatland, carbon and oxygen isotopes, observed interval, Altai Mountains