Temporal and spatial differences in the intensity of human activity based on land cover change in North-central China during the Holocene

Beginning in the middle-late Holocene, anthropogenic land cover change has a profound impact on both regional and continental environments. Here we used two representative pollen records in North China and a novel methodological to quantitatively reconstruct the Holocene land cover changes. The results indicate diverse vegetation succession patterns in different regions and geomorphologic contexts. Changes in the intensity of human activities may one major reason of contribute to regional disparities in vegetation succession. In larger basin/plain areas, the favorable climatic conditions during the mid-Holocene promoted human activities; while later, population pressure, the increased demand for resources, and political factors may have triggered the diffusion of human populations from basins to the mountains or undeveloped areas with resulting effects on their vegetation succession. The anthropogenic impacts dominated the natural environment in Mountainous areas at least for the last 1,300 years.