The impact of natural and anthropogenic factors on erosion in the Northeastern loess Plateau, China, during the past 10,000 years

Abstract

The Loess Plateau in China is the birthplace of ancient Chinese cultures and one of the most significantly eroded areas in the world because of its geology and anthropogenic history. However, our understanding of the variations in erosion on the Loess Plateau over the past 10,000 years, and how these variations have been influenced by natural and anthropogenic factors, remains incomplete. Our study uses data from detrital zircons in fluvial deposits to reconstruct the history of loess erosion in the Yongding River catchment over the past ∼ 10 ka, which allows the influence of natural and human factors to be investigated. Before 2.9 ka, the sediment transport flux increased slowly, and human activities were minor but subsequently began to increase at a faster rate. The destruction of forests and grasslands, together with changes in agricultural practices, likely played significant roles, especially after the Yuan Dynasty established the capital in Beijing (1267 CE). Since this time, anthropogenic activities have dramatically increased sediment yield in the Yongding River catchment, with this increase continuing until the first half of the 20th century, when the sediment flux was ca. 4.3 times greater than the background value before 2.9 ka. After the 1950s, due to the influence of reservoir construction and reforestation policies, sediment transport in the Yongding River catchment decreased sharply. The present study contributes to a better understanding of the temporal patterns of erosion on the Loess Plateau due to natural processes and anthropogenic stresses, which could inform and benefit future river basin management.