Prehistoric vegetation on the Loess Plateau: steppe or forest?

The paper aims to assess the Holocene natural vegetation on the Loess Plateau before human reclamation, a contentious point in paleo-environmental studies. Coordinated analyses on the soils, phytolith assemblage, organic carbon isotope composition and pollen data from selected sites suggest that the Holocene vegetation on the Loess Plateau was dominated by steppe. During the mid-Holocene, corresponding to the climatic optimum, the southernmost part of the Plateau (Weinan and Xian) was covered by an open meadow steppe with the presence of some coniferous species, while the middle part of the plateau (Luochuan) was covered by steppe. Our results do not support the notion that dense forest cover had developed on the Loess Plateau during the Holocene.