Abstract
The vegetation of the Taihang Mountains was dominated by grass with less than 10% forested area during the last pleniglacial. During the period of 17 000 – 10 000 a B. P. the forested area reached to 20% – 30%, and reached to 20% – 40% during the Early Holocene in the period of 10 000 – 8 000 a B. P. followed by the temperature increasing rapidly. But the northern part had more forested area than that of the southern part. During the period of 8000 – 5000 a B. P. forests developed further to 50% or more. It was the highest period of the forest cover degree. After then, the forests began to be destroyed first in the southern part of the Taihang Mountains by people. Since 2500 a B. P. the forests were destroyed deadly. The forest cover decreased to less than 5% before 1949. Since 1949, although the government hold the policy of close hillsides to facilitate afforestation, the forest cover of Taihang Mountains could not exceed 11.6%. So afforestation is an important work to keep economic and ecological sustainable development.
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Foundation item: Under the auspices of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (49771072 and 49831082) and Hebei National Natural Science Foundation Program (499339).
Biography: YANG Xiao-lan(1963 — ), female, a native of Hunan Province, associate professor. Her research interests include Quaternary palynology.
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Yang, Xl., Xu, Qh., Zhao, Hp. et al. Vegetation changes of the Taihang Mountains since the last glacial. Chin. Geograph.Sc. 10, 261–269 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-000-0010-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-000-0010-0