Critical transitions in Chinese dunes during the past 12,000 years

• DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay8020
• Publication Date: 2020-02-27T00:15:22Z
• Authors: Zhiwei Xu; Joseph A. Mason; Chi Xu; Shuangwen Yi; Sebastian Bathiany; Hezi Yizhaq; Yali Zhou; Jun Cheng; Milena Holmgren; Huayu Lu
• Keywords: Alternative stable state; Environmental change; Sand dune stabilization

Dune systems can have alternative stable states that coexist under certain environmental conditions: a vegetated, stabilized state and bare active state. This behavior implies the possibility of abrupt transitions from one to another in response gradual change. Here, we synthesize stratigraphic records covering 12,000 years dynamics this system at 144 localities across three dune fields northern China. We find side-by-side coexistence states, occasional sharp shifts time between those contrasting states. Those occur asynchronously despite fact entire landscape has been subject same changes monsoon rainfall other conditions. At larger scale, spatial heterogeneity averages out produce relatively smooth However, our results do show different paths recovery collapse vegetation system-wide scales, implying hysteretic occurs spatially extended systems.