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Relationship Between C 4 Biomass and C 4 Agriculture During the Holocene and its Implications for Millet Domestication in Northeast China
Author(s) -
Wang Jian,
Zhou Xinying,
Xu Hai,
Liu Junchi,
Yang Qingjiang,
Zhao Chao,
Gao Qiang,
Zhao Keliang,
Behling Hermann,
Li Xiaoqiang
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2020gl089566
Subject(s) - foxtail , panicum miliaceum , domestication , biomass (ecology) , agriculture , setaria , china , holocene , geography , panicum , agronomy , physical geography , environmental science , biology , archaeology , ecology
The origin of C 4 agriculture in China, foxtail millet ( Setaria italica ) and common millet ( Panicum miliaceum ), remains unclear. Here we conducted a comprehensive geochemical study of the archeological site of Chahai in Northeastern (NE) China and deduced that higher C 4 biomass in the cultural layers was mainly caused by agricultural practices and other human activities. To evaluate the anthropogenic factors involved in millet domestication, we produced a time series of contour maps of C 4 biomass for North China since 14 ka and integrated archaeological data. Results show that the origin and development of millet agriculture was nearly synchronous with the increase in C 4 biomass in the early‐mid Holocene, but the synchrony was decoupled at ∼4 ka when millet cultivation was established in NE China. Our findings suggest that both human management (possibly cultivation) of C 4 plants, and an environmental background of high C 4 biomass drove the origin of millet agriculture.