Abstract Steppe and grassland ecosystems constitute important biomes that are influenced by multiple factors such as climate, human activity, and fire. Yet how these factors have influenced the plant composition of these biomes through time continues to be understudied. This paper investigates how these mechanisms have transformed the steppe landscape recorded at the mire site of Shenkani, Armenia. This highland site, located in the South Caucasus, has a long human history of permanent settlements near the core site starting at 5500 cal. BP. A variety of biological and geochemical proxies, including pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, macro-charcoal, 14C age model, X-ray fluorescence, loss-of-ignition, magnetic susceptibility, and a quantitative climate reconstruction inferred from pollen, are utilized in this paper. We find that this area has remained a steppe with small stands of trees throughout the duration of the Holocene. Changes in steppe plant composition primarily occur between semi-desert steppes (Chenopodiaceae), grassland steppes (or Poaceae dominated meadow-steppes), and mixed steppes with forest patches. In this record, two phases of local grassland expansion occurred between 9500 and 7000 cal. BP and 2500–1000 cal. BP, which covaried with local fire events. These grassland steppes were sustained until tree encroachment led to a more mixed steppe landscape around 7000 cal. BP and again at 1000 cal. BP. Climate, primarily precipitation, is the main driver of this persistent steppe landscape and the plant compositional shifts within it. However, fire and human activities contributed to steppe maintenance.

中文翻译：

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山地草原的植被、气候和火灾历史：亚美尼亚申卡尼南高加索的全新世重建

摘要 草原和草原生态系统构成了受气候、人类活动和火灾等多种因素影响的重要生物群落。然而，随着时间的推移，这些因素如何影响这些生物群落的植物组成仍有待研究。本文研究了这些机制如何改变了记录在亚美尼亚申卡尼沼泽地的草原景观。这个位于南高加索地区的高原遗址在核心遗址附近有着悠久的人类永久定居历史，从 5500 卡路里开始。BP。各种生物和地球化学指标，包括花粉、非花粉孢粉体、宏观木炭、14C 年龄模型、X 射线荧光、失火、磁化率和从花粉推断的定量气候重建，被用于这篇报告。我们发现，在整个全新世期间，该地区一直是一片有小树林的草原。草原植物组成的变化主要发生在半沙漠草原（藜科）、草原草原（或禾本科主导的草甸草原）和具有森林斑块的混合草原之间。在这个记录中，局部草地扩张的两个阶段发生在 9500 到 7000 卡路里之间。BP 和 2500–1000 卡路里。BP，与当地火灾事件共变。这些草原草原一直持续到树木侵占导致大约 7000 卡路里的更加混合的草原景观。BP 和 1000 卡路里。BP。气候，主要是降水，是这种持久草原景观和其中植物组成变化的主要驱动力。然而，火灾和人类活动促成了草原的维护。