Holocene climate change evidence from high-resolution loess/paleosol records and the linkage to fire–climate change–human activities in the Horqin dunefield in northern China

• During the early Holocene, the climate is dry.
• The low vegetation cover limited the extent of fire between 11,600 and 8000 cal yr BP.
• The period 8000–3200 cal yr BP can be termed as the ‘Holocene Optimum’.
• Anthropogenic fire was a key component during the mid-Holocene.
• During 2800–2600 cal yr BP, a warm/moister climate prevailed.

The combination of high-resolution sedimentary paleoclimate proxies of total organic carbon and magnetic susceptibility of a loess/paleosol section with black carbon (BC) records provides us with information about climate change and the linkage of fire–climate change–vegetation–human activities in the Horqin dunefield over the past 11,600 cal yr BP. We found that during 11,600–8000 cal yr BP (the early Holocene), the area was dominated by a dry climate. The vegetation coverage was low, which limited the extent of fire. The Holocene optimum can be placed between 8000 and 3200 cal yr BP, and during this period, anthropogenic fire was a key component of total fire occurrence as the intensity of human activity increased. The development of agricultural activities and the growing population during this period increased the use of fire for cooking food and burning for cultivation and land fertilization purposes. During 2800–2600 cal yr BP, a warm/moister climate prevailed and was associated with a high degree of pedogenesis and vegetation cover density, evident at 2700 cal yr BP. Fires may have contributed to human survival by enabling the cooking of food in the warm and wet climate. In the period since 2000 cal yr BP, fires linked to agriculture may have led to increased biomass burning associated with agricultural activity.