Talents
Researcher
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Name:
Xianyong Cao
Title:
Professor
Tel:
Email:
xcao@itpcas.ac.cn
Homepage in Chinese:
Address:
Building 3, Courtyard 16, Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
Education and Appointments
Education
Ph.D. Institute of Earth and Environment Science, University of Potsdam, 2015
M. S. College of Resources and Environment Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 2009
B. S. College of Resources and Environment Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 2006
Appointments
2018-present: Professor, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2015-2018: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Research Unit Potsdam


Research Interest

Pollen-base paleoecology reconstruction, Modern pollen processes, Quaternary vegetation evolution

Selected Publications

As first or corresponding author 

1. Cao, X.*, Tian, F., Andreev, A., Anderson, P.M., Lozhkin, A.V., Bezrukova, E., Ni, J., Rudaya, N., Stobbe, A., Wieczorek, M., Herzschuh, U.*, 2020. A taxonomically harmonized and temporally standardized fossil pollen dataset from Siberia covering the last 40 kyr. Earth System Science Data, 12: 119–135. 

2. Liu, L., Wang, W.*, Chen, D., Niu, Z., Wang, Y., Cao, X.*, Ma, Y., 2020. Soil-surface pollen assemblages and quantitative relationships with vegetation and climate from the Inner Mongolian Plateau and adjacent mountain areas of northern China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 543: 109600. 

3. Herzschuh, U.*, Cao, X.*, Laepple, T., Dallmeyer, A., Telford, R., Ni, J., Chen, F., Kong, Z., Liu, G., Liu, K.-B., Liu, X., Stebich, M., Tang, L., Tian, F., Wang, Y., Wischnewski, J., Xu, Q., Yan, S., Yang, Z., Yu, G., Zhang, Y., Zhao, Y., Zheng, Z., 2019. Position and orientation of the westerly jet determined Holocene rainfall patterns in China. Nature Communications, 10: 2376. 

4. Cao, X.*, Tian, F., Dallmeyer, A., Herzschuh, U.*, 2019. Northern Hemisphere biome changes (>30°N) since 40 cal ka BP and their driving factors inferred from model-data comparisons. Quaternary Science Reviews, 220: 291–309. 

5. Cao, X.*, Tian, F., Li, F., Gaillard, M.-J., Rudaya, N., Herzschuh, U., 2019. Pollen-based quantitative land-cover reconstruction for northern Asia during the last 40 ka. Climate of the Past, 15: 1503–1536. 

6. Cao, X.*, Tian, F., Ding, W., 2018. Improving the quality of pollen-climate calibration-sets is the primary step for ensuring reliable climate reconstructions. Science Bulletin, 63: 1317–1318. 

7. Cao, X., Tian, F.*, Telford, R., Ni, J., Xu, Q., Chen, F., Liu, X., Stebich, M., Zhao, Y., Herzschuh, U., 2017. Impacts of the spatial extent of pollen-climate calibration-set on the absolute values, range and trends of reconstructed Holocene precipitation. Quaternary Science Reviews, 178: 37–53. 

8. Tian, F., Cao, X.*, Dallmeyer, A., Zhao, Y., Ni, J., Herzschuh, U., 2017. Pollen-climate relationships in time (9 ka, 6 ka, 0 ka) and space (upland vs. lowland) in eastern continental Asia. Quaternary Science Reviews, 156: 1–11. 

9. Tian, F., Cao, X.*, Dallmeyer, A., Ni, J., Zhao, Y., Wang, Y., Herzschuh, U., 2016. Quantitative woody cover reconstructions from eastern continental Asia of the last 22 ka reveal strong regional peculiarities. Quaternary Science Reviews, 137: 33–44. 

10. Cao, X.*, Herzschuh, U., Ni, J., Zhao, Y., B？hmer, T., 2015. Spatial and temporal distributions of major tree taxa in eastern continental Asia during the last 22,000 yr. The Holocene, 25: 79–91. 

11. Cao, X.*, Herzschuh, U., Telford, R.J., Ni, J., 2014. A modern pollen-climate dataset from China and Mongolia: assessing its potential for climate reconstruction. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 211, 87–96. 

12. Cao, X., Ni, J.*, Herzschuh, U.*, Wang, Y., Zhao, Y., 2013. A late Quaternary pollen dataset in eastern continental Asia for plant migration study, vegetation and climate reconstructions: set up and evaluation. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 194: 21–37. 

13. Cao, X., Xu, Q.*, Jing, Z., Li, Y., Tian, F., 2010. Holocene climate change and human impacts implied from the pollen records in Anyang, central China. Quaternary International, 227: 3–9. 

As co-author 

1. Li, W.J., Yu, S.Y., Pan, J., Cao, X., Chen, Y., Wang, Y., 2020. A 2000-year documentary record of levee breaches on the lower Yellow River and their relationship with climate changes and human activities. The Holocene. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683620972764. 

2. Yi, S., Jun, C.-P., Jo, K.-N., Lee, H., Kim, M.-S., Lee, S.D., Cao, X., Lim, J., 2020. Asynchronous multi-decadal time-scale series of biotic and abiotic responses to precipitation during the last 1300 years. Scientific Reports, 10: 17814. 

3. Rudaya, N., Krivonogov, S., S？owiński, M., Cao, X., Zhilich, S., 2020. Postglacial history of the Steppe Altai: Climate, fire and plant diversity. Quaternary Science Reviews, 249: 106616. 

4. Tian, F., Cao, X., Zhang, R., Xu, Q., Ding, W., Liu, X., Pan, B., Chen, J., 2020. Spatial homogenization of soil-surface pollen assemblages improves the reliability of pollen-climate calibration-set. Science China Earth Sciences, 63, 1758–1766. 

5. Chen, F., Zhang, J., Liu, J., Cao, X., Hou, J., Zhu, L., Xu, X., Liu, X., Wang, M., Wu, D., Huang, L., Zeng, T., Zhang, S., Huang, W., Zhang, X., Yang, K., 2020. Climate change, vegetation history, and landscape responses on the Tibetan Plateau during the Holocene: A comprehensive review. Quaternary Science Reviews, 243: 106444. 

6. Wang, Y., Shen, J., Wang, Y., Liu, X., Cao, X., Herzschuh, U., 2020. Abrupt mid-Holocene decline in the Indian Summer Monsoon caused by tropical Indian Ocean cooling. Climate Dynamics, 55: 1961–1977. 

7. Zhang, R., Tian, F., Xu, Q., Zhou, X., Liu, X., Cao, X., 2020. Representation of modern pollen assemblage to vertical variations of vegetation and climate in the Yadong area, eastern Himalaya. Quaternary International, 536: 45–51. 

8. Li, F., Gaillard, N.-J., Cao, X., Herzschuh, U., Sugita, S., Tarasov, P.E., Wagner, M., Xu, Q., Ni, J., Wang, W., Zhao, Y., An, C., Beusen, A.H.W., Chen, G., Feng, Z., Goldewijk, C.G.M.K, Huang, X., Li, Y., Liu, H., Sun, A., Yao, Y., Zheng, Z., Jia, X., 2020, Towards quantification of Holocene anthropogenic land-cover change in temperate China: A review in the light of pollen-based REVEALS reconstructions of regional plant cover. Earth-Science Reviews, 203: 103119. 

9. Li, G., Zhong, W., Zhao, W., Jin, M., Wang, X., Tao, S., Chen, C., Cao, X., Zhang, Y., Yang, H., Madsen, D.B., 2020. Quantitative precipitation reconstructions from Chagan Nur revealed lag response of East Asian summer monsoon precipitation to summer insolation during the Holocene in arid northern China. Quaternary Science Reviews, 239: 106365. 

10. Lü, F., Zhang, H., Hou, J., Cao, X., Liu, C., 2020. Hydrological Variations and Decline of the Ancient Silk Road Between Han and Sui Dynasties in the Middle Reach of the Tarim River. Acta Geologica Sinica, DOI: 10.1111/1755-6724.14540. 

11. Li, H., Liu, X., Herzschuh, U., Cao, X., Yu, Z., Wang, Y., 2019. Vegetation and climate changes since the middle MIS 3 inferred from a Wulagai Lake pollen record, Inner Mongolia, Northeastern China. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 262: 44–51. 

12. Sun, J., Ma, C., Cao, X., Zhao, Y., Deng, Y., Zhao, L., Zhu, C., 2019. Quantitative precipitation reconstruction in the east-central monsoonal China since the late glacial period. Quaternary International, 521:175–184. 

13. Huang, X., Peng, W., Rudaya, N., Grimm, E.C., Chen, X., Cao, X., Zhang, J., Pan, X., Liu, S., Chen, C., Chen, F., 2018. Holocene vegetation and climate dynamics in the Altai Mountains and surrounding areas. Geophysical Research Letters, 45: 6628–6636. 

14. Tian, F., Cao, X., Dallmeyer, A., Lohmann, G., Zhang, X., Ni, J., Andreev, A., Anderson, P.M., Lozhkin, A.V., Bezrukova, E., Rudaya, N., Xu, Q., Herzschuh, U., 2018. Biome changes and their inferred climatic drivers in northern and eastern continental Asia at selected times since 40 cal ka BP. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 27: 365–379. 

15. Dallmeyer, A., Claussen, C., Ni, J., Cao, X., Wang, Y., Fischer, N., Pfeiffer, M., Jin, L., Khon, V., Wagner, S., Haberkorn, K., Herzschuh, U., 2017. Biome changes in Asia since the mid-Holocene – an analysis of different transient Earth system model simulations. Climate of the Past, 13: 107–134. 

16. Zhao, Y., Liu, Y.L., Guo Z.T., Fang, K.Y., Li, Q., Cao, X.Y., 2017. Abrupt vegetation shifts caused by gradual climate changes in central Asia during the Holocene. Science China Earth Sciences, 60: 1317–1327. 

17. Xu, Q., Zhang, S., Gaillard, M.-J., Li, M., Cao, X., Tian, F., Li, F., 2016. Studies of modern pollen assemblages for pollen dispersal- deposition- preservation process understanding and for pollen-based reconstructions of past vegetation, climate, and human impact: A review based on case studies in China. Quaternary Science Reviews, 149: 151–166. 

18. Zhang, S., Xu, Q., Gaillard, M.-J., Cao, X., Li, J., Zhang, L., Li, Y., Tian, F., Zhou, L., Lin, F., Yang, X., 2016. Characteristic pollen source area and vertical pollen dispersal and deposition in a mixed coniferous and deciduous broad-leaved woodland in the Changbai mountains, northeast China. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 25: 29–43. 

19. Xu, Q., Chen, F., Zhang, S., Cao, X., Li, J., Li, Y., Li, M., Chen, J., Liu, J., Wang, Z., 2016. Vegetation succession and East Asian Summer Monsoon Changes since the last deglaciation inferred from high-resolution pollen record in Gonghai Lake, Shanxi Province, China. The Holocene, 27: 835–846. 

20. Yang, S., Cao, X., Jin, H., 2015. Validation of ice-wedge isotopes at Yituli'he, northeastern China as climate proxy. Boreas, 44: 502–510. 

21. Chen, F., Xu,Q., Chen, J., Birks, H.J.B., Liu, J., Zhang, S., Jin, L., An, C., Telford, R.J., Cao, X., Wang, Z., Zhang, X., Selvaraj, K., Lu, H., Li, Y., Zheng, Z., Wang, H., Zhou, A., Dong, G., Zhang, J., Huang, X., Bloemendal, J., Rao, Z., 2015. East Asian summer monsoon precipitation variability since the last deglaciation. Scientific Reports, 5: 11186. 

22. Dallmeyer, A., Herzschuh, U., Claussen, M., Ni, J., Wang, Y., Mischke, S., Cao, X., 2015. Vegetation, Climate, Man—Holocene Variability in Monsoonal Central Asia. Chapter: Integrated Analysis of Interglacial Climate Dynamics (INTERDYNAMIC). Part of the series: Springer Briefs in Earth System Sciences. pp 97–102. 

23. Ni, J., Cao, X., Jeltsch, F., Herzschuh, U., 2014. Biome distribution over the last 22,000 yr in China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 409: 33–47. 

24. Xu, Q., Cao, X., Tian, F., Zhang, S., Li, Y., Li, M., Li, J., Liu, Y., Liang, J., 2014. Relative pollen productivities of typical steppe species in northern China and their potential in past vegetation reconstruction. Science China: Earth Sciences, 57: 1254–1266. 

25. Chen, F., Liu, J., Xu, Q., Li, Y., Chen, J., Wei, H., Liu, Q., Wang, Z., Cao, X., Zhang, S., 2013. Environmental magnetic studies of sediment cores from Gonghai Lake: implications for monsoon evolution in North China during the late glacial and Holocene. Journal of Paleolimnology, 49: 447–464. 

26. Xu, Q., Tian, F., Bunting, M.J., Ding, W., Cao, X., He, Z., 2012. Pollen source areas of lakes with inflowing rivers: modern pollen influx data from Lake Baiyangdian, China. Quaternary Science Reviews, 37: 81–91. 

27. Ding, W., Pang, R., Xu, Q., Li, Y., Cao, X., 2011. Surface pollen assemblages as indicators of human impact in the warm temperate hilly areas of eastern China. Chinese Science Bulletin, 56: 996–1004. 

28. Wang, X., Li, Y., Xu, Q., Cao, X., Zhang L., Tian, F., 2010. Pollen assemblages from different agricultural units and their spatial distribution in Anyang area. Chinese Science Bulletin, 55: 544–554. 

29. Tian, F., Cao, X., Xu, Q., Li, Y., 2009. A laboratorial study on the influence of alkaline and oxidative environment on the preservation of Pinus tabulaeformis pollen. Frontiers of Earth Science, 3: 226–230. 

30. Xu, Q., Li, Y., Tian, F., Cao, X., Yang, X., 2009. Pollen assemblages of tauber traps and surface soil samples in steppe areas of China and their relationships with vegetation and climate. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 153: 86–101. 

31. Li, Y., Xu, Q., Zhang, L., Wang, X., Cao, X., Yang, X., 2009. Modern pollen assemblages of the forest communities and their relationships with vegetation and climate in northern China. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 19: 643–659. 

32. Tian, F., Xu, Q., Li, Y., Cao, X., Wang, X., Zhang, L., 2008. Pollen Assemblage Characteristics of Lakes in the Monsoon Fringe area of China. Chinese Science Bulletin, 53: 3354–3363.