Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Global Climate Change01:50

Global Climate Change

26.6K
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
26.6K
What is Climate?01:16

What is Climate?

19.4K
Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.
19.4K
Threats to Biodiversity01:50

Threats to Biodiversity

24.4K
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
24.4K
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss01:57

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

27.0K
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
27.0K
Responses to Drought and Flooding02:41

Responses to Drought and Flooding

11.3K
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
11.3K
What is Weather?01:07

What is Weather?

18.7K
Overview
18.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Volcanic eruptions caused weakening AMOC during the preindustrial past millennium.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Pre-drought Conservative Xylem Hydraulic Architecture Is Associated With Enhanced Recovery From the 1976 Drought in European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.).

Plant, cell & environment·2026
Same author

Paradox of Reversible Vasoconstriction and Stroke-Like Lesions in MELAS: A Multimodal Imaging Sequence.

Stroke·2026
Same author

Multiple waves of westward dry-land agriculture expansions along the East Silk Road during the Neolithic age.

Fundamental research·2026
Same author

Wnt5b/FZD1/LRP6 signaling drives renal fibrosis by triggering cytoplasmic stabilization and nuclear translocation of β-catenin under hypoxia.

iScience·2026
Same author

Photothermal Ablation Blotting for Capillary-Scale Microvasculature Engineering.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026
Same journal

In This Issue.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Correction for Otsuki et al., Extracellular sulfatases support cartilage homeostasis by regulating BMP and FGF signaling pathways.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Hive mind: Microbial communities and the making of memory.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Targets for disease modification in schizophrenia: New findings add to evidence for the involvement of the immune complement system.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Correction for Wang et al., The role of reduced aerosol masking from air pollutant emission reductions in recent global warming acceleration (2013-2023).

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Correction for Mishra, Ecology is not yet ready for AI-and why that matters.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 27, 2025

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
06:10

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Published on: March 31, 2023

1.2K

Long-term decrease in Asian monsoon rainfall and abrupt climate change events over the past 6,700 years.

Bao Yang1,2, Chun Qin3, Achim Bräuning4

  • 1Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; n.c.stenseth@mn.uio.no yangbao@lzb.ac.cn.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 20, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A new tree-ring record reveals severe megadroughts in the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) region around 2000 BCE. This aridification impacted ecosystems and likely drove significant Neolithic cultural shifts and migrations in northern China.

Keywords:
Asian summer monsoonclimate variabilitymegadroughtstable isotopestree rings

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Advancing Coral Culture - Creating a Semi-Quantitatively Controlled Microenvironment System to Counter Current Limitations
05:58

Author Spotlight: Advancing Coral Culture - Creating a Semi-Quantitatively Controlled Microenvironment System to Counter Current Limitations

Published on: July 21, 2023

2.3K
Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities
10:14

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Published on: October 25, 2024

4.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 27, 2025

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
06:10

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Published on: March 31, 2023

1.2K
Author Spotlight: Advancing Coral Culture - Creating a Semi-Quantitatively Controlled Microenvironment System to Counter Current Limitations
05:58

Author Spotlight: Advancing Coral Culture - Creating a Semi-Quantitatively Controlled Microenvironment System to Counter Current Limitations

Published on: July 21, 2023

2.3K
Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities
10:14

Author Spotlight: Leaf Trait Analysis for Climate and Ecology Reconstruction in Modern and Ancient Plant Communities

Published on: October 25, 2024

4.0K

Area of Science:

  • Paleoclimatology
  • Quaternary Science
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Understanding Asian summer monsoon (ASM) variability and its long-term impacts is limited by scarce high-resolution proxy data.
  • Ecological and societal consequences of past monsoon fluctuations, especially in Neolithic times, remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reconstruct high- to low-frequency ASM variability using a precise tree-ring chronology.
  • To investigate the hydroclimatic conditions and ecological impacts of past monsoon events.
  • To assess the influence of climate change on Neolithic cultures in northern China.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a precisely dated and calibrated tree-ring stable isotope chronology from the Tibetan Plateau.
  • The chronology spans from 4680 BCE to 2011 CE with 1- to 5-year resolution.
  • Analyzed hydroclimatic shifts and their ecological and societal implications.

Main Results:

  • A persistent drying trend since the mid-Holocene was identified.
  • A significant decrease in moisture availability occurred between approximately 2000 and 1500 BCE.
  • A megadrought from approximately 1675 to 1185 BCE resulted in precipitation levels 42% lower than the mid-Holocene and 5% lower than the instrumental period.

Conclusions:

  • The mid-to late Holocene transition was marked by a severe megadrought, impacting regional forests and increasing aeolian activity in northern China.
  • This abrupt aridification around 2000 BCE likely contributed to the transformation of Neolithic cultures, triggering human migration and societal changes.
  • The findings highlight the profound influence of ASM variability on past ecosystems and human societies.