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Human and climate impacts on the alpine Critical Zone over the past 10,000 y

W. Rapuc,D. Guinoiseau,Fabien Arnaud,Mathieu Dellinger,Pierre Sabatier,J. Gaillardet,J. Poulenard,J. Bouchez

Published 2025 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

ABSTRACT

Significance Here, we use lithium isotopes preserved in lake sediments to reconstruct 9,500 y of soil development in the European Alps. By disentangling the respective roles of climate and agropastoral land use across a mountain catchment, we show that human activity began to dominate soil evolution around 3,800 y ago. This marks the onset of a pedological Anthropocene, where human activities accelerated soil degradation by up to an order of magnitude compared to natural soil formation rates. Our findings highlight how long-term lake sediment records can reveal the cumulative impacts of agriculture on the Critical Zone, insights that are likely relevant to other mountain regions worldwide and vital for guiding sustainable land-use strategies.

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