Human settlement and destructive activities disrupt the positive contribution of dust to plant biomass growth over the past 2000 years

The dual pressures of global warming and increased anthropogenic activities pose significant threats to terrestrial vegetation ecosystems. To better understand the impacts of climate change and human activities on terrestrial vegetation ecosystems, we reconstructed the changes in vegetation and plant biomass over the past 4500 years using n -alkane records from sediments of two alpine lakes in northwestern China: Xiannv Lake and Tianchi Lake. Our results indicate that changes in the spatial variability of plant biomass are not related to temperature and precipitation. Furthermore, CO 2 fertilization and nutrient inputs from dust contributed to the observed changes in plant biomass. We also compared the history of human activities in the Tianshan Mountains, the eastern Silk Road, and the Hunsandak Sandy Land, and find that the demand for plant resources—whether for human settlement , military construction, or warfare—may have caused a sudden decline in terrestrial vegetation, thereby disrupting the positive effects of dust on plant biomass growth. • Plant biomass changes over the past 4500 years vary across northern China. • Temperature and precipitation didn't significantly control plant biomass. • CO 2 fertilization and dust inputs are key drivers to plant biomass growth. • Human settlement and destruction drastically reduced plant biomass.