Vegetation history around Yongneup moor at Mt. Daeamsan, Korea

Abstract

A pollen analytical study of sediment sequences collected from Yongneup moor (sampling point: <TEX>$38^{\circ}$</TEX>12'57.4" N, <TEX>$120^{\circ}$</TEX>7'30.2" E) was conducted to understand the vegetation history in the mountainous region of the central Korean peninsula. Carbon dating was carried out to measure five successive samples obtained from the bottom at a depth of 180 cm to the surface. The Yongneup moor sediment revealed four main local pollen zones; that is, four past vegetation phases as follows: Local pollen zone I: Quercus-Pinus zone; estimated age, 5,900-4,800 calibrated years (cal) before present (BP); vegetation type, cool-temperate central/montane deciduous broad-leaved forest. Local pollen zone II: Pinus-Abies-Quercus zone; estimated age, 4,800-3,400 cal BP; vegetation type, cool-temperate northern/alti-montane mixed coniferous and deciduous broad-leaved forest. Local pollen zone III: Quercus-Pinus-Abies zone; estimated age, 3,400-400 cal BP; vegetation type: cool-temperate central/montane deciduous broad-leaved forest. Local pollen zone IV: Pinus-Quercus zone; estimated age, 400-present cal BP; vegetation type, cool-temperate central/montane mixed deciduous broad-leaved and coniferous forest. It was confirmed that subalpine coniferous forests had expanded to the mountainous region of the central Korean peninsula during the period from 4,800-3,400 cal BP and thereafter deciduous forests dominated by Q. mongolica were established. Notably, secondary forests dominated by P. densiflora developed in the lower part of the mountainous region of the central Korean peninsula about 400 cal BP due to human interference.