Vegetation history during the Holocene from Lake Hyangho, northeastern Korea

Abstract

Pollen analysis was made on a 900-cm core from Lake Hyangho located in the northwestern coastal area of the Korean Peninsula. From the results of pollen analysis, the following five local pollen assemblage zones (LH) were recognized from the base to the surface: Zone LH-5 (900–700 cm): Quercus subgen. Lepidobalanus stage Zone LH-4 (700–555 cm): Pinus stage Zone LH-3 (555–300 cm): Pinus and Quercus subgen. Lepidobalanus stage Zone LH-2 (300–100 cm): Pinus, Quercus subgen. Lepidobalanus and herb stage Zone LH-1 (100–0 cm): Pinus and herb stage Vegetation dominated by pine forests prevailed from ac. 6500 years BP. Human impact on nature began ca. 2000 years BP, and became pronounced ca. 600 years BP. Study of deciduous Quercus type fossil pollen grains using a scanning electron microscope has revealed that the deciduous broad-leaved forests were dominated by Quercus dentata of the deciduous Quercus, including six species in zone LH-5.