Norio Fuji

Palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate changes around Lake Biwa, Japan during the last CA. 3 million years

Abstract The palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate history in and around the lake during the last 3 Ma based on pollen analyses of the upper 900 m of a 1400-m core is presented, and a provisional global correlation is made. The upper 900 m of the core is subdivided into 37 pollen zones. During glacial stages or stadials, vegetation typical of the subpolar zone occurred in the mountainous area around Lake Biwa, while in the lowland area, around the lake, plants characteristic of the cool temperate zone occurred. During interglacial stages or interstadials, the vegetation of the mountainous area was generally characterized by plants of the temperate zone and/or cool temperate zone, while in the lowland area, the vegetation was composed mainly of broadleaved deciduous and evergreen trees of the temperate and warm temperate zones. The climatic history of the last 500 ka shows remarkable parallels with the palaeotemperature record of the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans, sedimentary cycles of the Mediterranean Sea, environmental change in Central Europe, and the record of sea level change in Japan and New Guinea.