Yaeko Igarashi

A lateglacial climatic reversion in hokkaido, Northeast Asia, inferred from the Larix pollen record

Abstract At present, Larix gmelini is a main component of taiga developed in north Sakhalin, northeast China and east Siberia. During the interval from ∼11.8 to 12.4 ka BP, pollen assemblages from north Hokkaido, Japan, are dominated by Larix. Pollen assemblages of this Lateglacial climatic reversal, known as the “Kenbuchi Stadial”, are similar to pollen assemblages from the Last Glacial Maximum in north Hokkaido. Vegetation of Hokkaido inferred from these pollen assemblages — open taiga composed of Larix gmelini, Pinus pumila and Picea jezoensis and/or Picea glehnii — may have been like that of north Sakhalin today. Comparison of these fossil pollen assemblages from Hokkaido with pollen assemblages from modern surface samples in Sakhalin suggests that ∼ 11.8 to 12.4 ka BP, temperatures relative to today were at least 9°C lower in January and 7°C lower in August, and that annual precipitation was at least 735 mm lower than present.

Quaternary forest and climate history of Hokkaido, Japan, from marine sediments

Abstract Pollen data from Quaternary marine sediments deposited in central Hokkaido, northern Japan provide insight into northeast Asian vegetation and climatic changes over the last few million years. During the Early Pleistocene, coniferous forest, dominated by Picea and Cryptomeria japonica, and taiga composed of Larix and Picea developed under cool/wet and cold/dry climates, respectively. Strong climatic contrasts are inferred from Late Pleistocene interglacial and glacial pollen assemblages which precede the last glacial cycle. In the former, cool temperate broad-leaf forest, mainly composed of Fagus, reflects a warmer and wetter climate than now. In the latter, taiga similar to that now found in northern Sakhalin apparently flourished in Hokkaido. The composition of pollen assemblages correlated with Oxygen Isotope Stage 5, changed from cool temperate forest of Quercus, Ulmus and Juglans (Substage 5e), to Picea-Larix taiga (Substage 5d), cool temperate forest of Quercus and Ulmus (Substage 5c) and Picea-Abies forest (Substage 5b). Compared with present conditions, climate during Stage 5 in northern Japan apparently fluctuated from warmer/wetter to colder/drier. Taiga composed of Picea, Pinus and Larix indicating colder/dry conditions during Stage 4, was replaced by Picea-Abies forest and Picea-Larix taiga in Stage 3, suggesting relatively cool and cold/dry environments. Taiga and mixed forest with taiga and cool temperate components characterize Stage 2. Holocene forests with Juglans-Betula and Quercus-Juglans were succeeded by Picea and Abies during the early Holocene warm interval ∼7000 BP. Subsequently, Quercus-Ulmus and Abies-Alnus assemblages reflect climatic deterioration. ‘Pan-mixed’ forest has been developed in Hokkaido since 2000 BP.