Increased precipitation during the Little Ice Age in northern Taiwan inferred from diatoms and geochemistry in a sediment core from a subalpine lake
Journal
Journal of Paleolimnology
Journal Volume
49
Journal Issue
4
Pages
619-631
Date Issued
2013
Author(s)
Abstract
We studied diatoms in a 55. 5-cm-long sediment core from a subalpine lake in northern Taiwan, Tsuifong Lake (TFL), to investigate environmental changes from AD 490 to present. Diatom assemblages of the last century were dominated by acidophilous species, whereas alkaliphilous taxa dominated the record between AD 1480 and 1910. Over the studied time frame, four decadal periods with high precipitation were inferred from evidence of elevated soil input from the watershed, supported by the stable isotope signatures (δ15N, δ13C) of organic matter and magnetic susceptibility of the sediments. We compared the inferred changes in pH of TFL to values obtained from three other Taiwanese subalpine lakes. The present study revealed that elevated precipitation was associated with increased solar irradiance over the last five centuries, with a stable dry period between AD 490 and 1450. Acidification of TFL in the last ~100 years was a consequence of deforestation and acid rain. © 2013 The Author(s).
Subjects
Acid precipitation; Climate change; Diatom analysis; Little Ice Age; pH
Other Subjects
acid rain; acidification; acidophily; climate change; deforestation; diatom; geochemistry; glacial lake; irradiance; lacustrine deposit; Little Ice Age; magnetic susceptibility; organic matter; pH; precipitation (climatology); sediment core; stable isotope; subalpine environment; watershed; Taiwan; Bacillariophyta
Type
journal article