A linkage between paleoclimate and population dynamics in inland Japan revealed by carbon isotope analysis of fossil pollen

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H06062
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Geology
• Research Institution: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (2016); Fukushima University (2015)
• Principal Investigator: NAITO Yuichi 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, 生物地球化学研究分野, ポストドクトラル研究員 (10754848)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-08-28 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 古気候 / 花粉 / 炭素同位体比 / 古人口

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Pollen composition in sediments is used for estimating paleoenvironmental change through Quaternary period because of its well preservation. Stable isotopic composition of pollen has also been proposed as paleoclimate indicators such as precipitation while the utility of this approach has not yet been confirmed for many plant species and regions. In this study, modern tree pollens that frequently appear in Holocene lake sediments in Japan were collected throughout the mainland and analyzed for carbon isotopic compositions to test their potential as a paleoclimate proxy. Some tree species such as a pine (Pinus densiflora) showed significant correlation between carbon isotopic composition and several types of meteorological data. The results suggest that carbon isotopic composition of pollen grains of the specific species from sediments could be used as local-scale paleoclimate proxies in Japanese archipelago.

Free Research Field

自然人類学