Diatoms are single-celled algae that are sensitive to environmental changes. Their valves are well preserved, making them widely used in paleoenvironmental reconstruction. In particular, diatom fossils found in wetland sediments can reveal information...
Diatoms are single-celled algae that are sensitive to environmental changes. Their valves are well preserved, making them widely used in paleoenvironmental reconstruction. In particular, diatom fossils found in wetland sediments can reveal information about past aquatic environments, such as water level, pH and trophic status. Diatoms provide valuable information for reconstructing past aquatic environmental changes. Studies using diatoms for paleoenvironmental reconstruction have been rarely conducted in Korea and have primarily focused on the oreums (volcanic cones) of Jeju Island. In this study, a multi-proxy analysis—including diatom analysis, organic matter content, magnetic susceptibility, and grain size—was conducted on a sediment core collected from the Dongsuak wetland, located within Hallasan National Park. Furthermore, by comparing the results with previous studies, this research aims to examine environmental changes in Jeju Island and the Korean Peninsula from multiple perspectives.
The study area is the Dongsuak crater wetland, located on the eastern slope of Hallasan in Jeju Island. A 300 cm-long sediment core was collected, and analyses were conducted from the surface to a depth of 165 cm. High-resolution (1 cm interval) analyses were performed using multiple proxies, including magnetic susceptibility, grain size, organic matter and diatom. Key diatom taxa indicative of environmental changes in the study area were identified. Based on the key diatom species, the stratigraphy was divided into six distinct diatom zones using CONISS analysis and the broken-stick model. Interpretations were made by comparing the ecological characteristics and environmental preferences of dominant and non-dominant taxa in each zone to reconstruct past variability. Additionally, comparisons with abiotic proxies allowed for a qualitative interpretation of past wetland conditions.
According to the results, diatom assemblages in the Dongsuak wetland changed by zone in response to variations in water level, pH, salinity, and trophic status. The representative species reflecting aquatic environmental change included Aulacoseira spp., Frustulia spp., Pinnularia spp., and Eunotia spp.. From 4550 to 3960 cal yr BP, Aulacoseira spp.. was dominant, suggesting a high-water level, oligotrophic, and slightly acidic environment. Between 3960 and 700 cal yr BP, Frustulia spp., a benthic species, was dominant, indicating a transition to a low-water, oligotrophic, and slightly acidic environment—likely reflecting a shift from a lake to a wetland. From 700 to 130 cal yr BP, dominance of Pinnularia spp.. It indicated a mesotrophic, neutral, and low-water-level environment. Finally, from 130 cal yr BP to the present, the dominance of Eunotia spp. indicated a transition to a eutrophic environment.
The results of this diatom-based reconstruction are largely consistent with previous paleoenvironmental studies in nearby areas. In particular, variations in hydroclimate inferred from vegetation studies and changes in water levels of adjacent volcanic cones (oreum) showed similar patterns. Therefore, aquatic environmental changes in the study area during the mid- to late Holocene were likely influenced by regional hydroclimatic fluctuations.