Paleolimnological environment indicated by the diatom and pollen assemblages in an alpine lake in Taiwan

Yuanyang Lake (24°35N, 121°24E), located at an altitude of 1,670 m within a nature preserve in northern Taiwan, is an acidic lake. Remains of diatoms and pollen from a 3.72-m sediment core were used to elucidate the relationships between the vegetation of the watershed and the paleolimnological environment. Past pH, saprobity level, and total P of the lake were inferred from the diatom assemblages and were analyzed with respect to changes in the terrestrial vegetation. The inferred pH values fluctuated only slightly, whereas the inferred saprobity level increased markedly towards the sediment surface. In the topmost sediment, a slight drop in the inferred pH was associated with a lowering in the saprobity index. This was interpreted as a possible result of recent anthropogenic acidification and changes in productivity related to changes in acidity. Based on pollen analyses, we conclude that Chamaecyparis persisted over at least the last four thousand years in the watershed. The vegetation in the watershed changed little during this period of time, which is consistent with the constancy of inferred pH values. A positive correlation between the inferred pH and ¹³C values of the sediments was found.