Skip to main content
Log in

The Potential of Using Tree-Ring Data from Jeju Island to Reconstruct Climate in Subtropical Korea and the Western North Pacific

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Asia-Pacific Journal of Atmospheric Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Annual rings from trees have been used to infer past climate variability beyond the observational records. Here, we assess if two conifer species from the humid subtropical island of Jeju, South Korea, can be used as proxies for past regional climate variability and large-scale ocean current variability, such as the Kuroshio Current, over the Western North Pacific. Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora) and Korean fir (Abies koreana) were sampled close to their altitudinal limits of distribution on the southern slopes of the volcano Mt. Halla at 1320 m and 1640 m a.s.l., respectively. Comparison with climate variables from nearby meteorological stations indicated a significant positive association between temperature in January/April and Korean red pine growth, which suggests that the red pine can be used to reconstruct mid-winter/spring temperatures back in time. Positive correlations were also found between the tree-ring growth and October (for Korean fir) and January (for Korean red pine) precipitation. Moreover, pine tree growth showed significant multi-month associations with sea surface temperatures over the Western North Pacific and variability of the Kuroshio Extension. The results suggest that subtropical trees from South Korea can be used as indicators of past climate variability on local to regional scales, and possibly also to infer the past variability of the Kuroshio Current in the Western North Pacific.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adler, R.F., Huffman, G.J., Chang, A., Ferraro, R., Xie, P., Janowiak, J., Rudolf, B., Schneider, U., Curtis, S., Bolvin, D., Gruber, A., Susskind, J., Arkin, P., Nelkin, E.: The version-2 global precipitation climatology project (GPCP) monthly precipitation analysis (1979-present). J. Hydrometeorol. 4, 1147–1167 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altman, J., Dolezal, J., Cerny, T., Song, J.S.: Forest response to increasing typhoon activity on the Korean peninsula: evidence from oak tree-rings. Glob. Chang. Biol. 19, 498–504 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byun, J.G., Lee, W.K., Kim, M., Kwak, D.A., Kwak, H., Park, T., Byun, W.H., Son, Y., Choi, J.K., Lee, Y.J., Saborowski, J., Chung, D.J., Jung, J.H.: Radial growth response of Pinus densiflora and Quercus spp. to topographic and climatic factors in South Korea. J. Plant Ecol. 6, 380–392 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carton, J.A., Giese, B.: A reanalysis of ocean climate using simple ocean data assimilation (SODA). Mon. Weather Rev. 136, 2999–3017 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, F., Yuan, Y., Wei, W., Yu, S., Wang, H.: Tree-ring response of subtropical tree species in Southeast China on regional climate and sea-surface temperature variations. Trees. 29(1), 17–24 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, D., Fang, K., Li, Y., Dong, Z., Zhang, Y., Zhou, F.: Response of Pinus taiwanensis growth to climate changes at its southern limit of Daiyun Mountain, mainland China Fujian Province. Sci. China Earth Sci. 59(2), 328–336 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, W.J., Lee, S.M., Chang, S.X., Ro, H.M.: Variations of δ13C and δ15N in Pinus densiflora tree-rings and their relationship to environmental changes in eastern Korea. Water Air Soil Pollut. 164, 173–187 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chung, C.-H.: Vegetation response to climate change on Jeju Island, South Korea, during the last deglaciation based on pollen record. Geosci. J. 11, 147–155 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cook, E.R.: A time series analysis approach to tree ring standardization, school of renewable natural resources. In: University of Arizona (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding, Y.: Monsoons over China. Springer, New York (1991) 419 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Fritts, H.C.: Tree-Rings and Climate. Academic Press, London (1976) 567 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, R.L.: Users manual for program COFECHA. Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. University of Arizona, Arizona (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, B., Banzon, V.F., Freeman, E., Lawrimore, J., Liu, W., Peterson, T.C., Smith, T.M., Thorne, P.W., Woodruff, S.D., Zhang, H.-M.: Extended Reconstructed Sea surface temperature version 4 (ERSST.v4): part I. upgrades and intercomparisons. J. Clim. 28, 911–930 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00006.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, B., Thorne, P.W., Smith, T.M., Liu, W., Lawrimore, J., Banzon, V.F., Zhang, H.M., Peterson, T.C., Menne, M.: Further exploring and quantifying uncertainties for Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST) Version 4 (v4). J. Clim. 29(9), 3119–3142 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, B., Thorne, P.W., Banzon, V.F., Boyer, T., Chepurin, G., Lawrimore, J.H., Menne, M.J., Smith, T.M., Vose, R.S., Zhang, H.-M.: Extended reconstructed sea surface temperature, version 5 (ERSSTv5): upgrades, validations, and intercomparisons. J. Clim. 30(20), 8179–8205 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC: Summary for policymakers. In: Stocker, T.F., Qin, D., Plattner, G.-K., Tignor, M., Allen, S.K., Boschung, J., Nauels, A., Xia, Y., Bex, V., Midgley, P.M. (eds.) Climate Change 2013: the Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jang, W., Keyes, C.R., Running, S.W., Lim, J.-H., Park, P.S.: Climate–growth relationships of relict Picea jezoensis at Mt. Gyebang, South Korea. For. Sci. Technol. 11, 19–26 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kang, H.G., Kim, C.S., Kim, E.S.: Human influence, regeneration, and conservation of the Gotjawal forests in Jeju Island, Korea. J. Marine Island Cultures. 2(2), 85–92 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kawabe, M.: Variations of current path, velocity, and volume transport of the Kuroshio in relation with the large meander. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 25, 3103–3117 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, E.S., Lee, J.W., Choi, I.J., Lim, W., Choi, J., Oh, C.H., Lee, S.H., Kim, Y.S.: Disturbance in seedling development of Korean fir (Abies koreana Wilson) tree species on higher altitude forests of Mt. Hallasan National Park, the central part of Jeju Island, Korea. J. Ecol. Environ. 41(1), 22 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koo, K.A., Park, W.K., Kong, W.S.: Dendrochronological analysis of Abies koreana W. at Mt Halla, Korea: effects of climate change on the growths. Korean J. Ecol. 24, 281–288 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Larkin, N.K., Harrison, D.E.: ENSO warm (El Niño) and cold (La Niña) event life cycles: ocean surface anomaly patterns, their symmetries, asymmetries, and implications. J. Clim. 15(10), 1118–1140 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, K.: Climate of the China Seas and Northwestern Pacific (in Chinese), p. 640. China Ocean Press, Beijing (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, W., Huang, B., Thorne, P.W., Banzon, V.F., Zhang, H.-M., Freeman, E., Lawrimore, J., Peterson, T.C., Smith, T.M., Woodruff, S.D.: Extended reconstructed sea surface temperature version 4 (ERSST.v4): part II. Parametric and structural uncertainty estimations. J. Clim. 28, 931–951 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00007.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luong, T.H., Jang, K.S., Lim, H.W., Choi, W.J., Lee, K.H.: Correlation of tree ring growths of four major species with climate changes in South Korea. For. Sci. Technol. 9, 180–186 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  • Luterbacher, J., Dietrich, D., Xoplaki, E., Grosjean, M., Wanner, H.: European seasonal and annual temperature variability, trends and extremes since 1500. Science. 303, 1499–1503 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mantua, N.J., Hare, S.R.: The Pacific decadal oscillation. J. Oceanogr. 58(1), 35–44 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Masson-Delmotte, V., Schulz, M., Abe-Ouchi, A., Beer, J., Ganopolski, A., González Rouco, J.F., Jansen, E., Lambeck, K., Luterbacher, J., Naish, T., Osborn, T., Otto-Bliesner, B., Quinn, T., Ramesh, R., Rojas, M., Shao, X., Timmermann, A.: Information from paleoclimate archives. In: Stocker, T.F., Qin, D., Plattner, G.-K., Tignor, M., Allen, S.K., Boschung, J., Nauels, A., Xia, Y., Bex, V., Midgley, P.M. (eds.) Climate Change 2013: the Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  • Morice, C.P., Kennedy, J.J., Rayner, N.A., Jones, P.D.: Quantifying uncertainties in global and regional temperature change using an ensemble of observational estimates: the HadCRUT4 data set. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. 117(D08101), 1–22 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • PAGES 2k Consortium: Continental-scale temperature variability during the past two millennia. Nat. Geosci. 6, 339–346 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, W.-K., Yadav, R.R.: A dendroclimatic analysis of Pinus densiflora from Mt. Chiri in southern Korea. Ann. Sci. For. 55, 451–459 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu, B.: Interannual variability of the Kuroshio extension system and its impact on the wintertime SST field. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 30(6), 1486–1502 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rayner, N.A., Parker, D.E., Horton, E.B., Folland, C.K., Alexander, L.V., Rowell, D.P., Kent, E.C., Kaplan, A.: Global analyses of sea surface temperature, sea ice, and night marine air temperature since the late nineteenth century. J. Geophys. Res. 108(D14), 4407 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002670

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • St George, S.: An overview of tree-ring width records across the northern hemisphere. Quat. Sci. Rev. 95, 132–150 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Um, M.J., Kim, Y.: Spatial variations in temperature in a mountainous region of Jeju Island, South Korea. Int. J. Climatol. 37(5), 2413–2423 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, B., Wu, R., Fu, X.: Pacific–east Asian teleconnection: how does ENSO affect east Asian climate? J. Clim. 13(9), 1517–1536 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wigley, T.M., Briffa, K.R., Jones, P.D.: On the average value of correlated time series, with applications in dendroclimatology and hydrometeorology. J. Clim. Appl. Meteorol. 23(2), 201–213 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, L., Cai, W., Zhang, L., Nakamura, H., Timmermann, A., Joyce, T., McPhaden, M.J., Alexander, M., Qiu, B., Visbeck, M., Chang, P., Giese, B.: Enhanced warming over the global subtropical western boundary currents. Nat. Clim. Chang. 2(3), 161–166 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, Y., Yang, X.: Relationships between Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) and climate variability in China. Acta Meteorol. Sinica. 61, 641–653 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (2016R1A6A1A03012647). H. Linderholm was supported by the Swedish Research Council (VR). This research contributes to the strategic research area Modelling the Regional and Global Earth system (MERGE) and Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate (BECC). This is contribution # 37 from the Sino-Swedish Centre for Tree-Ring Research (SISTRR). P. Zhang was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2012M1A2A2671852).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jee-Hoon Jeong or Hans W. Linderholm.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Kyong-Hwan Seo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, P., Jeong, JH., Linderholm, H.W. et al. The Potential of Using Tree-Ring Data from Jeju Island to Reconstruct Climate in Subtropical Korea and the Western North Pacific. Asia-Pacific J Atmos Sci 55, 293–301 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13143-018-0089-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13143-018-0089-9

Keywords

Navigation