Systematic biotic responses to palaeoenvironmental change in the Late Pleistocene southern South China Sea: a preliminary study

Oxygen and carbon isotopes from the planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides sacculifer, trace element contents, calcium carbonate, biogenic silica, grain size, and abundances of diatoms, radiolarians and foraminifera in a deep-sea core from the southwestern South China Sea were analysed to investigate the response of various marine ecological communities to environmental changes over the last 200 ka. The synthesised results show that the quality of the palaeoecological environment for biological growth is primarily affected by nutrient Supply and terrigenous disturbance. Ba and P are important nutrient elements for the growth of diatoms, radiolarians and planktonic foraminifera. Together with dissolved silica and calcium carbonate in sea water, these elements may control microbiotic development. However, variations in Fe content appear to affect diatom and radiolarian abundance. Optimal biotic growth Occurs when nutrients are abundant and when there is minimal terrigenous disturbance. Biotic growth decreases when sea water is highly oligotrophic and terrigenous input is high. Maximum biological growth occurred in the mid Holocene, but deteriorated soon afterwards owing to increased terrigenous input, causing a decrease of biological abundance and productivity in the late Holocene. The results also indicate how the Toba volcanic eruption ca. 74 ka ago contributed to changing the ecological environment in the southern South China Sea. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.