Multiproxy reconstruction of hydroclimate variability, vegetation dynamics, fire activity, and human interactions during the last millennium in inland Korea

Robust characterization of hydroclimatic variability over the last millennium is essential for placing recent climate warming into context; however, high-resolution multiproxy records from the Korean Peninsula remain scarce. Here, we present a high-resolution, variable-interval (mean: ~5.2 cm) multiproxy reconstruction of hydroclimate, vegetation dynamics, fire regimes, and human–environment interactions derived from the Gonggeomji paleoreservoir. Pollen-based quantitative reconstructions via the CREST transfer function, excluding cultivated and ruderal taxa, reveal pronounced multidecadal- to centennial-scale variability that is linked to fluctuations in East Asian Summer Monsoon dynamics. Vegetation responses are manifested through compositional shifts between coniferous ( Pinus ) and deciduous broad-leaved ( Quercus ) taxa, indicating a dominant sensitivity to precipitation variability rather than to temperature alone. Aquatic proxies and diatom assemblages reveal dynamic water-level fluctuations and evolving trophic states, reflecting closely coupled hydroclimatic variability and catchment-scale processes. Charcoal records indicate that fire regimes are primarily fuel-mediated and shaped by both biomass availability and anthropogenic burning, with morphological evidence linking herbaceous charcoal fractions to agricultural practices. Notably, the increased occurrence of Castanea arboriculture during the Medieval Climate Anomaly–Little Ice Age transition is interpreted as a plausible indicator of an adaptive human response to hydroclimatic stress, reflecting shifts in subsistence strategies documented in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty . Overall, this study provides the first high-resolution, integrative evidence of tightly coupled hydroclimate–vegetation–fire–human interactions in central inland Korea, offering new mechanistic insights into the links between climate variability and socioecological dynamics over the last millennium.