Forensic value of pollen from ornamental indoor plants

Pollen is deposited almost everywhere and can be gathered and analysed. This work is part of a survey dedicated to indoor pollen from a forensic point of view. Ornamental plants were introduced into a private flat. Their influence on the pre-existing pollen assemblages was documented. Results show that ornamental plants can dramatically change the pollen spectra of indoor locations. The severity of this impact strongly varies with different plant taxa. These findings are important for forensic investigations, since such an ‘artificial’ pollen spectrum leaves an unusual trace and could subsequently relate a suspect to a crime scene.     

Numerical analysis of modern and fossil pollen spectra as a tool for elucidating the nature of fine-scale human activities in boreal areas

Modern pollen assemblages from the major vegetation units (both natural and anthropogenic) on the island of Hailuoto, Finland are studied from 29 surface moss samples. A total of 59 pollen and spore taxa are recorded. The pollen data-set is related by redundancy analysis (RDA) to six external synthetic variables that characterize in general terms the different major ecological situations relevant to the land-use on the island (sand, humus, forest, field, deforested, treeless). Weighted average (WA) optima are calculated to identify which pollen taxa are most indicative of four of these external variables. Two fossil pollen diagrams from Hailuoto are re-interpreted by positioning their samples on the RDA plot of the modern data-set and by classifying the modern and fossil spectra together in a minimum-variance cluster analysis. The RDA plot shows that the strongest features in the modern pollen assemblages are the contrast between spectra from dry sandy soils and those from damper soils with more organic content, and between assemblages from forested and unforested areas. For anthropogenic situations the numerical analyses detect a distinction in the pollen assemblages characterizing fields from those representing farms and trackways but is less successful in separating the latter two. The WA optima indicate that most pollen taxa considered as indicator types primarily represent a mixed field/farm category of land-use. The RDA and minimum-variance cluster analysis confirm that the two fossil sites have had different vegetational histories. In neither is there any phase equivalent to the modern farm situation on Hailuoto. The initial phase in each diagram represents shore meadows and fields but because Poaceae pollen is identifiable only to family level it is not possible to separate these two habitat types.     

Anthropogenic and climatic impacts on surface pollen assemblages along a precipitation gradient in north‐eastern China

Aim To understand the scenarios of ‘anthropogenic biomes’ that integrate human and ecological systems, we need to explore the impacts of climate and human disturbance on vegetation in the past and present. Interactions among surface pollen, modern vegetation and human activities along climate and land‐use gradients are tested to evaluate the natural and anthropogenic forces shaping the modern vegetation, and hence to aid the reconstruction of vegetation and climate in the past. This in turn will help with future predictions. Location The North‐east China Transect (NECT) in north‐eastern China. Methods We analysed 33 surface pollen samples and 213 quadrats across four vegetation zones along the moisture/land‐use gradients of the NECT. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) of 52 pollen taxa and three environmental variables were used to distinguish anthropogenic and climatic factors that affect surface pollen assemblages along the NECT. Results The 33 surface samples are divided into four pollen zones (forest, meadow steppe, typical steppe and desert steppe) corresponding to major vegetation types in the NECT. Variations in pollen ratios of fern/herb (F/H), Artemisia/Chenopodiaceae (A/C) and arboreal pollen/non‐arboreal pollen (AP/NAP) represent the vegetation and precipitation gradient along the NECT. DCA and RDA analyses suggest that surface pollen assemblages are significantly influenced by the precipitation gradient. Changes in the abundance of Chenopodiaceae pollen are related to both human activities and precipitation. Main conclusions Surface pollen assemblages, fossil pollen records, archaeological evidence and historical documents in northern China show that a large increase of Chenopodiaceae pollen indicates human‐caused vegetation degradation in sandy habitats. The A/C ratio is a good indicator of climatic aridity, but should be used in conjunction with multiple proxies of human activities and climate change in the pollen‐based reconstruction of anthropogenic biomes.     

Fossil pollen as a record of past biodiversity

Quaternary pollen records may contribute uniquely to the understanding of present plant diversity. Pollen assemblages can reflect diversity at community and landscape scales but the time resolution of most studies does not match that of modern ecological studies. Because of the complicating effects of differential pollen productivity and dispersal, pollen records do not directly reflect equitability aspects of vegetation diversity. Vegetation diversity indices other than S (the total number of taxa) are therefore not appropriate for pollen assemblages. As a measure of the species richness palynological richness is biased by the lack of taxonomic precision, by a possible interference on pollen dispersal from vegetation structure and by pollen representation. The nonlinear relationship between species richness and pollen-taxa richness may be used in attempts to estimate past floristic richness from fossil pollen assemblages. Using a hypothetical example the strong effect of cover shifts in the vegetation affecting taxa with different representation (R_rel) values on observed palynological richness is demonstrated. It is suggested that estimates of relative pollen productivity should be used to guide the pollen sum on which pollen-type richness is estimated by rarefaction techniques and this approach is illustrated using a paired site study of late Holocene diversity dynamics. The need for a modern training set relating pollen-type richness to species richness, pollen productivity and vegetation structure is emphasized.     

Evaluating Swiss pollen productivity estimates using a simulation approach

We simulated pollen assemblages for 11 sites on the Swiss Plateau (Schweizer Mittelland) based on a low resolution land cover map and pollen productivity estimates (PPE) from this region. A comparison between observed and simulated pollen data demonstrated that the majority of the simulated pollen proportions were within a range of 5% of over- or underestimation, and that at eight of the 11 sites the dominant taxon was correctly estimated. The modelled sum of arboreal pollen was correct within ±11% at nine sites. Our results indicate that the PPE established for the Swiss Plateau can be used to simulate pollen assemblages with reasonable accuracy. Moreover, our results justify the use of the POLLSCAPE simulation using the Prentice-Sugita model and its variations of pollen dispersal and deposition in more complex topographic landscapes than those to which they have hitherto been applied.     

Experimental investigations into the preservation of pollen grains: A pilot study of four pollen types

Preservation condition of pollen grains from different sedimentary environments can be a useful tool for interpreting pollen assemblages, but current understanding of the controls on pollen preservation is limited. One constraint is the complexity of studying these processes in the natural system. This paper presents the results of a pilot study of laboratory assessments of damage processes. A standard mixture of dried pollen grains (4 taxa: Alnus, Secale, Dactylis and Ambrosia) was rehydrated and suspended in glycerine, then subjected to two types of treatment, chemical oxidation or agitation in water with added sand or pebbles. The treatments generated distinctive damage patterns, and the pattern of damage observed varies with duration of treatment, combinations of treatments and pollen taxon. The results suggest that laboratory methods, which can generate damaged pollen assemblages rapidly and under controlled conditions, are a useful route for investigating the processes controlling pollen degradation and therefore interpreting the damage spectra recorded from past assemblages in terms of environmental processes.     

Preliminary study on pollen distribution in the surface soil of the Turpan region in the southern slope of Tianshan Mountains,Xinjiang, China

Aims Our main purposes were to analyze the relationship between vegetation and pollen in the surface soil of the Turpan region, which is located in the southern slope of the eastern Tianshan Mountains, and to compare different pollen assemblages between the Turpan region and the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains.Methods We collected 36 modern pollen samples and carried out modern vegetation survey in the Turpan region along an altitudinal gradient from 2 000 m to -154 m. Detrended correspondence analysis and Redundancy analysis were applied to analyze the distribution pattern of pollen in surface soils. Important findings We divided the pollen spectra into four pollen assemblage zones (mountain desert-steppe and desert, Gobi gravel, typical desert and salt mash vegetation), corresponding to the major vegetation types in the Turpan region. When compared with the northern slope, the characteristics of pollen assemblages in the mountain desert-steppe and desert were similar to those in the forest-steppe on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains; the pollen assemblages in the Gobi gravel and the typical desert seemed to be more consistent with those in the typical desert on the northern slope; however, no analogue was found in the salt mash vegetation. Obviously, the vertical pollen spectra in Turpan region were incomplete, lacking typical forest and Artemisia desert pollen zones. Besides, similar pollen zones in the Turpan region were found at an elevation of about 300 m higher than those in the northern slope. It is remarkable that the typical tree pollen, such as Picea and Pinus, showed their extra representation in the Turpan region. On one hand, the valley forest on the southern slope of the Tianshan mountains played an important role in pollen dispersal. On the other hand, with the cold air on the northern slope over the Tianshan Mountains, pollen may be carried and deposited in the Turpan region. The rivers feeding into Aiding Lake in the Turpan region may also contribute to the distribution of Picea and Pinuspollen. Lots of pollen studies have shown that the ratio of Artemisia to Chenopodiaceae (A/C) can be used as a good indicator of the degree of humidity in the semi-arid and arid areas. Our study revealed that A/C can roughly reflect the characteristics of the desert zone in the study area. The results of Redundancy Analysis ordination on pollen assemblages and environmental factors (mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP) and altitude (ALT)) revealed that MAP was the main environmental factor affecting the pollen assemblages in the surface soil in the Turpan region and had more significant effects on the distribution of Nitraria pollen than on the distribution of Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae.     

Effects of sequential pollination on the success of "fast" and "slow" pollen donors in Hibiscus moscheutos (Malvaceae)

Competition among pollen grains for the chance to fertilize ovules typically involves two stages: arrival times on stigmas and/or the growth of pollen tubes through styles. In a previous study of Hibiscus moscheutos, we found that individual pollen donors often differed in pollen tube competitive ability. Here we determined whether short delays in pollen arrival time altered the average success of "fast" and "slow" pollen donors when both types of pollen experienced the same delays. Hand-pollination experiments were carried out using four pairs of pollen donors that differed in competitive ability. We allowed delays of 15 or 30 min between the first and second pollen donor and then determined seed paternity using allozyme markers. The second donor typically sired fewer seeds than pollen that arrived earlier, but, contrary to expectation, "faster" pollen did not always sire significantly more seeds than "slower" pollen when each was applied after delays of the same duration. In two of the four pairs of donors, differences that were seen following simultaneous pollinations disappeared when each type of pollen was applied following identical delays of 15 or 30 min. This unexpected response suggests that the dynamics of pollen tube competition are more complex than anticipated.     

Intraspecific variation in morphology of spiny pollen grains along an altitudinal gradient in an insect-pollinated shrub

• Intraspecific variations in pollen morphological traits are poorly studied. Interspecific variations are often associated with pollination systems and pollinator types. Altitudinal environmental changes, which can influence local pollinator assemblages, provide opportunities to explore differentiation in pollen traits of a single species over short distances. The aim of this study is to examine intraspecific variations in pollen traits of an insect-pollinated shrub, Weigela hortensis (Caprifoliaceae), along an altitudinal gradient.
• Pollen spine phenotypes (length, number and density), pollen diameter, lipid mass (pollenkitt) around pollen grains, pollen production per flower and pollinator assemblages were compared at four sites at different altitudes.
• Spine length and the spine length/diameter ratio of pollen grains were greater at higher altitudes but not correlated with flower or plant size. Spine number and density increased as flower size increased, and pollen lipid mass decreased as plant size increased. Bees were the predominant pollinators at low-altitude sites whereas flies, specifically Oligoneura spp. (Acroceridae), increased in relative abundance with increasing altitude.
• The results of this study suggest that the increase in spine length with altitude was the result of selection favouring longer spines at higher-altitude sites and/or shorter spines at lower-altitude sites. The altitudinal variation in selection pressure on spine length could reflect changes in local pollinator assemblages with altitude.

     

Modelling pollen sedimentation in Danish lakes at c.ad 1800: an attempt to validate the POLLSCAPE model

Aims To validate the POLLSCAPE simulation model of pollen dispersal and deposition, and evaluate the effect of factors such as pollen productivity, wind speed and regional plant abundance, using a data set of ad 1800 pollen assemblages and historical land cover data. Location Denmark. Methods ad 1800 land cover from historical maps is digitized for 2000 m radii around 30 Danish lakes (3.5–33 ha). The simulation model POLLSCAPE is used to predict sedimentary pollen assemblages in the lakes from the plant abundance data inferred from these maps, with different model parameter settings for wind speed, pollen productivity, regional pollen loading, etc. The model predictions are compared with observed ad 1800 pollen assemblages from the lake sediment records. Furthermore, pollen productivity is estimated from the ad 1800 pollen and vegetation data using the Extended R‐value model. Results Generally the model reproduces the patterns in the observed pollen assemblages, and for most pollen types there are significant correlations between observed and predicted pollen proportions. The pollen proportions predicted by the POLLSCAPE model are sensitive to the pollen productivity estimates used, the regional background pollen loading and average wind speed. There is a difference in background pollen loading between eastern and western Denmark, especially of Calluna pollen. The fit between predicted and observed pollen assemblages is best at wind speeds around 2.5 m s^?1, and decreases rapidly at lower wind speeds. The pollen productivity estimates from the ad 1800 data set are comparable with estimates from moss polsters in modern analogues of traditional cultural landscapes in Sweden and Norway. Main conclusions The POLLSCAPE model reproduces the patterns in the observed pollen assemblages from the lakes well, considering the uncertainty in the historical plant abundance data. This study indicates that the simulation model can be a useful tool for investigating relationships between vegetation and pollen composition, but also that the simulated pollen proportions are sensitive to the pollen productivity estimates, the regional background and to wind speed.     

云南亚热带南部孢粉空间组合特征及其与环境分异的关系

以云南亚热带南部野外调研孢粉资料为基础,分析了7个样地的35个表土样品以及28个剖面样品孢粉组合的空间分异特征.结果发现:(1)表土孢粉无论是在科属种类、数量及优势科属还是在科属植物区系上,哀牢山山脉东西两侧的样地均具有较大的差异.孢粉科属种类和数量方面,哀牢山西侧样地要较东部丰富;优势科属方面,哀牢山山脉西侧植物群落的优势科属不明显,且较东部要复杂,而东部地区植物群落的优势科属则较为集中和突出;植物区系分布方面,世界广布、泛热带、热带亚洲至热带非洲以及北温带分布等4个植物区系,其数量和所占比例东西差异都很大.(2)剖面孢粉的分析结果显示,其空间变化趋势与表土孢粉基本一致,同样反映了孢粉组合的东西空间差异.(3)孢粉组合的空间组合与区域的地形、气候分异特征有关.纵向排列的山系对大气环流的"阻隔"作用,以及哀牢山东西侧不同的季风环流系统导致的水热组合条件的差异是造成孢粉组合空间分异格局的主要原因.云南亚热带南部孢粉空间组合反映了区内自然环境的区域差异.     

空气致敏花粉污染研究进展

对空气致敏花粉污染概念的提出 ,空气致敏花粉污染的特点和影响因素 ,花粉采集方法的改进以及空气致敏花粉污染的研究进展等方面进行了总结 ,指出了研究中存在的问题 ,并对研究前景进行了展望     

Spatial variation of modern pollen in Oregon and southern Washington, USA

Surface sediments from 95 lakes provide information on the spatial variation of modern pollen spectra in Oregon and southern Washington. Percentages for 13 pollen types were compared within and between vegetation zones to characterize regional patterns of pollen spectra. The percentage data were also compared with climate variables to determine relationships between pollen percentages and regional climate gradients. The composition of modern pollen spectra corresponds well with the distribution of the pollen producers. Most pollen assemblages were generally dominated by Pinus, but those west of the Cascade Range were dominated by Alnus. Low percentages of Pseudotsuga/Larix, Tsuga mertensiana, Abies, and Picea pollen coincided with local occurrence of the trees. The distributions of the pollen data were arranged along gradients of temperature and effective moisture. West of the Cascade Range, Alnus, Tsuga heterophylla, Pseudotsuga/Larix, and Cupressaceae pollen were abundant and correlate well with moderate temperature and high effective moisture. In the shrub-steppe and woodlands east of the Cascade Range, where effective moisture is low, Artemisia, Cupressaceae, and Pinus pollen were dominant. At high elevations, Pinus, T. mertensiana, Abies, and Picea were common pollen types in areas with short growing seasons and high effective moisture. Pollen percentages collected from lake surface sediments, moss polsters, and soils were compared within a number of vegetation types to assess their similarity. The three types of sample yielded similar results for forested areas, but lake sediment samples from upper- and lower-treeline sites captured a more regional picture of the vegetation.     

Seasonal variation in surface soil pollen taxa over 12 months in three English mature woodlands

This study aimed to determine whether or not a seasonal, or even monthly, pattern of pollen accumulation could be found in surface soil. Three mature woodlands in the English Midlands were selected and soil samples were taken from the same area, each month, for 12 months. Pollen types were recorded and compared across the woodlands. Pollen condition was assessed for seasonal differences in Bannam’s woodland. Two of the woodlands (Windmill Naps and Wirehill) had pollen assemblages that were dominated heavily by Quercus pollen but the third (Bannam’s) was more balanced. Each pollen type found was present in almost every month and winter was, for some types, a time of increased pollen. No clear, consistent patterns were visible in the results across the woodlands or for each pollen type. Although some pollen types showed an increase in levels during their flowering season, this was only consistent across all three woodlands for grasses (Poaceae). The condition of the pollen grains remained similar across the 12 months with a small (up to 12%) increase in fresh pollen in May. This study concludes that for damp woodland soil in the English Midlands, a clear, seasonal or monthly pattern cannot be determined.     

Differentiating vegetation types from eastern South American ecosystems based on modern and subfossil pollen samples: evaluating modern analogues

In south and southeast Brazil land use caused profound changes in natural vegetation and consequently the value of the pollen composition in surface samples as modern analogues. In order to test the capability of modern pollen to represent the natural vegetation, three different time slices of pollen assemblages from 27 sites spread over southern and south-eastern Brazil and the Misiones Province in Argentina were collated. Pollen samples from the pre-colonization period, selected from the moment just before abrupt changes evidenced on pollen diagrams caused by the colonization process throughout the last 500 years, were assumed to represent the natural vegetation conditions once the climate remained stable within this period. Thus we used pre-colonization assemblages to compare with modern samples to explore to what extent surface pollen may be biased in representing the natural vegetation types. Furthermore, to compare man made vegetation change to climate driven vegetation change we also compared to these 20 out of 27 samples dated to 3,000 years bp. Guided by ordination and cluster analysis, but using abundance thresholds of indicator taxa we classified the pollen spectra of pre-colonization time into seven groups consistent with the main vegetation types in the area. Ordination analyses capture the differentiation between grassland and forested vegetation and between tropical and subtropical vegetation types. Comparing the pre-colonization with other time slices we observed that based on Poaceae abundance, 70 and 85 % respectively of sites from 3,000 bp and modern assemblages maintained their classification. Based on finer classification criteria these values decreased to 40 and 52 % respectively. Square chord dissimilarity indicates that colonization impact altered the pollen composition as strongly as 3,000 years of climate induced vegetation change. The surface samples still represent important environmental gradients; however, their use as modern analogue requires careful treatment and eventual exclusion of highly impacted sites.     

The challenge of pollen analysis in palaeoenvironmental studies of hominid beds: the record from Sterkfontein caves

The search for pollen in carbonate-rich sediments from the hominid site Sterkfontein has been justified because previous investigations suggested that although pollen contamination is a problem, speleothems (e.g. travertines and stalagmites) are most likely to contain reliable assemblages. The new results confirm that, although they have some potential, most sediment types from the site, even speleothems, are usually not suitable for analysis and that they contain very low concentrations of pollen, if any. The extraction of pollen from them is complicated by the problem of contamination from the modern environment. Such contamination has shown up in many previous investigations at this and similar sites and judging from published literature, its significance has not been fully appreciated. Cave palynology can be a very valuable tool in palaeoenvironmental research but the caveats associated with palynology of different sediment types especially carbonate impregnated sediments must be emphasized.     

Estimating past vegetation openness using pollen–vegetation relationships: A modelling approach

We used a modelling approach to assess past landscape openness in mid-Holocene natural vegetation. Two simple landscape scenarios were modelled: a first landscape was based on the “Vera cycle” hypothesis for western Europe, including different phases of herbivore-induced vegetation change and regeneration, while a second landscape was created based on views how a mid-Holocene natural vegetation may have looked like on the Swiss Plateau according to the closed canopy theory. These simulated landscapes were used to produce pollen assemblages by means of a pollen dispersal and deposition model. The resulting modelled pollen assemblages were then compared to a typical mid-Holocene pollen record from the Swiss Plateau. Our results indicated that the mid-Holocene pollen record is likely to be the result of a closed beech forest. However, the vegetation cover on the Swiss Plateau had components from both the closed woodland and the wood pasture landscape designs, with the latter likely at frequently disturbed or naturally open habitats.     

Modern pollen and vegetation relationships in northeastern Patagonia (Golfo San Matías,Río Negro)

The understanding of modern pollen is a critical component of palaeoecological research. The pollen assemblages reflect general patterns in vegetation distribution; however, pollen representation is biased by several factors such as differences in pollen production, dispersal and preservation. Therefore, this relationship cannot be applied directly in pollen records of the past. The aim is to study the relationship between modern pollen and vegetation and to apply this new information on the interpretation of Holocene pollen records. Classification of the vegetation into groups corresponding to different geomorphological units was carried out by cluster analysis. Discriminant analysis was applied on the surface samples to test if different vegetation types could be distinguished by their pollen assemblages. To evaluate the relationship between pollen assemblages and vegetation types, association (A), under-representation (U) and over-representation (O) indexes were calculated for all present taxa in both plant and pollen dataset. The main vegetation types are reflected in pollen assemblages but with greater differences in the proportions of Poaceae, Hyalis argentea, Chenopodiaceae, Asteraceae subf. Asteroideae and Larrea divaricata. Association and representation indexes provided information related to the production rate and pollen dispersal. This study helps to interpret Holocene vegetation and environmental changes from fossil pollen records of the study area.     

Sculpture of pollen grains of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus</Emphasis> L. from the holocene of the south of the Sea of Japan

Fossil pollen grains of Quercus L. were studied with application of an EVO 40 scanning electron microscope. The material came from Holocene core samples from deep water zone of the south of the Sea of Japan and shelf zone of East Korea Bay. The pollen grains were obtained from three radiocarbon-dated palynological assemblages. Six types of fossil pollen grains were revealed: four of them were assigned to deciduous oaks and two were assigned to evergreen oaks.     

Modern pollen and vegetation relationships in the mountains of southern California,USA

The relationship between modern pollen assemblages and modern vegetation along two elevational transects within the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges of southern California, USA, is demonstrated using cluster analysis of the pollen data. Cluster analysis separates the Sonora Desert vegetation, Valley grassland/agricultural land and chaparral vegetation types on the San Jacinto Mountains transect. Chaparral is not easily separated on the San Bernardino Mountains transect, probably due to the presence of Quercus dumosa (scrub oak) there. The lower montane Quercus – Pinus (oak – pine) community is distinct from other forest types, and can be subdivided palynologically based upon relative importance of Quercus, Pinus and Cupressaceae [primarily Calocedrus decurrens (incense cedar)] pollen. Subdivisions include Quercus – Pinus – Cupressaceae, Quercus – Cupressaceae – Pinus and Quercus – Pinus assemblages. Higher elevation Pinus – Abies (pine – fir) and Pinus-dominated communities are also differentiated from one another, although the subalpine vegetation type only occurs on the San Bernardino Mountains transect. Though the study area presently straddles a transition between winter-wet and summer-wet climatic regimes, differences between the pollen assemblages in the two mountain ranges are minimal. Pollen assemblages from lower elevations document the effects of human activities, primarily agriculture, on the modern pollen rain of the region, with the occurrence of introduced citrus (Citrus sp.) and shade (Eucalyptus sp.) trees and weedy disturbance indicators (e.g., Brassicaceae).