What types of pollen diagrams exist?

1. Percentage (relative) diagrams 2. Absolute pollen diagram 3. Pollen influx diagram

What is a percentage (relative) diagram? And the problems?

Shows each pollen as a percentage of the pollensum. You can choose what to include in the pollensum. Over-represented taxa may be excluded Problem: percentages are interdependent. If one type increases other may appear to decrease even if their actual numbers haven't changed

What is an absolute pollen diagram? And the problems?

Shows the number of pollen grains per unit volume of sediment. A known quantity of exotic pollen is assed as a spike to calculate pollen concentration. Problem: sediment accumulation rates vary, affecting concentration values.

What is a pollen influx diagram?

Shows pollen deposited per cm2 per unit of time. Requires a sediment chronology, often obtained through radiocarbon dating.

What are pollen zones?

Are layers identified by distinctive groups of pollen types. This helps organize a large dataset and interpret vegetation changes. Local zones describe individual sites; regional zones compare multiple sites. Zones are tools for interpretation, not automatically proof of environmental change.

What are the 3 pollinations type?

1. Self-pollination (fertilises the same plant). 2. Animal-populated (entomophilous, usually produces less pollen). 3. Wind-populated (anemophilous, usually produces more pollen).

What is the difference between pollen and plant macrofossils?

Pollen often provides a regional overview, can travel long distances and useful for vegetation and climate reconstruction. Macrofossils usually reflects local vegetation and travels shorter distances. Macrofossils are useful for detailed local environmental reconstruction.

What is a quantitative palaeoclimate reconstruction?

Transfer functions compare fossil pollen assemblages with modern pollen samples. Modern samples are linked to their geographical locations and climates. These relationships are used to estimate past climate variables -> annual precipitation/temperature.