Niemann, H.; Brunschön, C. & Behling, H. (2010): <b>Vegetation/modern pollen rain relationship along an altitudinal transect between 1920 and 3185 m a.s.l. in the Podocarpus National Park region, southeastern Ecuadorian Andes</b>. <i>Review of Palaeobotany and and Palynology </i> <b>159</b>(1-2), 69-80.
Resource Description
Title:
Vegetation/modern pollen rain relationship along an altitudinal transect between 1920 and 3185 m a.s.l. in the Podocarpus National Park region, southeastern Ecuadorian Andes
FOR816dw ID:
714
Publication Date:
2010-01-01
License and Usage Rights:
Resource Owner(s):
Individual:
Holger Niemann
Contact:
email:
webmaster <at> tropicalmountainforest.com
Individual:
Corinna Brunschön
Contact:
email:
Corinna.Brunschoen <at> biologie.uni-goettingen.de
A.v.H.-Inst. für Pflanzenwiss., Abt. Palynologie u. Klimadynamik, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Göttingen
37073 Göttingen
Individual:
Hermann Behling
Contact:
email:
Hermann.Behling <at> bio.uni-goettingen.de
Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics
Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences
University of Göttingen
Untere Karspüle 2
37073 Göttingen
Germany
Abstract:
To study vegetation/modern pollen rain relationship a total of 41 pollen traps have been installed for one year on an altitudinal transect between 1800 and 3185 ma.s.l. elevation in the montane forest and páramo vegetation type of the ECSF research area, located between Loja and Zamora in the southeastern Ecuadorian Andes. Results revealed that the altitudinal vegetation gradient of lower montane forest, upper montane forest, subpáramo and páramo is well reflected in the modern pollen rain data. Principal component analysis (PCA) on the pollen rain data indicate that a high number of pollen and spore taxa are characteristic for one vegetation type or reflect the altitudinal distribution of genera and families of modern vegetation. However, a considerable number of pollen and spore taxa not representing modern vegetation types were identified as well. Wind dispersal is supposed to be responsible for differences found between plant and pollen distribution patterns. Characteristic pollen and spore taxa for the lower montane forest are Alchornea, Heliocarpus and Hyeronima; for the upper montane forest Cyathea spp., Elaphoglossum ciliatum and Purdiaea nutans; and for the subpáramo Cyperaceae, Ericaceae, Jamesonia and Valeriana. The position of the modern upper timberline in the research area is reflected in the pollen rain by an increase of subpáramo taxa and a decrease of montane forest taxa.
