Behling, H. & Schüler, L. (2010): <b>Characteristics of Poaceae pollen grains as a tool to assess palaeoecological grassland dynamics in South America</b>. <i>Vegetation History and Archaeobotany</i> <b>20</b>, 97-108.
Resource Description
Title:
Characteristics of Poaceae pollen grains as a tool to assess palaeoecological grassland dynamics in South America
FOR816dw ID:
1171
Publication Date:
2010-09-15
License and Usage Rights:
Resource Owner(s):
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
Individual:
Lisa Schüler
Contact:
email:
webmaster <at> tropicalmountainforest.org
Abstract:
During the Quaternary, in particular during<br/>
glacial times, different grassland ecosystems played a<br/>
much larger role and had a significantly larger distribution.<br/>
Little is known yet about past development, biodiversity<br/>
and dynamics of grassland ecosystems. In this innovative<br/>
study, we attempt to distinguish between different South<br/>
American grassland types in space and time based on<br/>
morphological pollen grain characteristics of Poaceae. For<br/>
this purpose[60?80 Poaceae pollen grains of 20 grassland<br/>
samples were measured using their length, width and pore<br/>
diameter as well as annulus width. Samples were taken<br/>
from five sites in wet Pa´ramo vegetation from the Late<br/>
Pleistocene to the Late Holocene in South Ecuador and<br/>
from two sites in the south-eastern Brazilian highlands<br/>
(Campos do Altitude) of the same period. Additionally, we<br/>
investigated two samples from a Pampa site as well as six<br/>
samples from one Campos grassland site in southern Brazil<br/>
from the Late Pleistocene to the Late Holocene. Subsets of<br/>
samples of the Campos grasslands and of the Pa´ramo were<br/>
investigated in order to retrieve more detailed information<br/>
on patterns within these vegetation types. Multivariate data<br/>
analysis of the complete data set shows changes in taxonomic<br/>
composition along an elevational gradient in the<br/>
Pa´ramo grasslands. Our results reveal a highly dynamic<br/>
development of the individual grassland types; they also<br/>
provide interesting information on Poaceae taxa composition<br/>
patterns, development and possibly changes in<br/>
biodiversity within these ecosystems. Moreover, our data<br/>
provide an indication about the origin and dynamics of the<br/>
Campos ecosystems in the southern Brazilian highlands<br/>
during the Late Pleistocene and the Holocene before and<br/>
after the onset of human activities.
Keywords:
| biodiversity | grassland | South America | Poaceae | pollen grain morphology | grain size | Pampa |
Literature type specific fields:
ARTICLE
Journal:
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany
Volume:
20
Page Range:
97-108
Publisher:
Springer
ISSN:
0939-6314
Metadata Provider:
Individual:
Nele Jantz
Contact:
email:
nele.jantz <at> biologie.uni-goettingen.de
Untere Karspüle 2
A.v.H.-Inst. für Pflanzenwiss.
Abt. Palynologie u. Klimadynamik
37073 Göttingen
Germany
