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Palynogogical Evidence Relating to Disturbance and Other Ecological Phenomena of Rain Forests

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Tropical Forests in Transition

Part of the book series: Advances in Life Sciences ((ALS))

Abstract

The resolution in time and space of palynologically reconstructed paleoecology has greatly improved. As a result, palynologists can now offer help to ecologists in the following areas:

  1. A

    Disturbance or Disappearance: Pollen records show that rain forests have been disturbed or destroyed by people for thousands of years. This is associated with soil erosion and in some cases with decline of civilizations.

  2. B

    Diversity and Stability: Palynology has refuted the idea that rain forests are unchanging through time, and provides a means of testing the refugium theory.

  3. C

    Population Dynamics: Pollen is a surrogate measure of population, therefore pollen records can be analysed as population records.

  4. D

    Causes of Altitudinal Zonation: Palynological evidence is consistent with control of zonation partly by UV-B insolation.

  5. E

    Seral Changes: Pollen records can be used to increase the time-coverage of eral changes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geography Department, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    John R. Flenley

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  1. John R. Flenley
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  1. Max Planck Institute of Chemistry, Biogeochemistry Department (Mainz), Fire Ecology and Biomass Burning Research Group, c/o University of Freiburg, Bertoldstr. 17, D-7800, Freiburg, Germany

    Johann Georg Goldammer

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© 1992 Birkhäuser Verlag Basel/Switzerland

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Flenley, J.R. (1992). Palynogogical Evidence Relating to Disturbance and Other Ecological Phenomena of Rain Forests. In: Goldammer, J.G. (eds) Tropical Forests in Transition. Advances in Life Sciences. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7256-0_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7256-0_2

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-0348-7258-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-0348-7256-0

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