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Relative pollen productivity and fall speed estimates for southern African savanna taxa

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Abstract

Understanding the characteristics of pollen dispersal and deposition of different plant taxa is crucial to accurately reconstructing past landscapes using fossil pollen data. Quantitative reconstruction of past landscapes from pollen data using the Prentice-Sugita approach requires estimates of fall speed and relative pollen productivity for all taxa modelled. This study presents estimates of pollen productivity and fall speeds for key southern African savanna taxa, providing a basis for the improved interpretation of fossil pollen records from this extensive and heterogeneous biome. The work was carried out in 5 steps. (1) Modern pollen assemblages from 34 surface sediment samples were analysed. (2) Vegetation around each sampling site was surveyed in concentric circles to a radius of 50 m, and data from existing park surveys were analysed to extend the survey distance to 5 km. (3) Fall speeds for the main pollen taxa were estimated using Stoke’s Law of particle settling velocity. (4) Vegetation data were weighted using three different distance-weightings, one incorporating the different particle fall speeds. (5) Extended R-Value analysis was carried out on the pollen and distance-weighted plant abundance datasets using HUMPOL software to estimate relevant source area and relative pollen productivity for the main pollen taxa present. Results showed the Relevant Source Area of Pollen surrounding the sites to be 600–900 m radius, and Poaceae/Cyperaceae were found to be twice as productive (PPE 2.03) as the arboreal taxa analysed (PPE 0.50–0.99). The problems encountered in calculating pollen productivity estimates in savanna environments are discussed and improvements for future studies are suggested.

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Acknowledgments

This paper is a contribution to the POLLANDCAL (POLlen-LANDscape CALibration) network. We are very thankful to all POLLANDCAL members for useful and inspiring discussions, and in particular to Shinya Sugita (University of Minnesota, USA) and Dick Middleton (University of Hull, UK) for developing computer software, and to Anna Broström (Lund University) and Anneli Poska (Tallinn University of Technology) for advice on fieldwork technique. We would also like to thank the staff and scientists at Kruger National Park for excellent support and encouragement of the work, in particular Holger Eckhardt for project support and advice, and Nick Zambatis and KNP rangers for collecting and making available the VCA survey data. Thanks go to Paul Aplin and Tony Mathew (University of Nottingham) for fieldwork assistance, and to Kathy Willis and members of the Oxford Long-Term Ecology Laboratory for valuable support and stimulating discussion, and to Rob Marchant and an anonymous reviewer for constructive comments that improved the manuscript. Particular thanks go to Lindsey Gillson, University of Oxford, for provision of additional pollen data, and for editorial guidance and support. Funding for this project was generously provided by a University of Oxford Graduate Scholarship, by Jesus College Oxford and the Bowers Award.

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  1. Oxford Long-Term Ecology Laboratory, Oxford University Centre for the Environment, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK

    Kristina I. Duffin

  2. Department of Geography, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK

    M. Jane Bunting

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  1. Kristina I. Duffin
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Correspondence to Kristina I. Duffin.

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Communicated by M.J. Gaillard.

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Duffin, K.I., Bunting, M.J. Relative pollen productivity and fall speed estimates for southern African savanna taxa. Veget Hist Archaeobot 17, 507–525 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-007-0101-2

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