Universität Tübingen
Recent palynological spectra from the Planalto region of the Serra Geral, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: Reconstruction of contemporary vegetation - a case study
Abstract
The relationships between vegetation and recent palynomorphs are examined along a areal of 8000 km² in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, South Brazil. This areal is located between Caxias do Sul (NW) and Cambará do Sul (NE), and Canela/Gramado (SW) and the CPCN Pró-Mata (Centro de Pesquisas e Conservação da Natureza Pró-Mata, SE). Local plant communities of semi-deciduous and deciduous forests, Araucaria forests, Capões, gallery forests, Capoeiras, grasslands (Campos) and anthropogenic affected areas were sampled for palynological analysis and plant identification. The distribution of these communities can be related to the equivalent specific regional environmental parameters such as topography, temperature and moisture. The palynomorphs of eighty-five surface-soil samples were classified using TILIA and raster interpolation method ArcGIS 8/ArcMap for visualisation of counted pollen and spore data, cluster analysis and were ordinated using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results indicate that the plant communities sampled have distinct pollen and spore assemblages: Araucaria forests are characterised by Dicksonia sellowiana; semi-deciduous and deciduous forests are characterised by Cyatheaceae; Capões are characterised by Podocarpus sp., Poaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Ilex sp. and Drymis brasiliensis, gallery forests are also characterised by Podocarpus sp., Poaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Ilex sp. but in lower amounts, and grasslands are characterised by Poaceae, Anthocerotaceae, Cyperaceae and Asteraceae. While Capoeiras are characterised by pollen and spores of the previous (original) plant communities, anthropogenic affected areas are characterised by pollen and spores of actual plant communities. The raster interpolation method shows that two spore types (Dicksonia sellowiana and Cyatheaceae) are sufficient to distinguish Araucaria forests, semi-deciduous and deciduous forests. Cluster analysis and PCA revealed that palynological spectra permit to interpret the distribution of vegetation. Applied on fossil assemblages, they allow an interpretation of the vegetation history.
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author
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- Kriegel, Kerstin
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Identifier
- hdl:10900/48995