Gosling, William D.; Mayle, Francis E.; Tate, Nicholas J. and Killeen, Timothy J.
(2005).
| DOI (Digital Object Identifier) Link: | http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.yqres.2005.08.008 |
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| Google Scholar: | Look up in Google Scholar |
Abstract
The paucity of modern pollen-rain data from Amazonia constitutes a significant barrier to understanding the Late Quaternary vegetation history of this globally important tropical forest region. Here, we present the first modern pollen-rain data for tall terra firme moist evergreen Amazon forest, collected between 1999 and 2001 from artificial pollen traps within a 500 x 20 m permanent study plot (14 degrees 34'50"S, 60 degrees 49'48"W) in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (NE Bolivia). Spearman's rank correlations were performed to assess the extent of spatial and inter-annual variability in the pollen rain, whilst statistically distinctive taxa were identified using Principal Components Analysis (PCA). Comparisons with the floristic and basal area data of the plot (stems >= 10 cm d.b.h.) enabled the degree to which taxa are over/under-represented in the pollen rain to be assessed (using R-rel values). Moraceae/Urticaceae dominates the pollen rain (64% median abundance) and is also an important constituent of the vegetation, accounting for 16% of stems >= 10 cm d.b.h. and ca. 11% of the total basal area. Other important pollen taxa are Arecaceae (cf. Euterpe), Melastomataceae/Combretaceae, Cecropia, Didymopanax, Celtis, and Alchornea. However, 75% of stems and 67% of the total basal area of the plot >= 10 em d.b.h. belong to species which are unidentified in the pollen rain, the most important of which are Phenakospermum guianensis (a banana-like herb) and the key canopy-emergent trees, Erisma uncinatum and Qualea paraensis.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
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| Copyright Holders: | 2005 University of Washington |
| ISSN: | 0033-5894 |
| Funders: | British Ecological Society, Royal Society, National Geographic Society, Quaternary Research Association |
| Keywords: | moist evergreen forest; modern pollen rain; Amazon; Bolivia; neotropics; pollen trap; Moraceae/Urticaceae |
| Academic Unit/Department: | Science > Environment, Earth and Ecosystems |
| Interdisciplinary Research Centre: | OpenSpace Research Centre (OSRC) Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research (CEPSAR) |
| Item ID: | 18152 |
| Depositing User: | Colin Smith |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Sep 2009 13:19 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Dec 2010 20:37 |
| URI: | http://oro.open.ac.uk/id/eprint/18152 |
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