Title: Relationships between pollen and plants in human-influenced vegetation types using presence-absence data in western Norway
Abstract: The presence of plants within square metre plots and of their pollen in moss samples within the same plots was recorded in mowed and grazed vegetation types in western Norway. The relationship between plant and pollen presences was quantified using association, over- and under-representation indices. Each taxon was related to its mode of pollination and characteristics of the flowers as well as to the size of its pollen grain. A pattern was found for anemophilous species and for species with open blossoms and numerous freely exposed anthers. These had the best association between the presence of the pollen and the plant. Their pollen was also found more often in the pollen assemblages than in the vegetation, and their pollen grain sizes are most often less than 40 μm. Entomophilous species with few freely exposed anthers or concealed anthers were found to have a good association between plant and pollen presences or, most often, they were under-represented. Different pollen grain sizes are connected to this group. These results indicate that the presence of pollen of specialized entomophilous taxa and of pollen of taxa with open flowers, but few anthers reflect local occurrence in the vegetation. Their presence may therefore be important in interpreting land-use practices in pollen diagrams from soil profiles, whereas pollen percentages must be taken into account in interpreting the occurrence of pollen of anemophilous taxa and entomophilous taxa with open flowers and numerous exposed anthers from soil deposits.
Publication Year: 1997
Publication Date: 1997-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 87
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