Pollen-vegetation relationships for pine and spruce in southeast Poland on the basis of volumetric and Tauber trap records

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the pollen-vegetation relationship for Pinus and Picea. Pollen deposition was monitored using Tauber traps in the Roztocze region of Poland. The pine and spruce pollen sums obtained were compared with annual sums recorded in volumetric samplers in the cities of Lublin and Rzeszów. Average values of pollen deposition were compared to a detailed inventory of vegetation within a radius of 1 km of the monitoring sites. A more robust vegetation survey, conducted at a distance of 15 km, was used to estimate the proportion of pine and spruce pollen in regional pollen rain. The occurrence of high and low pollen deposition years was studied. Between 2001 and 2006, the data from Lublin and Roztocze produced similar trends in the high or low Pinus pollen sums. The representation of pine in the pollen spectra was very high, due to both its abundance in the regional vegetation and the prevalence of long-distance transport of pine pollen. Comparison of pollen and vegetation data indicates that, in the case of spruce, the distance from the monitoring site and forest structure are the most important factors influencing pollen representation. The problems associated with estimating pollen productivity of both pine and spruce in relation to Poaceae is discussed. © 2010 Collegium Palynologicum Scandinavicum.