The Argentinean modern Pollen Database (32° - 52° S)

PRIETO AR, MANCINI MV, PAEZ MM, SCHÄBITZ F, STUTZ S, TONELLO M, VILANOVA I, QUINTANA F

Granada, España

Congreso; XI International Palynological Congress; 2004

The modern pollen, vegetation and climate relationship for the Extra-Andean temperate Argentina (between 32° and 53° Lat  S) has been examined using isopollen maps and scatter and percentages diagrams. These analyses   are based on an array of 500 modern pollen samples. Data are collected mainly from the soil and there are representatives in all of the major vegetation and climate zones. The main pollen taxa are Poaceae, Asteraceae, subf. Asteraceae, Asteraceae subf. Cichorioideae, Chenopodiaceae, Cyperaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Apiaceae, Rosaceae, Verbenaceae, Fabaceae, Brassicaceae, Nassauvia, Colliguaja, Lycium, Ephedra, Larrea, Prosopis, Schinus, Condalia, Monttea, Capparis, and extra-regional pollen (Nothofagus, Austrocedrus and Araucaria).             Modern distribution of percentages and isopollen maps of the main pollen types accurately reflects taxa abundance and the major phytogeographic units: Pampa grasslands, Espinal (xerophytic shrublands), Patagonian stepped, Upper Andean (grass and shrub steppe). Poaceae and Asteraceae subf. Asteroideae pollen are widely distributed since Chenopodiaceae show maximum percentages in arid and semiarid regions. In contrast, Cyperaceae illustrate sub-humid and humid areas. Different shrubby pollen type assemblages characterize the Espinal, Monte and Patagonian steppe. We find significant correlations between modern mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation and pollen data, which suggest the potential of this database for quantitative climate reconstructions.