Pollen analysis

This article is intended to provide a field guide for researchers who are interested in looking at the history of plants in a specific area overa period of time.

Fossilised wood in the form of wood or pollen is more resistant to decay than vegetable matter, and so can provide a more ancient record of conditions that existed at a particular place, compared to core samples of vegetable matter. When core samples are taken, all relevant contemporary layer information is of interest, and handling of the samples that are obtained requires considerable care.

Methods

 * 1) Choose an appropriate set of tools before commencing the research
 * 2) Coring tools
 * 3) Sample management
 * 4) Logging and database approach - what database structure, data formats etc. are going to be used to manage the data - how are other researchers going to access the information you have created?
 * 5) What is the long term destination of the archive of results - will it be available in future? Are common fromats available.
 * 6) Microscopic analysis
 * 7) Image management
 * 8) Keep adequate field records of each sample taken
 * 9) What is the date when the sample was taken?
 * 10) What is the GPS location od the sample?
 * 11) What is the error radius of the GPS reading?
 * 12) What is the altitude of the core sample earth level?
 * 13) What depth of core sample was taken?
 * 14) How many layers were identified and analysed?
 * 15) What layer resolution is available - distance between each layer?
 * 16) What are the statistical results for each layer - pollen / fossil types and frequency, sample images
 * 17) What are the overall results of the analysis? graphical charts of plants / time.

Analysis

 * 1) Beware of cross contamination of layer samples
 * 2) Keep each layer sample clearly identified
 * 3) Take great care when putting eack layer sample into a sample bag - this is an obvious thing to state, but requires care
 * 4) Take care when you start to examine a sample that you are not contaminating that sample with a previously analysed sample!