Palynological Studies of Marine and Terrestrial Environments

Palynology utilises microscopic analysis of pollen and spores preserved in sedimentary archives to reconstruct past vegetation, climate and environmental change. In marine contexts, pollen deposited in continental‐shelf and deep‐sea basins records terrestrial vegetation shifts, sediment provenance and sea‐level fluctuations over glacial–interglacial cycles. Such records also reveal the resilience and adaptability of coastal wetlands during Quaternary transgressions and regressions. In terrestrial settings, pollen assemblages from lacustrine, fluvial and floodplain deposits capture local and regional ecological dynamics, flood histories and anthropogenic land‐use impacts. By integrating marine and terrestrial data, researchers achieve a holistic view of land–sea interactions, refine chronological frameworks and improve palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Recent advances in microscopy, multivariate statistics and geochemical proxies have substantially increased the resolution and reliability of palynological interpretations. These interdisciplinary approaches contribute to global assessments of ecological vulnerability, support validation of climate models and inform conservation and land‐management strategies in the face of accelerating sea‐level rise and evolving human pressures.

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Palynological Studies of Marine and Terrestrial Environments publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in palynological studies of marine and terrestrial environments across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Prodelta: The seaward extension of a river delta where fine sediments accumulate under low‐energy conditions, preserving pollen and spore records.

Dinoflagellate cyst: A resistant resting stage of dinoflagellates that is preserved in marine sediments and used as a proxy for past marine productivity.

Palynological proxy: A quantitative index derived from pollen or spore data—such as pollen ratios or dinocyst‐to‐pollen ratios—employed to reconstruct past environmental parameters.

References

1. Marine pollen records provide perspective on coastal wetlands through Quaternary sea-level changes. Ecological Indicators (2021).
2. Pollen and spore records constrained by millennial prodelta evolution: a case study of the Huanghe (Yellow River) delta. Frontiers in Marine Science (2024).
3. Dinoflagellate cyst and pollen assemblages as tracers for marine productivity and river input in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Micropalaeontology (2023).
4. Holocene flood records and human impacts implied from the pollen evidence in the Daming area, North China Plain. Frontiers in Earth Science (2024).