About this Research Topic
This year we commemorate the centenary of the birth of palynology applied to the reconstruction of vegetation, after the publication of the first modern pollen diagram by Lennart von Post, in 1916. Since then, palynology has been a fundamental tool to unravel the ecological and environmental trends and changes through the Quaternary. In particular, palynology has been instrumental for disentangling natural and anthropogenic drivers of vegetation change, which is needed not only for understanding past and present patterns and processes but also to predict potential future trends of vegetation in the face of the ongoing climate change. This Research Topic aims to provide a thorough view of the use of palynology in: (i) the reconstruction of Quaternary vegetation and environmental changes, (ii) the role of natural and anthropogenic drivers in the development of the Quaternary vegetation, (iii) the shaping of present-day ecological and biogeographical patterns of vegetation, and (iv) the potential use of this knowledge in biodiversity conservation and landscape restoration. Contributions may include any type of biome, ecosystem, environment or geographical area. Multiproxy studies including a wide range of independent proxies, including pollen and spores, are also welcome. Any proposals for additional matters not mentioned here but related to palynology and vegetation history are welcome.
Keywords: Palynology, Vegetation History, Quaternary, Paleoenvironments, Paleoclimates, Human disturbance, Paleoecology, Biogeography, Conservation, Climate change
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
