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Modern pollen-vegetation relationships along a steep temperature gradient in the Tropical Andes of Ecuador

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2019

Kimberley Hagemans ,
Claudia-Dana Tóth ,
Manuela Ormaza ,
William D. Gosling ,
Dunia H. Urrego ,
Susana León-Yánez ,
Friederike Wagner-Cremer  and
Timme H. Donders
Kimberley Hagemans*
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8A, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Claudia-Dana Tóth
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8A, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Manuela Ormaza
Affiliation:
Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Avenida 12 de octubre 1076 y Roca, Quito, Ecuador
William D. Gosling
Affiliation:
Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dunia H. Urrego
Affiliation:
Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Rennes Drive EX4 4RJ, Exeter, United Kingdom
Susana León-Yánez
Affiliation:
Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Avenida 12 de octubre 1076 y Roca, Quito, Ecuador
Friederike Wagner-Cremer
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8A, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
Timme H. Donders
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8A, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
*
*Corresponding author e-mail address: [email protected].
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Abstract

The characterization of modern pollen rain assemblages along environmental gradients is an essential prerequisite for reliable interpretations of fossil pollen records. In this study, we identify pollen-vegetation relationships using modern pollen rain assemblages in moss polsters (n = 13) and lake sediment surface samples (n = 11) along a steep temperature gradient of 7°C (3100–4200 m above sea level) on the western Andean Cordillera, Ecuador. The pollen rain is correlated to vascular plant abundance data recorded in vegetation relevées (n = 13). Results show that pollen spectra from both moss polsters and sediment surface samples reflect changes in species composition along the temperature gradient, despite overrepresentation of upper montane forest taxa in the latter. Estimated pollen transport distance for a lake (Laguna Llaviucu) situated in a steep upper montane forest valley is 1–2 km, while a lake (Laguna Pallcacocha) in the páramo captures pollen input from a distance of up to 10–40 km. Weinmannia spp., Podocarpus spp., and Hedyosmum sp. are indicators of local upper montane forest vegetation, while Phlegmariurus spp. and Plantago spp. are indicators for local páramo vegetation.

Keywords

Tropical AndesPollen rainPollen transport distanceCajas National ParkPáramoMontane forestHigh-elevation lakes
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 92 , Issue 1 , July 2019 , pp. 1 - 13
Copyright
Copyright © University of Washington. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2019 

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