Pollen distribution and deposition in mangrove sediments of the Ranong Biosphere Reserve, Thailand

Author(s)
Wongkot Phuphumirat, Reinhard Zetter, Christa Charlotte Hofmann, David Kay Ferguson
Abstract

Pollen analyses of surface and core sediments from the Ranong Biosphere Reserve, Ranong Province, Thailand, were carried out to determine spatial and quantitative compositional fidelities of the pollen record to achieve more accuracy in the reconstruction of past mangroves. The results reveal that many taphonomic biases from both biological and physical variables can lead to misinterpretation of the pollen records. Autochthonous pollen from true mangrove species were predominant in forest sediments, suggesting that mangrove sporomorphs are potential indicators of mangrove environments, while the frequent occurrence in low numbers of allochthonous and parautochthonous palynomorphs in mangrove sediments can reflect the regional plant communities. Close relationships between pollen from Bruguiera, Rhizophora apiculata, and Sonneratia alba and their vegetation were observed. The spatial reliability of Avicennia alba, Aegiceras corniculatum, Ceriops tagal, and Xylocarpus sp. pollen was low. The sediment cores show that the mangrove forest with its plant zonation was prograding towards the sea over time. The decline in R. apiculata pollen concentrations recovered in the upper part of all sediment cores reflects a decrease in the population of this plant taxon in the forest possibly caused by logging.

Organisation(s)
Department of Palaeontology
External organisation(s)
Prince of Songkla University, University of Vienna
Journal
Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology
Volume
233
Pages
22-43
No. of pages
22
ISSN
0034-6667
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2016.06.007
Publication date
10-2016
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
105117 Palaeobotany
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Palaeontology
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/2ba8780d-4711-4a95-bfa0-dfa636ad52fe