Gm. Crowley et al., MODERN POLLEN DEPOSITION IN THE TROPICAL LOWLANDS OF NORTHEAST QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, Review of palaeobotany and palynology, 83(4), 1994, pp. 299-327
Surface sediments of mangrove, freshwater wetland and rainforest sites
in northeast Queensland were sampled to obtain pollen signatures from
a range of climatic and vegetational settings as a basis for interpre
tation of fossil pollen diagrams. Maximum terrestrial pollen diversity
was predicted by curve fitting using the Putter No. 1 growth curve. T
axonomic diversity was found to be a better indicator of rainfall zone
than the presence or absence of any one taxon. However, the presence
of Chenopodiaceae pollen and a general lack of rainforest pollen types
are characteristic of low-rainfall environments. High Values for pter
idophytes indicate fluvial conditions, while high-altitude taxa were f
ound in lowland sites fed by streams draining upland vegetation. Local
habitat indicators provide good evidence for the type of depositional
environment, in keeping with other published studies.