Analysis of pollen in soils: processes of incorporation and redistribution of pollen in five soil profile types

In order to interpret soil pollen diagrams, knowledge on the processes of pollen incorporation and redistribution is essential. It has been suggested, with little direct supporting evidence, that pollen can move in soils through association with translocated organic matter, with soil water or as a result of soil faunal activity. We report the results of investigating pollen redistribution in a range of soil types through micromorphological analysis. It was possible to categorise, using fluorescent microscopy, the location of pollen grains within soil thin sections. The overall conclusion is the key role of soil fauna in causing the redistribution of pollen. It is only in accumulating organic horizons of peaty soils or podzols that pollen can be stratified and thus interpreted for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction.