Challenges and opportunities in Quaternary palynology

Abstract

Quaternary palynology plays a pivotal role in investigating global climate change and various other research fields, serving as an essential tool for the quantitative analysis of paleoenvironment changes. However, due to the vast diversity of terrestrial ecosystems and intricate interactions between vegetation, climate, and human activities, further advancements are required in the following aspects within this discipline. (1) The accuracy of classification in pollen morphology and fossil pollen identification needs improvement, particularly at the species level. This represents a significant challenge in present Quaternary palynology. Computer-aided intelligent recognition holds promise as a solution for species identification based on more detail pollen morphology. (2) Most pollen-based vegetation and climate reconstructions overlook the significance of bare ground. Neglecting bare ground can lead to substantial inaccuracies when quantitatively reconstructing past vegetation and climate. (3) While pollen records provide reliable information on paleoclimate changes, current quantitative climate reconstruction models heavily rely on modern pollen datasets derived from present-day vegetation disturbed more or less by human activities. This introduces bias and uncertainties into paleoclimate reconstruction. (4) Although pollen can serve as an indicator of human activities, accurately quantifying the intensity of human influence remains challenging. Improving accurate identification of crop pollen, reconstructing reliable land cover/use data, and integrating multidisciplinary data may enhance the identification and quantification of signals related to human activity in pollen records.