Abstract
I compared atmospheric and soil pollen values to determine taphonomic influences on pollen in Southwestern soils. Burkard traps sampled atmospheric pollen for six years from multiple sites in Tucson, Arizona. Tauber and soil samples were collected for two years at Tumamoc Hill (Tucson). Morus, Ambrosia, Gramineae, and Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthus characterize Tucson's airborne pollen. Artemisia, Garrya and summer Pinus pollen are transported from the mountains. Annual pollen capture is similar between Burkard and Tauber samplers. Atmospheric pollen is seasonally variable; annual variability is low. Spatial variability among sites is low. Pollen concentrations vary widely among sites, but taxonomic composition remains constant. Reentrained soil pollen comprises 11% of the airborne pollen. Gramineae and Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthus pollen comprise 90% of the reentrained pollen. Pollen reentrainment varies seasonally. High maximum and minimum temperatures, low dew point and moderate wind speeds are associated with maximum atmospheric pollen concentrations. Winds preceding summer storms cause increased pollen concentrations. Deterioration characterizes pollen from soils. Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthus, Ambrosia, Other Compositae and Graminear are commonly found; Morus is rarely found. Pinus, Sphaeralcea, Boerhaavia and Kallstroemia are present in low numbers. These taxa have thick pollen walls, and they resist destruction. Seasonally collected soil samples have similar pollen spectra. Seasonal airborne pollen variability does not affect the soil pollen spectra. Inoculated soil pollen is well preserved, but pollen is lost rapidly. After one year, pollen concentrations approached background levels for seven of the eight pollen taxa tested. Solidago remained an order of magnitude higher. Pollen morphology may play a role in differential pollen loss. Pollen from the inoculated plots is lost through post-mortem transport. Pollen in soils is time-averaged and exhibits little temporal variability. The average airborne pollen spectra differs from the pollen in the soil. Soil pollen was degraded; inoculated plot pollen was well preserved. I conclude airborne pollen contributes little to the soil pollen of Tumamoc Hill. The soil pollen spectra is affected by selective- or non-deposition of airborne pollen (e.g. Morus), differential pollen destruction, and differential post mortem transport.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Four plant taxa characterize Tucson airborne pollen.
MorusOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Morus, Ambrosia, Gramineae, and Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthus characterize Tucson's airborne pollen”
Claim · model-written summary
Mountain pollen of three taxa was transported to the study area.
- Outcome
- transported from the mountainse0
ArtemisiaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Artemisia, Garrya and summer Pinus pollen are transported from the mountains”
Claim · model-written summary
Annual pollen capture was similar between Burkard and Tauber samplers.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Annual pollen capture is similar between Burkard and Tauber samplers”
e1“pollen in Southwestern soils”
Claim · model-written summary
Atmospheric pollen varied seasonally but had low annual variability.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Atmospheric pollen is seasonally variable; annual variability is low”
Claim · model-written summary
Spatial variability in pollen among sites was low.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Spatial variability among sites is low”
Claim · model-written summary
Pollen concentrations varied widely among sites.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Pollen concentrations vary widely among sites”
Claim · model-written summary
Pollen taxonomic composition remained constant among sites.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“taxonomic composition remains constant”
Claim · model-written summary
Reentrained soil pollen made up 11% of airborne pollen.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Reentrained soil pollen comprises 11% of the airborne pollen”
Claim · model-written summary
Gramineae and Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthus made up 90% of reentrained pollen.
Verbatim
e0“Gramineae and Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthus pollen comprise 90% of the reentrained pollen”
Claim · model-written summary
Pollen reentrainment varied seasonally.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Pollen reentrainment varies seasonally”
Claim · model-written summary
High temperatures, low dew point, and moderate wind were associated with maximum atmospheric pollen concentrations.
- Outcome
- atmospheric pollen concentrationse0
- Direction
- maximume0
- Qualifier
- High maximum and minimum temperatures, low dew point and moderate wind speedse0
Not reportedTaxonSetting
Verbatim
e0“High maximum and minimum temperatures, low dew point and moderate wind speeds are associated with maximum atmospheric pollen concentrations”
Claim · model-written summary
Winds before summer storms increased pollen concentrations.
Not reportedTaxonSetting
Verbatim
e0“Winds preceding summer storms cause increased pollen concentrations”
Claim · model-written summary
Pollen from soils showed deterioration.
- Outcome
- Deterioratione0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Deterioration characterizes pollen from soils”
Claim · model-written summary
Four plant pollen taxa were commonly found in soils.
Verbatim
e0“Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthus, Ambrosia, Other Compositae and Graminear are commonly found”
Claim · model-written summary
Morus pollen was rarely found in soils.
- Outcome
- rarely founde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Morus is rarely found”
Claim · model-written summary
Four taxa with thick pollen walls were present in low numbers and resisted destruction.
PinusOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pinus, Sphaeralcea, Boerhaavia and Kallstroemia are present in low numbers. These taxa have thick pollen walls, and they resist destruction”
Claim · model-written summary
Seasonally collected soil samples had similar pollen spectra.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Seasonally collected soil samples have similar pollen spectra”
Claim · model-written summary
Seasonal airborne pollen variability did not affect soil pollen spectra.
- Outcome
- soil pollen spectrae0
- Direction
- does not affecte0
- Qualifier
- Seasonal airborne pollen variabilitye0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Seasonal airborne pollen variability does not affect the soil pollen spectra”
Claim · model-written summary
Inoculated soil pollen was initially well preserved but was rapidly lost.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Inoculated soil pollen is well preserved, but pollen is lost rapidly”
Claim · model-written summary
After one year, seven of eight inoculated pollen taxa approached background concentrations, while Solidago remained an order of magnitude higher.
SolidagoOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“After one year, pollen concentrations approached background levels for seven of the eight pollen taxa tested. Solidago remained an order of magnitude higher”