From lakes to rates of vegetation change (IMAGE)
Caption
Fossil pollen records offer our best insights into past rates of vegetation change. A lake, or other suitable environment, is cored to retrieve the layered sediments which contain pollen grains that accumulated over thousands of years. By identifying and counting the different pollen grains researchers can then reconstruct the local vegetation composition. Finally, the rate of vegetation change is estimated from the changes in pollen abundances through time.
Credit
Artwork by Milan Teunissen van Manen (@MilanTvM).
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