A methodological proposal for the recovery of palynomorphs from snow and ice samples

• Published in: Acta Botânica Brasílica Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 667 - 669
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, Luiz Antonio da Costa, Agostini, Kamila da Matta, Alencar, Alexandre Santos de, Mendonça, Cláudia Barbieri Ferreira, Carvalho, Marcelo Araújo de, Gonçalves-Esteves, Vania
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Botânica do Brasil 01-10-2018
• Subjects: Antarctica; ice; snow; spores; technique to recover grains of pollen
• ISSN: 0102-3306; 1677-941X; 1677-941X
• DOI: 10.1590/0102-33062018abb0002

ABSTRACT The procedures for a set of techniques to recover grains of pollen 26 and spores from liquid samples are described. Liquefied samples of matrices, such as melting lakes, snow and ice, can provide a record of climatic and environmental events at different geographic and temporal scales. The need for standardization of techniques was demonstrated in research carried out with matrices of snow and water of thawing lakes and snow collected on King George and Joinville islands (Antarctica). The use of the methods described can permit increased rescue of palynomorphs from liquid matrices, thereby adding greater reliability to palynological data and its use as a biotracer of environmental events. Methods of sieving and centrifugation were tested, and sieving proved more efficient for the matrices analyzed.