Introduction to Palynology Kit

Objective:
Facilitate the identification work for students while respecting a real field situation.

Presentation:
The pollen mixtures proposed on these slides correspond to 3 peat column heights: 20, 120, and 270 cm.
These simulation slides present simplified compositions and were constructed based on a real palynological diagram corresponding to the Mont Bar peat bog.
12 distinct plant species have been selected from all species present based on their educational interest and their representativeness of a given group.
The mixture includes the most representative species of the studied peat height (up to 10) to facilitate the identification work. Among these, 2 or 3 are the most abundant, ensuring the success of the interpretation. Making mixtures with fresh pollen limits the presence of contaminants.
After counting the species present in each stratum, students reconstruct the types of plant covers and determine the evolution of the ecology of the area over time.

Box of 12 microscopic preparations: 4 copies of each of the 3 layers corresponding to a different sampling level. Uncolored pollens. Species to identify (in different proportions depending on the stratigraphic level): Scots pine, fir, beech, birch, hazel, oak, sedge, grasses, umbellifers, willow, alder, lime.