Bryophyte and pteridophyte spores and gymnosperm pollen grains of sedimentary profiles from two forest areas of the Southern Brazilian Coastal Plain

Abstract

This paper describes the spores of three bryophyte and 28 pteridophyte taxa, and pollen grains of three gymnosperm species preserved in two sedimentary quaternary profiles of Faxinal and Pirataba forests in the northern Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil (29°21′S–49°45′W and 29°15′S–49°51′W). We present these data as taxonomic references for paleoenvironmental studies in the region. The profiles were collected using a Hiller Sampler over an interval corresponding to the last 23,000 years, as determined using radiocarbon dating. The chemical processing of the samples followed standard methodology, using HCl, HF, KOH, and acetolysis, and light microscopy was used for analysis. The palynological material was found during the counts of 300 angiosperm pollen grains in each sample, controlled by saturation curves. The descriptions and illustrations are included as well as ecological data from the original organisms. The high taxa diversity found in this study will enhance subsequent plant successional studies, which is essential to paleoenvironmental reconstructions in the Coastal Plain of Southern Brazil.