Density separation in pollen preparation: How low can you go?

Abstract

In palynology and other laboratory-based disciplines, methodological literature often lags the development and adoption of new practices. Here we highlight the lack of literature on the application of heavy liquid density separation for pollen preparations, a technique that has become common practice in recent years. In a study of Holocene-age sediments from Lake Pupuke, northern New Zealand, we found that the density of the heavy liquid used to separate pollen from the minerogenic fraction, within the range of reported practice, affected pollen counts. When a relatively low density was used (2.0 g/cm3), buoyant pollen grains such as Prumnopitys taxifolia and Dacrydium cupressinum were overrepresented, whereas small, compact pollen grains such as Libocedrus and Metrosideros were underrepresented. This result raises wider concerns, as heavy liquid densities reported in the literature range from 1.88 to 2.40 g/cm3. We draw attention to this problem and recommend steps that palynologists can take to ensure that their enumerated pollen assemblages are representative and do not lead to spurious interpretations.