Distribution of pollen in surface sediments of a barrier-lagoon system, Virginia, USA

Abstract

Fine-grained surface sediments of the U.S. middle Atlantic coast contain pollen that are characteristic of the local vegetation. The pollen concentrations and pollen associations in lagoonal sediment appeared to be affected by physical characteristics of the landscape and the dynamic characteristics of the atmosphere and water. Arboreal pollen from the elevated mainland had a greater influence on uniform distribution of pollen in lagoons than arboreal pollen from the low profile barrier islands. The concentration of airborne pollen from the mainland decreased in a seaward direction across the lagoon. The maximum dispersion distance from the mainland was 7–10 km. Non-arboreal plants on the low profile barrier islands of the Virginia coast primarily provided pollen grains to the outer part of the coastal lagoon. The changes in pollen concentration and the relationship between arboreal and non-arboreal pollen documented in this study clearly differentiate into inner, middle and outer lagoon pollen spectra.