The origins of corroded pollen grains at five early postglacial pollen sites in western Scotland

Abstract

Pollen preservation analyses are presented from five early postglacial (c. 10,300–8800 yr B.P.) pollen sites in the valley of Loch Awe, western Scotland. Amounts of corroded pollen grains vary markedly between the sites. The corrosion patterns exhibited by the principal susceptible pollen taxa are thought to be associated with the presence of organic matter either within catchment soils or as peat infilling lake basins. The origins of corrosion at these sites cannot be precisely defined, but it is tentatively suggested that both rates of soil maturation and peat development around lake margins are significant factors in promoting high levels of corrosion.