Aeropalinological analysis in three vegetation areas within El Palmar National Park (Colón, Entre Ríos) and its relationship with the local and regional vegetation.

Abstract

Aeropalinological analysis in three vegetation areas within El Palmar National Park (Colón, Entre Ríos) and its relationship with the local and regional vegetation. The diversity of pollen rain monthly collected during two years (2011-2013) from the atmosphere in Tauber traps located at three sites in El Palmar National Park (Entre Ríos Province) is used to characterize the source vegetation. Site 1 is a mixed area composed of grassland, palm savanna, and wetland communities, site 2 is a grassland area and site 3 is a dense palm savanna. A total of 71 pollen-grain types grouped in 43 families coming from local, regional and extra- regional areas are identified. Of them, sixteen pollen types with more than 1% of Annual Pollen Influx in at least two samples were used in this analysis. Different factors involved in quali-quantitave changes of taxa during the observation interval (e.g. pollination affinity, origin of pollen grains, canopy effect, meteorological variables) are further considered. The floral composition of each site compared to their palynoassemblages revealed that site 2 is characterized by a high abundance of Asteraeceae-Asteroideae, with an increase in the value of Vernonia (Asteraceae Cichoroidea) and Lamiaceae during the second year. Palynological composition in Sites 1 (mixed vegetation) and 3 (dense palm savanna) was dominated by Asteraeceae-Asteroideae, Myrtaceae, Blepharocalyx salicifolius, and Poaceae, with percentage fluctuations between years. Site 3 is differentiated from the other two ones by the record of Butia yatay in low frequency that showed similar percentages in both years, whereas Adiantopsis chlorophylla and Microgramma mortoniana increased during the second year.