Comparative 210Pb, 137Cs,and pollen geochronologies of sediments from Lakes Ontario and Erie

The distribution of ²¹⁰Pb, ¹³⁷Cs, and Ambrosia (ragweed) pollen in two sediment cores from Lake Ontario and in three cores from Lake Erie provides independent estimates of sediment accumulation rates. Geochronology with ²¹⁰Pb is based on radioactive decay of the isotope following burial in sediments. The method can reveal with precision changes in sedimentation occurring over the past 100 yr or so. Geochronologies with ¹³⁷Cs and Ambrosia are based on the occurrence of a horizon corresponding, respectively, to the onset of nuclear testing 25 yr ago and to regional forest clearance in the middle 1800s. These methods provide estimates of long-term average sediment accumulation rates. In all but one core, the distributions of ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb indicate no physical mixing of near-surface sediments. In two cores, including one from central Lake Erie collected by diver, all three estimates of sedimentation rates are in excellent agreement. In two other cores, rates based on ²¹⁰Pb are significantly higher than those inferred from Ambrosia pollen profiles. Lower average rates appear to result from occasional massive losses of sediments. Such events, apparent in the distribution of ²¹⁰Pb but not in pollen records, correlate with the occurrence of major storm surges on the lakes during this century. In one core from western Lake Erie, exponential distributions of both ²¹⁰Pb and Ambrosia appear to be artifacts which may result from extensive biological or physical reworking of sediments in shallow water (11 m). Previous indications of increased sedimentation in Lake Erie since about 1935 based on Castanea (chestnut) pollen data are not substantiated.     

Pollen indicators of land-use change in southern Connecticut

Changes in fossil pollen assemblages from a 2-m core from Linsley Pond, North Branford, Connecticut, are compared with historically documented land use changes in the lake watershed. Dating with ²¹⁰Pb and ¹⁴C reveals two sedimentation rate changes in the core which are associated with the arrival of European farmers; the building of cabins and suburban housing subdivisions on the lake shore. At European settlement in 1700 Ambrosia and Rumex pollen first appear, Gramineae-type pollen increases, and Tsuga decreases. Just before the beginning of agricultural disturbance Fagus pollen declines. The chestnut blight of 1913 causes a reduction of Castanea pollen and a subsequent vegetational succession through Betula to Quercus. The sedimentation rate determined by the chestnut blight horizon is consistent with the rate deduced from ²¹⁰Pb analysis.     

Paleoecological evidence of human impacts on the Neuse and Pamlico estuaries of North Carolina,USA

Sediment cores were collected from the Neuse and Pamlico River estuaries, North Carolina, at seven different sites, and the data show strong anthropogenic influence on water quality. The sediments from these cores were dated using²¹⁰Pb,¹³⁷Cs,¹⁴C, and pollen horizon techniques. Specific parameters investigated include bulk density, sedimentation rates, diatom assemblage changes, nutrient and trace metal flux, and vegetation changes as recorded in the pollen record. The greatest increases in sedimentation, nutrient and metal flux and changes in diatom assemblages have occurred in the past 50–60 yr in the Pamlico and Neuse. Diatom diversity has decreased and small planktonic forms have become dominant over time, most likely due to eutrophication and increased turbidity and sedimentation. Major changes occur before phytoplankton surveys and monitoring were initiated. Overall trends are similar to those found in Chesapeake Bay, although the time frame of major changes is more recent. Dominant small planktonic diatom species differ between Chesapeake Bay and the Neuse and Pamlico. Variance in paleoecological indicators between these mid-Atlantic estuaries may be due to geomorphology and land use history.     

Comparisons of 210Pb and pollen methods for determining rates of estuarine sediment accumulation

Comparisons of sedimentation rates obtained by ²¹⁰Pb and pollen analyses of 1-m cores collected throughout the Potomac Estuary show good agreement in the majority of cores that can be analyzed by both methods. Most of the discrepancy between the methods can be explained by the analytical precision of the ²¹⁰Pb method and by the exactness with which time horizons can be identified and dated for the pollen method. X-radiographs of the cores and the distinctness of the pollen horizons preclude significant displacement by reworking and/or mixing of sediments. Differences between the methods are greatest where uncertainties exist in assigning a rate by one or both methods (i.e., ²¹⁰Pb trends and/or “possible” horizon assignments). Both methods show the same relative rates, with greater sediment accumulation more common in the upper and middle estuary and less toward the mouth. The results indicate that geochronologic studies of estuarine sediments should be preceded by careful observation of sedimentary structures, preferably by X-radiography, to evaluate the extent of mixing of the sediments. Time horizons, whether paleontologic or isotopic, are generally blurred where mixing has occurred, precluding precise identification. Whenever possible, two methods should be used for dating sediments because a rate, albeit erroneous, can be obtained isotopically in sediments that are mixed; accurate sedimentation rates are also difficult to determine where the time boundary is a zone rather than a horizon, where the historical record does not provide a precise date for the pollen horizon, or where scouring has removed some of the sediment above a dated pollen horizon.     

Paleoecology of mangroves along the Sibun River, Belize

This study examines a sediment core (SR-63) from a mangrove ecosystem along the Sibun River in Belize, which is subject to both changes in sea-level and in the characteristics of the river's drainage basin. Radiocarbon dates from the core show a decreased sedimentation rate from ~ 6 ka to 1 cal ka BP and a marked change in lithology from primarily mangrove peat to fluvial-derived material at ~ 2.5 cal ka BP. Changes in the sedimentation rates observed in mangrove ecosystems offshore have previously been attributed to changes in relative sea-level and the rate of sea-level rise. Pollen analyses show a decreased abundance of Rhizophora (red mangrove) pollen and an increased abundance of Avicennia (black mangrove) pollen and non-mangrove pollen coeval with the decreased sedimentation rates. Elemental ratios ([N:C]_a) and stable isotope analyses (δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C) show that changes in the composition of the organic material are also coeval with the change in lithology. The decrease in sedimentation rate at the site of core SR-63 and at offshore sites supports the idea that regional changes in hydrology occurred during the Holocene in Belize, influencing both mainland and offshore mangrove ecosystems.     

Recent paleolimnology of three lakes in Northwestern Minnesota

A paleolimnological study was undertaken to investigate changes in three Minnesota lakes over the last 100 years and to demonstrate the stratigraphic effects of cultural eutrophication in two of them. The study combined the analysis of the lake sediment from short cores with stratigraphic analyses of pollen, plant macrofossils, mollusks, diatoms and certain other algae, chydorid Cladocera, and Daphnia ephippia.The rise of Ambrosia type pollen (ragweed) marks the onset of interference with the landscape by European man, which can be closely dated. Calculations of sedimentation rates from this base gave reasonable correlations of other stratigraphic events with historical events.Elk Lake is considered “unpolluted” today and was chosen as a control. Man's effects are limited to logging some of the surrounding forest and to the construction of a dam. Small changes in the lake's fauna and flora are demonstrated, showing the sensitivity of the lake to changes in its catchment area.Lake Sallie and St. Clair Lake, in the same watershed as the city of Detroit Lakes, have been affected not only by logging but also by addition of nutrients from agricultural runoff and sewage effluent. Considerable responses by the lake organisms are apparent. In Lake Sallie the changes were gradual, but in St. Clair Lake they were very abrupt because the lake was partially drained at the same time and the water volume was thereby reduced.The merits of such an integrated study, the types of information gained from the analyses of the various fossils, and the wider application of the results are discussed.     

Sedimentation Rates, Observation Span, and the Problem of Spurious Correlation

Plots of sedimentation rates vs. time span of observation are routinely used to demonstrate that sedimentation rates decrease if one averages over longer time spans. However, these plots are suspect because they plot a variable, time, against its inverse. It has been shown that even random numbers may yield correlation coefficients of 0.7 or higher under these circumstances. We have circumvented this problem by splitting observed sedimentation rates into time classes and performing regression on the primary variables, thickness and time, separately in each class. An alternative is weighted regression that corrects for the effect of spurious correlation. Regression on the primary variables has been performed on real data from siliciclastic and carbonate rocks. Data were sorted into time classes of 10 ^–1–10 ² yr, 10 ²–10 ⁵ yr, and 10 ⁵–10 ⁸ yr. Sedimentation rates decrease systematically as the time windows increase. The experiment indicates that the decrease of sedimentation rates with increase of time is not simply an effect of the mathematical transformation. It is a physical phenomenon, probably related to the fact that sedimentation is an episodic process and that the sediment record is riddled with hiatuses on all scales.     

Sediment characteristics and sedimentations rates of a small river in Western Central Brazil

The purpose of this study is to characterise the alluvial sediments and to quantify sedimentation rates of a small river system, the Ribeir?o do Torto in Central Western Brazil. The study area provides an excellent opportunity to examine the effect of land use on sedimentation rates in the region for the first time and thus contributes to understanding sediment transport processes into water reservoirs (silting). ¹³⁷Cs, ²¹⁰Pb and ¹⁴C dating techniques were used to estimate natural sedimentation rates and those associated with land use development. Complementary use of physical and chemical analyses of the sediments and contained anthropogenic materials revealed that sedimentation dynamics had varied over time. Natural sedimentation rates are more than ten times lower than in the period since the mid-1950s for the alluvial system of the Ribeir?o do Torto. The results indicated that human impact had accelerated the sedimentation dynamics, which resulted in higher sediment quantities and sand content and changes of sediment sources. The variation of sedimentation rates may reflect also several other factors, e.g. natural fluctuation in flow energy or geomorphologic changes within the alluvial system. However, the multiple dating techniques and supplementary interpretation employed in this study show the potential use of radionuclides and soil/sediment parameters to identify changes in sedimentation rate, stream energy and sediment characteristics in floodplains.     

Sedimentologic and palynologic records of the last deglaciation and Holocene from Ballston Lake, New York

Continuous pollen and sediment records from two ∼8.5-m-long cores document late Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentation and vegetation change in the Ballston Lake basin, eastern New York State. Pebbles at the base of both cores and the geomorphology of the watershed reflect the presence of the Mohawk River in the basin prior to ∼12,900 ± 70 cal yr B.P. Ballston Lake formed at the onset of the Younger Dryas (YD) by an avulsion of the Mohawk River. The transition from clay to gyttja with low magnetic susceptibility (MS), low bulk density, and high organic carbon indicates rapid warming and increased lake productivity beginning 11,020 cal yr B.P. MS measurements reveal that the influx of magnetic particles, associated with pre-Holocene clastic sedimentation, ceased after ∼10,780 cal yr B.P. The pollen record is subdivided into six zones: BL1 (12,920 to 11,020 cal yr B.P.) is dominated by boreal forest pollen; BL2 (11,020 to 10,780 cal yr B.P.) by pine (Pinus) forest pollen; BL3 (10,780 to 5290 cal yr B.P.) by hemlock (Tsuga) and mixed hardwood pollen; BL4 (5290 to 2680 cal yr B.P.) by mixed hardwood pollen; BL5a (2680 cal yr B.P. to 1030 cal yr B.P.) by conifer and mixed hardwood pollen; and BL5b (1030 cal B.P. to present) by increasing ragweed (Ambrosia) pollen. A 62% decrease in spruce (Picea) pollen in <320 cal years during BL1 reflects rapid warming at the end of the YD. Holocene pollen zones record more subtle climatic shifts than occurred at the end of the YD. One of the largest changes in the Holocene pollen spectra began ∼5300 cal yr B.P., and is characterized by a marked decline in hemlock pollen. This has been noted in other pollen records from the region and may record preferential selection of hemlock by a pathogen or parasites.     

Sedimentation rates in Fayetteville Green Lake, New York, U.S.A.

In Fayetteville Green Lake, past sedimentation rates can be accurately and precisely estimated by separating annual couplets or varves in dried sediment samples. Two measures were used, which serve as upper and lower limits on estimated sedimentation rate. They agree within 5 % with average annual sedimentation rate in couplets for recent years. Between 3 and 5 replicate samples are needed to reduce the half-width of 95 % confidence intervals on individual couplet sedimentation rates to 30 g m^?2 yr^?1 about 5 % of average recent rates. In the late 1800s sedimentation rate averaged 392 g m^?2 yr^?1 and ranged between 324 and 466 g m^?2 yr^?1, while in the 1970s the rate averaged 581 g m^?2 yr^?1 by the same measure, and ranged between 384 and 646 g m^?2 yr^?1. Sedimentation rate averaged for 13 years does not vary over short distances in the profundal zone, but lateral variation in sedimentation rate can be detected for individual years over the same distance. Not all this variation was associated with the non-uniform distribution of dark sublaminae and thin turbidites which cannot be separated from the annual layers. This indicates that although precise estimates of sedimentation rates can be made at different points in the lake, estimates will have to be made at numerous points before annual sedimentation rates for the lake as a whole can be accurately assessed.     

Changing elevation,accretion, and tidal marsh plant assemblages in a South San Francisco Bay tidal marsh

Analyses of organic content, pollen, and the carbon-isotopic composition of a 3.5-m sediment core collected from a subsided tidal marsh located in South San Francisco Bay, California, have provided a 500-yr record of sediment accretion and vegetation change before, during, and after a rapid 1 m increase in sea level. Core chronology was established using¹⁴C dating of fossil plant material, the first appearance of pollen types produced by plants not native to California, and changes in lead concentrations coincident with anthropogenic contamination. Prior to the mid 19th century, rates of sediment accretion were between 1 and 4 mm yr⁻¹; sediment accretion accelerated to an average of 22 mm yr⁻¹ following the initiation of subsidence. Changes in tidal marsh vegetation also accompanied this depositional change. Vegetation shifted from a high to low marsh assemblage, as indicated by a larger percentage of grass pollen, rhizomes ofSpartina foliosa, and a strong C₄ signal. Between 1980 and 2001, Triangle marsh again developed high marsh vegetation, as indicated by higher percentages of the Amaranthaceane pollen type, seed deposition, includingSalicornia spp., and more negative carbon isotopic ratios.     

Reconstruction of urban stormwater contamination of an estuary using catchment history and sediment profile dating

Cores were collected from the length of Pakuranga estuary, a small urban estuary in Auckland, New Zealand, to determine sedimentation and contaminant history, and in particular the impact of urbanization. Catchment sediment loads for the most recent history (1953–1995), including urbanization since 1960, were reconstructed using the landcover history and soil erosion modeling. Pollen and¹⁴C dating and pre-urban landcover history were used to reconstruct early estuary sedimentation (i.e., post-3000 yr BP to 1960). Heavy metal concentrations, particle size,¹³⁷Cs, pollen, and catchment sediment loads were all needed to disentangle the complex estuarine response to urbanization.¹³⁷Cs profiles did not reflect the historical fallout pattern, but deposition of¹³⁷Cs-labelled eroded catchment soil, coinciding with peaks in urban construction. Temporal variations in stormwater¹³⁷Cs concentrations are likely due to varying contributions from¹³⁷Cs-rich topsoil and¹³⁷Cs-poor subsoils. A similar pattern was observed in heavy-metal concentrations and attributed to street runoff rather than topsoil being diluted by metal-poor subsoils. Dating of the sediment profiles showed that during urbanization sedimentation rates in the tidal creek and estuary were higher than sedimentation rates associated with past agricultural landuse and the original forest landcover. Urbanization has brought about substantial environmental changes in the upper estuary through continued infilling of shallow, intertidal areas, contamination by heavy metals to levels of ecological concern, sediment textural changes, and rapid mangrove colonization of formerly bare intertidal sediments.     

Palynological studies in the western arm of Lake Superior

Lake Superior sediments contain pollen whose changes through time can be corelated with dated pollen diagrams from small lakes in the region. A core collected in 1972 from the deep trough (265 m) off Silver Bay (47° 09′N, 91°20′W) penetrated 6.25 cm of taconite tailings, 55 cm of postglacial silty clay, and 93.5 cm of late-glacial varves. Seven levels in the core were dated by stratigraphic and palynological techniques. The varves stopped forming about 9000 years ago, probably when glacial ice retreated to the north shore. The last 100 varves accumulated at about 10 mm/yr, but the average net sedimentation rate subsequently slowed to 0.05 mm/yr until the time of settlement about 1890. The sedimentation rate then increased by a factor of 10, to 0.5 mm/yr until 1956 when taconite processing began. The postsettlement interval can be recognized by marked increases of ragweed and chenopod pollen that result from land disturbance caused by forest clearance and agriculture. The postsettlement interval is also present at the top of six cores from four other sites in western Lake Superior, collected in water from 25–140 m deep. The postsettlement sedimentation rate varies from 0.1–0.8 mm/yr, suggesting that man has greatly increased sediment yield to the lake in the last 80 years.     

Estimation of modern sedimentation rate in Zun-Torei Lake (East Trans-Baikal Region) by 137Cs

On the basis of bottom sediment core dating performed by the technogenic isotope ¹³⁷Cs, the rate of sedimentation in periodically drying Zun-Torei Lake (water area is up to 300 km²) is estimated at 2.88 mm per year over the last 59 years. This value is in agreement with the data of palinological determinations (3.44 mm per year). High sedimentation rates are attributed to intensive evaporite sedimentation and probable eolian addition of terrigenous material.     

Mangrove encroachment of salt marsh in Western Port Bay, Victoria: The role of sedimentation, subsidence, and sea level rise

Surface elevation tables, feldspar marker horizons, and²¹⁰Pb analysis of core profiles were implemented at four sites in Western Port Bay, Victoria, Australia, to provide information on the role of sedimentation, subsidence or compaction, and enhanced sea-level rise in contributing to salt marsh decline. Photogrammetric surveys indicate that the rate of salt marsh decline that is attributable to mangrove encroachment is lower in Western Port Bay than in comparable sites in New South Wales. Differences in the rate of mangrove encroachment at Western Port Bay may be attributed to the inverse relationship found between the degree of mangrove encroachment and surface elevation increase. While sedimentation contributes to surface elevation changes, surface elevation is not solely explained by sedimentation; factors including autocompaction and changes in the water table also play a significant role in Western Port Bay. Historic sedimentation rates measured using²¹⁰Pb dating techniques corresponded to contemporary sedimentation rates determined from feldspar marker horizons. Core sediment profiles show no change in sedimentation rates at three sites. A fourth site (French Island) was the only site that exhibited high rates of sedimentation, which appears to be related to local land-use changes in the area. All sites maintained their elevation with respect to sea level over the study period. Historic sedimentation exceeded sea-level rise for the past 32 yr, but it is difficult to determine the extent to which belowground processes affect surface elevation, causing deviations between surface elevation and sedimentation over longer periods.     

Short-term sedimentation dynamics in the Rhône River Delta. France: The importance of riverine pulsing

Short-term sedimentation patterns were evaluated from August 1992 to May 1993 in different wetland habitats characteristic of the Rhône Delta, including impounded and seasonally-dry saline Arthrocnemum marshes, brackish Juncus, Phragmites, and Scirpus riverine wetlands directly connected to the Rhône River, and Arthrocnemum-dominated marine marshes influenced by the Mediterranean. Short-term sedimentation was measured as sediment accumulation on paper filters which had been placed on the soil surface for several weeks. Total sedimentation and material lost on ignition was significantly related to individual sampling periods, reflecting the importance of short-term processes. High sedimentation at riverine sites (up to 22 g m^?2 d^?1) was related to a combination of river stage and wind events. Marine and impounded wetlands of the Rhône Delta experienced low sedimentation throughout the period of study. Sedimentation rates averaged over the study period were 0.8 g m^?2 d^?1, 1.8 g m^?2 d^?1, and 5.4 g m^?2 d^?1 for marine, impounded, and riverine sites, respectively. Percent material lost on ignition was low in all habitats (average 15%) and followed a seasonal trend with a minimum in late fall and winter (1%). Soil percent organic matter was also low in the top several centimeters (13%), suggesting that inorganic sedimentation is very important for accretion on these wetland surfaces. Coastal flooding was not a significant mechanism for sedimentation in the marine sites during the period of study. Sedimentation is an important factor in elevation change, and this study shows that impounded habitats, the most common “natural environment“ left in the delta, may become vulnerable to sea-level rise in the future if management practices continue to isolate these wetlands from riverine sources of sediment.     

Determination of recent sedimentation rates in Lake Michigan using Pb-210 and Cs-137

This paper describes the use of ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs radioactivity measurements to determine the rates of sedimentation in the Great Lakes. Cores from eight locations in Lake Michigan were chosen for examination to cover as wide as possible a range of sedimentation rates and representative sedimentary environments. The surficial ²¹⁰Pb activity in the sediments varies between 7 and 23 pCi/g dry wt and its profile in each core shows the expected exponential decrease with depth consistent with the assumption of uniform sedimentation rate over the last hundred years and secular equilibrium between supported ²¹⁰Pb and ²²⁶Ra (0.5-1.0 pCi/g dry wt). Companion measurements of ¹³⁷Cs indicate that the coring technique satisfactorily recovered the uppermost levels of the deposit and that the mobility of both radionuclides within the sediment is probably small.Based on the limited number of cores analyzed to date, it appears that modern sedimentation rates are not very different from average rates for the last 7000 yr. The excess ²¹⁰Pb appears to originate primarily from atmospheric fallout, but a further inventory of the ²¹⁰Pb distribution over the lake bottom must be made to properly assess the significance of other sources. The spatial distributions of both ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb at certain stations suggest that the mode of transport of these radionuclides are comparable and involve attachment to settling particles. A mathematical model is developed which accounts for the observed limited mobility of both ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs in several of the cores in terms of post-depositional redistribution by physical or biological mixing processes.     

放射性同位素定年技术在崇明岛潮滩沉积速率上的应用研究

选取崇明岛北侧由东至西4个潮滩沉积柱,分析137Cs、226Ra和210Pb放射性比活度,应用210Pb和137Cs放射性同位素定年方法计算崇明岛潮滩沉积物沉积速率。对于东西两端,210Pb方法测得速率分别为3.08cm/a和2.34 cm/a,而137Cs测得速率分别为6.19 cm/a和2.06 cm/a。结果表明,137Cs定年方法计算出的潮滩沉积速率普遍大于210Pb方法结果;但两者反映了相同的速率规律。崇明岛主力生长方向为东和东北,西侧沉积作用相对较弱,表现出"东快西慢"的特点。沉积纵向上,1954年以来,自下而上沉积速率逐渐减缓。     

Pollen distribution in the northeast Pacific Ocean

Distributional patterns of palynomorphs in core tops from the continental margin of the northeast Pacific Ocean (30°–60°N lat 118°–150°W long) reflect the effects of fluvial and marine sedimentation as well as the distribution of terrestrial vegetation. Maximum pollen concentration (grains/cm³ of marine sediment) occurs off the mouth of the Columbia River and off San Francisco Bay (the outlet of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers) and appears to be coincident with areas of high terrigenous lutite deposition. The abundance of pollen and spores in shelf sediments is extremely variable with high concentrations typical only of the finest sediments. On the slope, rise and abyssal plain, pollen concentration shows a general decrease with distance from shore. This suggests that in the northeast Pacific pollen is transported into the marine environment primarily by rivers and that, in terms of sedimentation, pollen may be regarded as part of the organic component of fine-grained lutum.Pinus, the principal pollen component of marine sediment on the northeast Pacific margin, is concentrated adjacent to the major drainage systems of areas in which pine grows. Tsuga heterophylla, Picea, and Alnus, important components of the temperate conifer forest, are concentrated off the area of their optimal development, western Washington. Quercus, Sequoia, and Compositae concentrations are greater off the southern California coast where they are prominent in the vegetation. The relative (percent) abundance of most of these pollen taxa in marine sediments reflects a positive relationship to their distribution on land. Picea and Alnus are relatively more important north of 45°N, Tsuga heterophylla between 45°–50°N, and Quercus, Sequoia, and Compositae south of 40°N. Pine percentages increase seaward, from less than 10% of the pollen sum in shelf sediments to over 50% in sediments on the abyssal plain. This seems to indicate selective transport of pine pollen. Factor analysis of pollen data from the 61 core tops results in four pollen assemblages. Three of these assemblages (Quercus-Compositae-Sequoia, Tsuga heterophylla-Pinus, and Alnus-Picea) reflect the distribution of vegetation on the adjacent continent, one (Pinus) reflects primarily the effects of marine sedimentation.     

黄土高原小流域植被变化和侵蚀产沙的孢粉示踪研究初探

如同137Cs和210Pbex核尘埃,土壤和坝库沉积物中的孢粉也源于大气沉降,是否能用于侵蚀产沙的示踪研究?在陕北吴旗周湾水库采集了一些表层土壤和现代淤地坝、古代聚湫坝沉积泥沙的样品,尝试土地利用/覆被变化和侵蚀产沙的孢粉示踪研究。初步研究表明:草地表土孢粉丰富,平均浓度为26077粒/g;有33个科属的花粉,孢粉组合反映了当地以蒿属为主的半干旱温带草原植被;坡耕地表土的孢粉组合和草地一致,但孢粉平均浓度远低于草地,仅5844粒/g。坝库沉积剖面中,和137Cs核素一样,孢粉也富集于每一洪水沉积旋迴的上部层位,可用于沉积旋迴的区分。现代沉积旋迴的孢粉平均浓度,远低于草地和坡耕地表土,这表明草地和坡耕地土壤不是沉积泥沙的主要来源。古代沉积物的孢粉平均浓度高于现代沉积,表明流域内300年前的植被好于现代,或300年前沟谷地的相对产沙量低于现代。古代孢粉组合中十字花科花粉比例高达36·85%,明显高于现代的0·58%含量,这表明草地退化严重,十字花科植物比例急剧降低。孢粉示踪技术在植被环境恢复,沉积旋迴区分,和泥沙来源确定等方面具有一定的潜力,但应建立针对土地利用/覆被变化和侵蚀产沙研究的孢粉示踪技术方法。