Lipid stratigraphy of a Flandrian peat bed (Northumberland, UK): Comparison with the pollen record

A Flandrian peat bed near Low Hauxley (Northumberland, UK) was studied both optically and geochemically to compare the pollen and lipid records of changing plant input during its accumulation. A progressive change in the predominant plant inputs from woodland trees to a more diverse assemblage with herbs, shrubs and Sphagnum is recorded in the pollen data, and associated lipid records. However, the pollen and lipid records do not correlate in detail; samples with near-identical lipid distributions can have markedly different pollen assemblages and vice versa. This apparent inconsistency between data sets is interpreted to be the result of different modes of incorporation of the signals. While the lipids will be largely derived from plant debris in situ, the pollen may have been transported over considerable distances, and will record an average signal of flora over a wider area. The records of local plant input (lipid data) and regional vegetation cover (pollen data) are complementary in the reconstruction of past environmental conditions.