Pollen is the plant cell responsible for transferring haploid male genetic material during the sexual reproduction of seed plants. Gymnosperms usually possess sacci to enhance wind pollination, while members of the Asteraceae family (e.g., Petasites) often have echini to facilitate insect pollination. Pollen can be well preserved in bogs and lake sediments. In my research, I analyze pollen to reconstruct past vegetation dynamics. My first pollen “stamps” were presented at the centenary celebration of the first pollen diagram, held in Stockholm on November 24–25, 2016, commemorating the work of Swedish geologist Lennart von Post.
- Gymnosperms: Abies, Picea, Pinus
- Eudicot trees: Tilia, Alnus, Corylus, Betula, Fraxinus, Carpinus
- herbs: Silene, Poaceae, Artemisia, Petasites
When counting pollen grains, samples contain other microscopic object from the past as spores, cells and bodies of different organisms. Gelasinospora is popular fungi ascospore counted in pollen samples, because it indicates fire in the past.
Diatoms are unicellular organisms, which are surrounded by a cell wall made of silica (hydrated silicon dioxide), so they can be very well preserved. The collenction originating from the search of Dr. Anna Tichá indicates different tophic level lake water, dystrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic. Her specimens originate from Přášilské Lake (Šumava Mts)
and Komořany Lake
- (in scale 1:1100): Pinnularia, Staurosira construens, Eunotia hexaglyphis, Aulacoseira pfaffiana
- (in scale 1:2500): Staurosira construens, Eunotia hexaglyphis, Aulacoseira pfaffiana
Phytoliths are siliceous cell infillings that can persist even in arid environments, as they do not decompose in soil. This collection originates from the research of Kristýna Hošková, who developed a 2D shape analysis of grass phytoliths. The species correspond to those shown in Figure 1 of her paper Hošková K., Neustupa J., Pokorný P., & Pokorná A. (2022): Phylogenetic, ecological and intraindividual variability patterns in grass phytolith shape. – Annals of Botany 129: 303–314.
- Aristidia, Hakenochloa, Bortiochloa ischaemum, Bambusa, Arundinaria gigantea, Danthonia alpina, Schismus arabicus, Cynodon dactylon, Brachyelythrum erectum, Coix locryma jobi, Alopecurus pratensis, Zizania latifolia, Bromus erectus, Holcus lanatus, Melica, Stipa sibirica
Chironomid larvae (Diptera) develop in aquatic environments. Their head capsules, preserved in lake sediments, serve as unique indicators of past water temperatures over millennia. This species collection originates from the research of Amanda Mateo Beneito at Černé jezero (Šumava Mountains). The specimens represent the following periods: Late Glacial, Early Holocene, and Holocene.
Mateo-Beneito A., Florescu G., Tátosová J., Carter V. A., Chiverrell R., Heiri O., Vasiliev I., Kuosmanen N., & Kuneš P. (2024): Multi-proxy temperature and environmental reconstruction during the Late Glacial and Early Holocene in the Bohemian Forest, Central Europe. – Quaternary Science Reviews.
- Heterotrissocladius grimshawi, Micropsectra radialis, Microtendipes pedellus
The microscopic structure of wood is characteristic of individual species or genera. Larger charcoal fragments found in soil profiles or archaeological contexts can reveal which types of wood were burned, even thousands of years ago.
- Vitis, Quercus
The living range of snails typically spans around ten square meters. They prefer calcareous bedrock, which provides the necessary limestone for shell formation. Shells remains preserved in soil or loess can offer valuable insights into past landscape openness and climatic conditions. The original illustrations are by Dr. Vojen Ložek.
The synthesis below presents the snail record from the Late Glacial and Holocene periods: Juřičková L., Horsák M., Horáčková J., Abraham V., & Ložek V. (2014): Patterns of land-snail succession in Central Europe over the last 15,000 years: main changes along environmental, spatial and temporal gradients. – Quaternary Science Reviews
- glacial species: Vertigo parcedentata, Pupila lossica, Succinella oblonga
- interglacial species: Ruthenica filograna, Isognomostoma isognomostomos
My stamps hold the scale within each group of elements or organisms.
- scale bar labeled 20 µm is the most common magnification 1:1100. It suits to pollen, non-pollen objects, phytoliths and diatoms.
- scale bar labeled 10 µm is for the magnification of small diatoms 1:2500.
- scale bar labeled 100 µm is for the magnification of chironomids 1:220.
- scale bar labeled 0.5 mm is for the magnification of wood anatomy 1:40
- scale bar labeled 2 mm is for the magnification of snails 1:10
