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Description
Even though the boreal forests represent a significant biome within the Northern Hemisphere, there have not been studies of non-pollen palynomorphs (sub-fossil fungal spores and microscopic objects identified from pollen samples) devoted to untangling potentially missing information about the boreal forest dynamics. Therefore, it is crucial to test the potential of non-pollen palynomorphs in unraveling local stand-scale boreal forest history. Small forest hollows due to their size and location within the forest stands are suitable to see the local-scale vegetation variability. Three small boreal forest hollows and their surroundings in Northern Europe were analyzed using non-pollen palynomorphs complementary with pollen, plant macroremains, macrocharcoal, and dendrochronological research methods. Permutation tests were used to reveal to what degree fire, animals, and fungi influence the main tree species of boreal forests over the last few thousand years. Results reveal evidence for spruce pollen decline at times when the fungal ascospores of Lasiosphaeria cf. caudata were abundant supporting saprotrophic relationship on spruce. Findings of fungal Neurospora ascospores were used to improve the fire reconstructions. There is also a tentative indication for large herbivore interaction within the boreal tree species at a stand scale. Although further research must be carried out, at this point non-pollen palynomorphs underline their broad applicability in current and future forest ecosystem studies either the scope is solely fire or the interaction of different influencing agents.
