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<p>This study explores the application of Source-to-Sink (S2S) principles to palynology, aiming to quantify conifer pollen production, transport, and forest biomass in the Late Cretaceous of eastern North America. Using the Arlington Archosaur Section (AAS) from the Cenomanian of Texas, the objective was to assess whether Cenomanian above-ground live tree biomass (ALTB) and pollen dispersal of selected conifers (e.g., Pinaceae and Cupressaceae) can be inferred using modern analogs. First, the source area feeding the AAS was calculated at approximately 1 million km<sup>2</sup> using late Cenomanian paleogeographic maps. Assuming ~ 30% forest cover and applying modern pollen productivity data, coniferous forests were estimated to produce ~ 1.19 × 10<sup>5</sup> metric tons of pollen annually. Aerobiological data from subtropical North America suggest that only 3–7% of this pollen reached the long-distance atmospheric transport system. Based on this modern analog, an estimated 4000–8500 metric tons of conifer pollen could have reached the AAS annually during spring. Fossil pollen assemblages (<i>Abies</i>, <i>Pinus</i>, and Taxodiaceae/Cupressaceae types) were then used to estimate ALTB based on modern pollen–biomass relationships. Results show a marked increase in conifer biomass from AAS's Facies A to B, fluctuating in C, and declining in D. These trends align with previously inferred paleoclimatic changes from the relative abundance of conifer versus angiosperm pollen. This case study highlights the value of integrating modern pollen production and transport dynamics of extant taxa to generate quantitative estimates of biomass production and the contribution of organic particles in Late Cretaceous tropical-subtropical S2S systems.</p>

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Source-to-sink in palynology: a Late Cretaceous case study—could the present be a key to the past?

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月17日

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  • Maria Antonieta Lorente

摘要

This study explores the application of Source-to-Sink (S2S) principles to palynology, aiming to quantify conifer pollen production, transport, and forest biomass in the Late Cretaceous of eastern North America. Using the Arlington Archosaur Section (AAS) from the Cenomanian of Texas, the objective was to assess whether Cenomanian above-ground live tree biomass (ALTB) and pollen dispersal of selected conifers (e.g., Pinaceae and Cupressaceae) can be inferred using modern analogs. First, the source area feeding the AAS was calculated at approximately 1 million km2 using late Cenomanian paleogeographic maps. Assuming ~ 30% forest cover and applying modern pollen productivity data, coniferous forests were estimated to produce ~ 1.19 × 105 metric tons of pollen annually. Aerobiological data from subtropical North America suggest that only 3–7% of this pollen reached the long-distance atmospheric transport system. Based on this modern analog, an estimated 4000–8500 metric tons of conifer pollen could have reached the AAS annually during spring. Fossil pollen assemblages (Abies, Pinus, and Taxodiaceae/Cupressaceae types) were then used to estimate ALTB based on modern pollen–biomass relationships. Results show a marked increase in conifer biomass from AAS's Facies A to B, fluctuating in C, and declining in D. These trends align with previously inferred paleoclimatic changes from the relative abundance of conifer versus angiosperm pollen. This case study highlights the value of integrating modern pollen production and transport dynamics of extant taxa to generate quantitative estimates of biomass production and the contribution of organic particles in Late Cretaceous tropical-subtropical S2S systems.