Análise palinológica no refúgio da vida silvestre dos Campos de Palmas (PR) no quaternário tardio

Abstract

Studies linking vegetation and climate have proved to be efficient tools for paleoenvironmental reconstructions, using palynological analyses of sediments. This dissertation sought to investigate the paleoenvironmental conditions of the Quaternary period, based on the analysis of pollen grains and spores found in sediments from the plateau area of the state of Paraná. The methodology included collecting sediments through boreholes, followed by chemical processing and qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results show that, from the end of the Pleistocene to the Tardiglacial (~17,183 to ~13,578 years BP), lower temperatures prevailed, indicating a colder climate than today, with predominantly grassland vegetation and local humid conditions sufficient to maintain water tables. Between the Tardiglacial and the Climatic Optimum (~13,578 to ~5,928 years BP), there was an increase in humidity, although this was interspersed with periods of dryness. From the Climatic Optimum to the present (~5,928 years BP to the present), there was a progressive increase in humidity, favoring the expansion of the Araucaria Forest and the expansion of the Humid Field areas, reflecting current climatic conditions.