pollen diagrams

Pollen diagrams are visual tools used by scientists to study past environments and climate change. They are created by extracting pollen grains from layers of sediment or peat, which accumulate over thousands of years. Each pollen type corresponds to specific plants that grew at the time, so the diagram shows how plant populations and vegetation patterns changed over time. By analyzing these shifts, researchers gain insights into historical landscapes, climate variations, and how ecosystems responded to environmental change. Pollen diagrams are valuable in understanding Earth's history and predicting future ecological trends.