Does pollen-assemblage richness reflect floristic richness? A review of recent developments and future challenges

Current interest and debate on pollen-assemblage richness as a proxy for past plant richness have prompted us to review recent developments in assessing whether modern pollen-assemblage richness reflects contemporary floristic richness. We present basic definitions and outline key terminology. We summarise four basic needs in assessing pollen–plant richness relationships — modern pollen data, modern vegetation data, pollen–plant translation...