Historic Pollen Distribution in Quartermaster Harbor, Washington
Presentation Abstract
Flora and fauna in the Puget Sound region have changed dramatically over the last hundred years due to logging, industrialization, and development. Pollen analysis is a valuable tool to learn about the historic landscape and can provide insight into historical climates of the region. This study looks at the pollen distribution in the sediments of Quartermaster Harbor, located between Vashon and Maury Islands, Puget Sound, Washington. Variation of historic pollen diversity was compared with documented anthropogenic changes over time. In the summer of 2010, a two-meter core was obtained using an open barrel Kasten gravity corer. Core samples taken every 2 to 4 centimeters were processed to concentrate the pollen. One hundred individual pollen grains were identified in each sample to determine the concentration and variability of pollen in the harbor over time. Pb210 analysis was used to date the core. Findings from this study will illustrate present and historic land-use changes in the basin.
Session Title
Session S-03A: Changes in Salish Sea Water Quality
Conference Track
Marine Water Quality
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
1-5-2014 5:00 PM
End Date
1-5-2014 6:30 PM
Location
Room 6C
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Pollen--Washington (State)--Quartermaster Harbor; Drill cores--Washington (State)--Quartermaster Harbor
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Quartermaster Harbor (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Historic Pollen Distribution in Quartermaster Harbor, Washington
Room 6C
Flora and fauna in the Puget Sound region have changed dramatically over the last hundred years due to logging, industrialization, and development. Pollen analysis is a valuable tool to learn about the historic landscape and can provide insight into historical climates of the region. This study looks at the pollen distribution in the sediments of Quartermaster Harbor, located between Vashon and Maury Islands, Puget Sound, Washington. Variation of historic pollen diversity was compared with documented anthropogenic changes over time. In the summer of 2010, a two-meter core was obtained using an open barrel Kasten gravity corer. Core samples taken every 2 to 4 centimeters were processed to concentrate the pollen. One hundred individual pollen grains were identified in each sample to determine the concentration and variability of pollen in the harbor over time. Pb210 analysis was used to date the core. Findings from this study will illustrate present and historic land-use changes in the basin.
