Palynology of Belarus: a method and scientific direction in the study of Glaciopleistocene and Holocene deposits

Abstract

Studying for 80 years in Belarus the most promising palynological method (high productivity of pollen and spores of plants, their distribution and good preservation in various sediments, high information content of fossil palynomorphs) of the Glaciopleistocene and Holocene strata, made it possible to recreate the development of the natural environment of the last 800 thsd years in a more complicated version according to the chronological record in the continental sediments of paleoreservoirs. The complexity of the research has made an important contribution to the local and long-range correlation of the obtained materials from oceanic or marine bottom formations on the basis of the developed MIS-1 – MIS-19 scale on a geochronological basis. Data from 1300 sections of the region were used in order to provide a promising solution to modern scientific theoretical problems (substantiation of the chronology of natural events, development of a complicated stratigraphic scheme (8 glacials and 9 interglacials), expansion of the paleogeographic aspect by a significantly larger number of natural environment components (landscape type, type and group of forest flora, general composition of palynoflora and exotics, composition and ratio of geographical elements of flora, area of modern concentration of fossil flora species, migration of forest-forming species, macrosuccession of paleophytocenoses, incompleteness of the Holocene interglacial, rhythmicity of macrosuccessions, duration of interglacials, natural zones and their dynamics, migratory nature of forest floras, groups of palynological diagrams, zoning of the territory according to spectra, climate, sedimentation, change of water level, evolution of paleoreservoirs, anthropogenic factor, water flow dynamics, natural phenomena and forecast of future habitat change)) and applied (growth of palynological support of the region for the needs of largescale geological survey with mapping of sections and deposits of minerals and building materials, areas of rocks and ancient exotics, participation in scientific projects and great publication of results, use of computer technologies, creation of palynological database, enrichment of the younger generation with these latest knowledge and their implementation in the educational process (the creation of new maps and photo illustrations on morphology, stratigraphy, paleogeography, paleoecology, updating lecture aids and workshops, educational and methodological complexes, multimedia presentations)) of the palynology of Belarus.