Don't lose sight of the forest for the trees! Discerning Iberian pine communities by means of pollen‐vegetation relationships

A set of 30 modern pollen samples collected in pine communities of the Gúdar Range (southeastern Iberian System) has been investigated to determine the relationships between pollen percentages and vegetation composition along a ~1000 m elevation transect. Pollen representation was estimated by comparing the presence of plant taxa from a recent vegetation survey with pollen spectra. Classification and ordination of modern pollen samples indicated the existence of eight vegetation units, which can be assigned to the six studied pine forest communities. Lowland forests are clearly discriminated from high-altitude ones. These analyses also allow separating Pinus nigra and P. pinaster communities according to their tree cover, and even those of P. sylvestris according to the bioclimatic belt they inhabit. We show that it is possible to obtain distinct pollen markers for Mediterranean pine forest communities. These results will also improve the reconstruction of pine forests from fossil pollen diagrams, as far as modern pollen rain studies are carried out in specific regions, an approach which can be extrapolated to other plant formations regardless the involved territory. •Pollen–vegetation relationships have been established in SE Iberian mountains.•These mountains constitute a key enclave because six Iberian pine species coexist.•Multivariate analyses indicated eight vegetation units assigned to pine communities.•It is possible to obtain pollen markers for Mediterranean pine forests.•Results will improve the reconstruction of pine forests from fossil pollen diagrams.