Diversity of pollen grains transported from South America to the Antarctic Peninsula through atmospheric dispersal

The geographical isolation of Antarctica and the low temperatures resulting from the Antarctic albedo and the Circumpolar Current are key factors determining the influence of the continent on global climate regulation and ecosystem conservation. This study aimed to identify the feasibility of using pollen grains as biomarkers of atmospheric transport between South America and Antarctica. For this, snow samples were collected at three different sites on Joinville Island, in 2005. Samples were collected by the Laboratory of Radioecology and Global Change of the Rio de Janeiro State University and analyzed palynologically at the Álvaro Xavier Moreira Laboratory of Palynology of the National Museum, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Palynological analysis revealed the presence of spores from Blechnaceae, pollen grains (Cyperaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Moraceae, Leguminosae, Rubiaceae Oreopolus glacialis (Poepp.) Ricardi, Passifloraceae, Ruscaceae, Urticaceae, Winteraceae and non-pollen palynomorphs. It was found that the recorded taxa occur in South America. The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model was applied to investigate which air masses potentially pass through the sampling sites on Joinville Island and assess associations between the biogeography of recorded species and air mass trajectories. Biogeographical analysis indicated that the Andes serve as a heat source for pollen transport, confirming the feasibility of using pollen grains as biomarkers of atmospheric transport. The results obtained will be of great importance for researchers interested in palynology, aeropalynology, and biomarkers of atmospheric transport.