Centre for Palynology and Palaeoecology
Centre for Palynology and Palaeoecology
Director: Prof. Peter Kershaw
This study area is concerned with the reconstruction of past environments and biological communities from the study of pollen, diatoms, beetles and other organic materials preserved in accumulated sediments of bogs, lakes and marine environments.
It is interdisciplinary, involving most natural sciences and human-environment relationships. Results of studies are applied in a number of areas including testing the validity of predictive atmospheric circulation models, understanding the dynamics of biological communities, and assessing the environmental impact of people on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Study in this field involves a combination of outdoor and laboratory based work.
Useful Resources
Sporopollenin Semianars
Activities of
the Centre of Palynology and Palaeoecology
2003
The
1998 Annual Report
for the centre
is one starting point to discover what sort of research occurs in
this field. The activities of the Monash team cover most facets of
this, quite broad, subject area.
The SouthEast Australian
Pollen database
(D'Costa
and Kershaw, 1997, Aust J Bot, 45: 583-605)
The Australian Diatom Home Page
Related Courses offered by the Department
GES1020
Physical Systems & Environment
GES2170
Biogeography
GES3570
Quaternary Environments