Modern pollen data from the Canadian Arctic, 1972–1973

This data descriptor reports results of a 1972-73 baseline study of modern pollen deposition in the Canadian Arctic to originally aid interpretation of Holocene pollen diagrams from that region, especially focussed on the arctic tree-line. The data set is geographically unique due to its extent, and allows the assessment of the effects of modern climate change on northern ecosystems, including fluctuations of the a arctic tree-line. Repeated sampling was conducted along an interior transect at 29 sites from the Boreal Forest to the High Arctic, with five additional coastal sites covering a total distance of 3,200 km. Static pollen samplers captured both local pollen and long-distance pollen wind-blown from the Boreal Forest. Moss and lichen polsters provided multi-year pollen fallout to assess the effectiveness of the static pollen samplers. The local vegetation was recorded at each site. This descriptor provides information on data archived at the World Data Center PANGAEA, which includes spreadsheets detailing site and sample information as well as raw and processed pollen data obtained on over 500 samples.