Palynology and environmental geology

Abstract

A brief survey of the possibilities and problems of palynology as a contributor to the progress of palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology and palaeoecology is presented. Also shown is how these fields and other branches of the earth sciences which contribute to environmental geology may, in their turn, help to advance palynology. The paper constitutes an introductory text to a collection of papers which fill a special issue of the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, entitled “Palynological contributions to environmental geology”.