Pollen dispersal and representation in a neotropical rain forest

Results of 3 years of pollen trapping on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, are presented. Minimum pollen dispersal distances are estimated for the most abundant pollen taxa. Dispersal distances for some taxa appear to be as low as 5m, while for other taxa at least 50% of the trapped pollen had travelled more than 40m. No consistent pattern of spatial variation was reflected in the pollen rain, however, samples close to large canopy gaps had exceptional abundances of 'disturbance' taxa. A preliminary analysis of the representation of canopy components indicates that as much as 19% of pollen caught in the traps was derived from large tree species.