Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1998, Page 287

SEINHOLOSENAR SKORDYRAKANNINGAR OG ENDURMETING AV
FLOGSÁÐ- OG BÚSKRÁSETINGUM í MYKINESI
293
NORTH OF ULDALÍÐ MYKINES . FAROE ISLANDS
40 S0 60 70
+ 0r>e Grain
10 20 0 5 0 10 2025 0 10 0 19 20
0 10 20 ]0 40
iOHANNCS JOHANSEN W78
Fig. 6. Selected pollen datafrom Uldalíð (after Jóhansen, 1979)
Mynd 6. Úrvaldar upplýsingar um flogsáð úr Uldalíð (eftir Jóhansen, 1979).
It is probably significant that Stellaria,
has virtually continuous traces in the pollen
diagrams from Lambi and Uldalíð. Com-
mon chickweed, Stellaria media, is a fre-
quently anthropochorous plant and is also
abundant on grassy bird cliffs at Lambi. It
should be noted, however, that Cerastium
pollen is included in the same pollen taxo-
nomic group (Jóhansen, 1985: 25; Bennett,
1994) and the common mouse-ear, C.
fontanum ssp. holosteoides (Jóhansen,
1985: 19; Stace, 1997: 165), is a frequent
component of Faroese grasslands and
moorlands. The eutrophic nature of the de-
posits is supported by other elements. The
large numbers of hydrophilids, Cercyon cf.
haemorrhoidalis (F.) and Megasternum bo-
letophagum (Marsh.), are indicative of rot-
ting vegetation, indeed both are frequent
members of the herbivore dung community
(Skidmore, 1991), but in this context are
more likely to be associateđ with the fouled
plant matter accumulating around bird
nesting sites, particularly within and
around the deep burrows excavated by
puffins (cf. Fig. 3). A similar context would
suit the species of Othius and Quedius um-
brinus (Er.), although these are less specif-
ic to this habitat.
The pollen evidence from Mykines pre-
sented by Jóhansen is not presented as a se-
lected taxa sub-set of larger fossil popula-
tions. Only 11 taxa are displayed in the
Lambi pollen diagram and 12 in that from
Uldalíð. In the text relating to Lambi,
Jóhansen (1979: 95) says that after pre-
treatment ‘only pollen grains were left - in
large quantities, but very poorly preserved.
The amount of corroded pollen grains var-
ied between 40 and 100%.’ It is surprising