European Pollen Database

Grana short papers

The Editors of Grana have agreed to consider for publication short papers in a standard and simple format describing new sites submitted to the EPD. Information about the submission process and paper guidelines can be found at http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=t713648917~tab=summary.

Grana has now begun to publish short papers describing new contributions to the EPD. Keep them coming and visit the journal to look at the diagrams.

Here is the Editorial from Issue 3 in 2007:

The European Pollen Database (EPD) was founded in 1992 as a pioneering approach to secure Quaternary pollen data for posterity and enable research using inter-site comparisons and regional–continental syntheses. After a promising start, EPD activity has slowed down in recent years and is in need of revitalisation. A new database engineer has now been appointed and several new initiatives were planned at a recent open meeting attended by 78, mostly younger, European palynologists. One popular proposal was to create an opportunity for new pollen datasets contributed to the EPD to be published as short, standardised communications in Grana, following refereed approval. The editorial board has agreed to this experiment and in this issue we publish the first paper of this type under the heading ‘Contributions to the European Pollen Database’. These short papers will adopt a common format, including site details, sediment description, dating control and brief interpretation, followed by a single page summary pollen diagram. The first paper to be accepted is from the Czech Republic. Data are the lifeblood of palynology and the basis for many recent advances in quantitative Holocene vegetation reconstruction and studies of the impacts of climate change on land surfaces in the past. It is hoped that this initiative will attract new interest both in Grana and in the rejuvenated EPD. Please visit the EPD web site www.europeanpollendatabase.net for details about how to contribute or download data and participate in some of the latest developments in Quaternary palynology.

Richard H. W. Bradshaw