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Student
Page 1 Plant and Climate Information Geologists determine the geologic past by studying layers of sediment (material deposited by water, wind, or glaciers) and types of bedrock. Plants, other than those preserved in the fossil record, decompose and become part of the soil. However, one part of the plant, pollen, does not readily decompose.. It has a rugged design. By using a plant's current level of pollen production as a guide, scientists (palynologists) can estimate the approximate biomass of that plant in a given area from the proportion of fossil pollen found in core samples. In Illinois, pollen records from core samples can be used to determine the vegetational history of the state and ultimately the climate in which these plants were growing since the last glaciation.
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