SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Tree line identification from pollen data: beyond the limit?
H.A. Binney, P.W. Gething, J.M. Nield, S. Sugita and M.E. Edwards
Journal of Biogeography
Appendix S2 Description of characteristic taxa of biomes used in this study (Table
S1) and comparison of the overall percentage correct match for pollen biomes versus
vegetation for Canada (Table S2) and Alaska (Table S3).
Table S1 Description of characteristic taxa of biomes used in this study (from
Bigelow et al., 2003).
Biome name
Characteristic Species or Assemblages in Northern
Hemisphere Arctic
Cushion forb tundra
Saxifragaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Papaver, Draba
Graminoid and forb tundra
Artemisia, Kobresia, Brassicaeae, Asteraceae,
Caryophyllaceae, grass, true mosses
Prostrate dwarf-shrub
tundra
Salix, Dryas, Pedicularlis, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae,
grass and sedge
Erect dwarf-shrub tundra
Betula, Salix Vaccinium, Empetrum,, Cassiope, grass
and sedge
Low– and high-shrub
tundra
Alnus, Betula, Salix, Pinus pumila, Eriophorum,
Sphagnum
Cold deciduous forest
Larix, Betula or Populus subg. tremula/tremuloides,
with Pinus pumila
Cold evergreen needleleaved forest
Picea and Abies, with some Pinus, Betula, Populus or
Larix
Cool evergreen needleleaved forest
Pinus strobus, Pinus resinosa, Picea glauca, Pinus
banksiana, Abies balsamea, Acer saccharum
Cool mixed forest
Picea, Pinus, Quercus, Acer, Ulmus
Table S2 Comparison of the overall percentage correct match for pollen biomes
versus vegetation for i) all Canadian sites and ii) the Canadian lake-only sites.
Column 3 shows error due to tundra vegetation shown as forest by the pollen. The
opposite error (forest shown as tundra by pollen) is 100 minus the value in column 3.
Biomization method
i) All Canadian sites
α 4:1:0.25 √
α 4:1:0.25 no √
No Pinus or factors with √
α 3:1:0.33 √
α 4:1:0.25 with C & √
α 3:1:0.33 no √
α 3:1:0.33 with C & √
α 3:1:0.5 √
α 4:1:0.25 with C & no √
α 2:1:0.5 √
α 3:1:0.5 no √
α 3:1:0.5 with C & √
α 3:1:0.33 with C & no √
α 2:1:0.5 no √
α 2:1:0.5 with C & √
α 2:1:0.5 with C & no √
α 3:1:0.5 with C & no √
Original PAIN
C only with √
C only with no √
Biomization method
ii) Canadian lake-only sites
α 4:1:0.25 √
α 4:1:0.25 no √
No Pinus or factors with √
α 3:1:0.33 √
α 4:1:0.25 with C & √
α 3:1:0.33 no √
α 3:1:0.33 with C & √
α 3:1:0.5 √
α 4:1:0.25 with C & no √
α 2:1:0.5 √
α 3:1:0.5 no √
α 3:1:0.5 with C & √
α 3:1:0.33 with C & no √
α 2:1:0.5 no √
α 2:1:0.5 with C & √
Overall success
rate %
Tundra vegetation shown
as forest by the pollen (%)
67.1
66.8
64.7
64.1
63.4
62.0
61.4
60.7
59.0
58.6
57.3
56.9
56.6
55.3
54.9
51.2
51.2
45.8
43.1
39.7
85.6
93.9
94.2
91.5
90.7
95.5
97.4
98.3
96.7
97.5
98.4
98.4
99.2
98.5
99.2
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Overall success
rate %
Tundra vegetation shown as
forest by the pollen (%)
79.1
84.6
83.5
82.4
80.2
82.4
85.7
87.9
81.3
85.7
80.2
81.3
79.1
79.1
79.1
47.4
85.7
73.3
68.8
61.1
93.8
84.6
100.0
94.1
92.3
100.0
94.1
100.0
100.0
94.7
α 2:1:0.5 with C & no √
α 3:1:0.5 with C & no √
Original PAIN √
C only with √
C only with no √
71.4
71.4
70.3
65.9
57.1
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Table S3 Comparison of the overall percentage correct match for pollen biomes
versus vegetation for all Alaskan sites. Column 3 shows error due to tundra
vegetation shown as forest by the pollen. The opposite error (forest shown as tundra
by pollen) is 100 minus the value in column 3.
Biomization method
All Alaskan sites
α 3:1:0.33 no √
α 2:1:0.5 √
α 3:1:0.5 √
Original PAIN √
α 4:1:0.25 no √
α 2:1:0.5 with C & √
α 3:1:0.5 with C & √
No Pinus or factors with √
α 4:1:0.25 with C & no √
α 3:1:0.33 with C & √
α 2:1:0.5 no √
α 3:1:0.5 no √
α 3:1:0.33 with C & no √
α 4:1:0.25 with C & √
C only with √
α 3:1:0.33 √
α 4:1:0.25 √
α 2:1:0.5 with C & no √
α 3:1:0.5 with C & no √
C only with no √
Overall
success
rate %
Tundra vegetation shown
as forest by the pollen
(%)
79.4
79.1
79.1
78.8
78.8
78.8
78.8
78.8
78.5
78.5
78.2
78.2
76.9
76.6
76.3
75.3
73.7
73.7
73.7
66.5
55.4
40.9
40.9
74.6
34.3
71.6
71.6
74.6
76.5
52.9
75.4
75.4
83.6
37.8
93.3
24.4
16.9
92.8
92.8
98.1