The use of climate response surfaces to reconstruct palaeoclimate from Quaternary pollen and plant macrofossil data

Climate response surfaces are described and their advantages for palaeoclimate studies discussed; their potential for bi-directional application is emiphasized. The principal assumptions made when reconstructing past climates from plant fossils are then discussed and the essential attributes of a technique for quantitatively reconstructing palaeoclimate from plant fossil data are outlined. Examples of palaeoclimate reconstructions are described and some of the limitations of pollen data are introduced. Current initiatives aiming to overcome these limitations and difficulties are outlined. Finally, observations are made on the applicability of these techniques to Mesozoic palaeoclimate reconstruction.