Palynology of sheep's faeces: relationship between pollen content, diet and local pollen rain

Pollen analysis was made of sheep's faecal pellets, collected at various times during the period 1974–1977 from a paddock and from pastures, both near Bergen in western Norway. The results are compared with the available data for the seasonal pollen rain from the same area. No relationship was found between the pollen rain composition and the pollen content of dry fodder samples, harvested in the same area. Pollen analysis of faeces provide virtually no information about the quantitative composition of the vegetation of the sheep's environment, but do provide valuable information about their diet.