Abstract. High-altitude cushion peatlands are versatile archives for high-resolution palaeoenvironmental studies, due to their high accumulation rates, range of proxies, and sensitivity to climatic and/or human-induced changes. Especially within the Central Andes, the knowledge about climate conditions during the Holocene is limited. In this study, we present the environmental and climatic history for the last 2100 years of Cerro Tuzgle peatland (CTP), located in the dry Puna of NW Argentina, based on a multi-proxy approach. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), stable isotope and element content analyses (δ13C, δ15N, TN and TOC) were conducted to analyse the inorganic geochemistry throughout the sequence, revealing changes in the peatlands' past redox conditions. Pollen assemblages give an insight into substantial environmental changes on a regional scale. The palaeoclimate varied significantly during the last 2100 years. The results reflect prominent late Holocene climate anomalies and provide evidence that in situ moisture changes were coupled to the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). A period of sustained dry conditions prevailed from around 150 BC to around AD 150. A more humid phase dominated between AD 200 and AD 550. Afterwards, the climate was characterised by changes between drier and wetter conditions, with droughts at around AD 650–800 and AD  1000–1100. Volcanic forcing at the beginning of the 19th century (1815 Tambora eruption) seems to have had an impact on climatic settings in the Central Andes. In the past, the peatland recovered from climatic perturbations. Today, CTP is heavily degraded by human interventions, and the peat deposit is becoming increasingly susceptible to erosion and incision.

The palynological characterisation of 157 honey samples from three northwest regions of Argentina (Prepuna, Yungas and Chaco) are presented to determine their botanical origin and species associations to be able to define their geographic origin. Samples were harvested during 2003-2011 and processed by means of melissopalynological conventional techniques. Onehundred and nine pollen types were identified. Representative pollen types with a frequency of occurrence greater than 50% in descending order of importance are: Salix humboldtiana, Allophylus edulis, Baccharis, Solanaceae, Eucalyptus, Schinus, Brassicaceae, Papilionoideae, Celtis, Scutia/Condalia-type and Parapiptadenia excelsa. The most important monofloral honeys are from the following: Salix humboldtiana, Scutia/Condalia-type, Allophylus edulis, Baccharis, Blepharocalyx salicifolius, Gleditsia amorphoides, Myrtaceae, Sicyos, Ziziphus mistol, Schinopsis-type, Agonandra excelsa, Anadenathera colubrina, Mimosa, all of them native species, and among introduced species are Eucalyptus, Citrus and Tithonia. Three apicultural zones and their corresponding pollen association indicators were determined:

600 to 130 cal. yr BP. Temporal changes in the match to South American Summer Monsoon (SASM) reconstructions suggest impacts of other large-scale atmospheric variability modes or a different SASM expression at our southerly location.

Con la finalidad de conocer los recursos tróficos utilizados por Plebeia intermedia, una melipona de uso frecuente en la localidad de Baritú (22° 28’ 54,1” S; 64° 45’ 39,4” O; 1546 msnm), se efectuó el análisis polínico de diez muestras de miel colectadas en septiembre y octubre de 2011 y enero de 2012. Los exámenes cualitativos revelaron una cierta especialización de estas abejas por utilizar plantas nativas, de hábito arbóreo y con flores reunidas en inflorescencias abundantes (floraciones en masa). Los tipos polínicos dominantes presentes en las mieles monoflorales corresponden a las especies arbóreas Allophylus edulis (Sapindaceae), Blepharocalyx salicifolius (Myrtaceae) y Myrcianthes pseudomato (Myrtaceae), seguidos por Handroanthus ochraceus (Bignoniaceae), Ilex argentina (Aquifoliaceae), Parapiptadenia excelsa (Leguminosae) y Sambucus peruviana (Adoxaceae). Otros tipos polínicos observados en las muestras, con clases de frecuencia de menor importancia o secundario, fueron Eupatorium (Compositae), Senecio (Compositae), Paullinia (Sapindaceae) y pólenes de las familias Boraginaceae y Rhamnaceae. Los análisis efectuados en las mieles de Plebeia intermedia y los resultados obtenidos en este estudio, constituyen los primeros datos sobre los recursos tróficos utilizados por esta especie de melipona en el período primavera - verano

Con el objetivo de conocer los recursos nectaríferos utilizados por Apis mellifera L. en el sector oeste de las Yungas, se examinaron 14 muestras de miel inmadura y dos de miel madura correspondientes a los períodos apícolas 2011–2012 y 2012–2013, pertenecientes a un apiario de la localidad de Tilquiza (Jujuy). Las muestras fueron procesadas de acuerdo a las técnicas melisopalinológicas convencionales con posterior acetólisis. Se identificaron un total de 53 tipos polínicos pertenecientes a 31 familias botánicas, siendo las familias con mayor riqueza polínica Asteraceae y Fabaceae. Se identificaron como recursos dominantes a Crinodendron tucumanum en setiembre de 2011, Blepharocalyx salicifolius en noviembre y diciembre de 2011 y al tipo Scutia/Condalia en octubre de 2012. Como aportes secundarios se registraron a Allophylus edulis, Zanthoxylum, Parapiptadenia excelsa, Baccharis, Gnaphalium, Eucalyptus y tipo Cissus, destacándose la influencia de la flora nativa de las Yungas. A partir de este estudio se pudo conocer la dinámica del ingreso de néctar a la colmena y valorar aquellos recursos que no se encuentran presentes en las mieles maduras y que son de importancia para el desarrollo de la colmena.

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The demand of honey with defined quality has increased around the world; therefore, an adequate description of the traceability and authenticity of honeys is necessary. The pollen and physicochemical characteristics of 58 honey samples collected from five different environmental units (EUs) of the Jujuy province (Argentine) were determined, in order to differentiate them by geographical origin through the application of chemometric methods. A qualitative pollen analysis was performed by microscopy. The physicochemical characteristics were determined by Association of Official Analytical Chemists methods. Correspondence analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were performed. Forty‐five per cent of honeys were monofloral; nearly half of them correspond to native species—among which, Salix humboldtiana, Baccharis sp. and Ziziphus mistol stood out. Physicochemical and microbiological analysis showed acceptable quality for honeys. CA characterized significantly honeys from four different EUs using all pollen data. While forward stepwise coupled to LDA identified 14 significant variables to build a discriminatory model with three significant discriminant functions, a cumulative variance of 94% was reached. Thus, 86% of the samples were correctly classified. PCA and LDA applied to physicochemical data allowed to distinguish three different groups with a significant function (p < 0.01) that explained 90% of the total variability. Honey corresponding to EU III Subandean Hills of Santa Bárbara was the most accurately classified by pollen and physicochemical data. The application of chemometric methods to pollen data and physicochemical parameters may be a useful tool to determine honey geographical origin. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.