AI-based automatic pollen counts from palaolake Kieshofer Moor, NE Germany

Palaeolake Kieshofer Moor, near Greifswald in Northeastern Germany, was the first study site for palaeoecological research in the region, with the first pollen record presented in the 1920s. This new, high-resolution pollen record has been produced to update the palaeoecological research from the area. Samples were taken from two sediment records (KM23B and KM23C), which were cored at a distance of 1 m from the centre of the palaeolake in 2023. The record covers the later part of the Weichselian Lateglacial and the Holocene, with the exception of the past around 1000 years. Pollen samples were taken continuously in 1 cm distance. The samples were prepared using standard palynological methods. For pollen analysis, sample slides were scanned using a motorised light microscope, and the images were analysed automatically using the AI-based approach TOFSI. To validate the results, the pollen record was compared with the manually counted record KM1 from the same site. For pollen analysis, sample slides were scanned using a motorised light microscope, and the images were analysed automatically using the AI-based approach TOFS.