Abundance of Ericaceae pollen over time as proportion of overall pollen counts in sediment chronosequences in Madagascar. Data shown were summarised manually from 11 studies that recorded Ericaceae (see Suppl. material 3), varying in temporal extent and resolution. Only one study (Virah-Sawmy 2009b) identified Erica pollen to genus (Vaccinium, also identified, is not shown here). All other studies identified Ericaceae pollen only to family level. Data shown for Gasse & Van Campo (1998) are for “pollen group P1”, in which Ericaceae was the dominant taxon, and data for Virah-Sawmy (2009a) are for a pollen group grouping Erica with Vaccinium, Asteraceae, Helichrysum and graminoids. Data from Straka (1996) have only few calibration points and also include fern spores and aquatics in the total counts.