The study of fossil and recent pollen, pollen analysis or palynology, is a field of botany with an interdisciplinary focus. Pollen analysis is primarily used to reconstruct the vegetation history of the Ice Age. It can reveal climatic and anthropogenic influences on the development of plant cover. Not only botanists, palaeoclimatologists and archaeologists benefit from the interdisciplinary orientation of palynology, but also palaeoecologists, geologists, palaeontologists, geographers, forestry scientists and soil scientists. Pollen analysis is also used in bee and honey research, in pollen count forecasting, which is important in the field of allergology, and in criminal investigations in federal and state criminal investigation departments. Pollen analysis studies are mainly carried out at botanical, archaeological, geological and geographical university institutes as well as at state institutes, state offices for the preservation of historical monuments, state geological offices and museums.

The "Guide to Pollen Identification" is the first work on pollen identification to cover the entire flora of Central Europe including the Alps. Important species from southern, western and northern Europe have also been included. Books covers the entire European Ice Age (Quaternary) and the final phase of the Tertiary (Pliocene).

The examination of 2500 plant species resulted in 586 identifiable pollen types. The book contains extensive identification keys and detailed descriptions for the individual pollen types, which are documented on 120 full-page photo plates, most of which are magnified 1000 times.

Hans-Jürgen Beug is Professor of Palynology at the University of Göttingen and was Director of the Institute of Palynology and Quaternary Sciences until his retirement.