This book brings together for the first time the published information on the Quaternary cold stage flora of over 80 sites in Britain and Ireland to present a factual cold stage flora from the fossil record. The data provides a basis for an interpretation of the flora, vegetation and environments of some of the most extraordinary periods in the earth's most recent history, now only seen in the imperfect mirror of today's Arctic. This important study aims to reveal the nature of an environment, relatively stable, but totally different to that of today. As such it will be significant not only to those interested in the Quaternary, but also to a wider audience of those studying the present flora, fauna and environment, including climate and climatic change. Includes a CD-ROM with a database of the cold stage flora in searchable format.
Table of contents:
Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Geological setting; 3. Sedimentary environments and taphonomy; 4. The data tables; 5. The sites; 6. Identification of the flora; 7. The flora; 8. Representation of taxa in the fossil record; 9. Biological aspects of the cold stage flora; 10. Habitats of the cold stages; 11. The present distribution of taxa found fossil; 12. The vegetation: types and their flora; 13. Evidence of climate; 14. A wider view of cold stage biota; 15. Origin and fate of the cold stage stadial flora; 16. A final word; References; Appendix - Works consulted in the identification of macroscopic remains.
This book brings together fossil record information on the glacial stage flora of Britain and Ireland. Using this data, the author provides an interpretation of the environments found during some of the most extraordinary periods in the earth's most recent history.
Provides an interpretation of past environments through the analysis of the plant fossil record.
Table of contents:
Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Geological setting; 3. Sedimentary environments and taphonomy; 4. The data tables; 5. The sites; 6. Identification of the flora; 7. The flora; 8. Representation of taxa in the fossil record; 9. Biological aspects of the cold stage flora; 10. Habitats of the cold stages; 11. The present distribution of taxa found fossil; 12. The vegetation: types and their flora; 13. Evidence of climate; 14. A wider view of cold stage biota; 15. Origin and fate of the cold stage stadial flora; 16. A final word; References; Appendix - Works consulted in the identification of macroscopic remains.
This book brings together fossil record information on the glacial stage flora of Britain and Ireland. Using this data, the author provides an interpretation of the environments found during some of the most extraordinary periods in the earth's most recent history.
Provides an interpretation of past environments through the analysis of the plant fossil record.