Sprecher
Beschreibung
The present study documents a macrofloral assemblage from Eriksdal in southern Sweden. The assemblage includes leaves, seeds, pollen-bearing microsporangia, wood, roots and is complemented by palynological and sedimentological analyses to provide a comprehensive paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the site. Our results indicate forests dominated by ginkgophytes and mixed-conifers (cypress, cheirolepids, araucarias) with ferns as understory components. Of particular significance is the identification of a leaf bed interpreted as an autumn fall of ginkgo foliage, associated with seeds exhibiting preservation of organic seed coat tissue. UV fluorescence microscopy and SEM were employed for characterization of selected macrofloral remains. Integrated sedimentological and palaeobotanical data indicate that this plant assemblage developed in a floodplain under warm and humid climatic conditions during the Bajocian. These findings advance our understanding of past terrestrial ecosystems in southern Scandinavia, offering a deep-time perspective on vegetation–climate interactions in Northern Europe.
Furthermore, drawing upon principles of paleophysiology, we present a comparative analysis of stomatal responses between several extant plants cultivated under experimentally elevated CO2 concentrations and their ancient Mesozoic relatives. Specifically, fossilized leaves of Ginkgoites regnelli from Eriksdal were examined and compared with those of extant Ginkgo biloba grown under elevated CO2 regimes designed to mimic Mesozoic atmospheric conditions. Through this innovative approach, we aim to provide insights into stomatal physiology, which constitutes the current base of several paleoatmospheric CO2 proxies