Ecological gradients within a Pennsylvanian mire forest

Abstract

Research Article| May 01, 2007 Ecological gradients within a Pennsylvanian mire forest William A. DiMichele; William A. DiMichele 1Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Howard J. Falcon-Lang; Howard J. Falcon-Lang 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar W. John Nelson; W. John Nelson 3lllinois State Geological Survey, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Scott D. Elrick; Scott D. Elrick 3lllinois State Geological Survey, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Philip R. Ames Philip R. Ames 4Black Beauty Coal Company, Evansville, Indiana 47715, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information William A. DiMichele 1Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA Howard J. Falcon-Lang 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK W. John Nelson 3lllinois State Geological Survey, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA Scott D. Elrick 3lllinois State Geological Survey, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA Philip R. Ames 4Black Beauty Coal Company, Evansville, Indiana 47715, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 23 Oct 2006 Revision Received: 13 Dec 2006 Accepted: 17 Dec 2006 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2007) 35 (5): 415–418. https://doi.org/10.1130/G23472A.1 Article history Received: 23 Oct 2006 Revision Received: 13 Dec 2006 Accepted: 17 Dec 2006 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation William A. DiMichele, Howard J. Falcon-Lang, W. John Nelson, Scott D. Elrick, Philip R. Ames; Ecological gradients within a Pennsylvanian mire forest. Geology 2007;; 35 (5): 415–418. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G23472A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Pennsylvanian coals represent remains of the earliest peat-forming rain forests, but there is no current consensus on forest ecology. Localized studies of fossil forests suggest intermixture of taxa (heterogeneity), while, in contrast, coal ball and palynological analyses imply the existence of pronounced ecological gradients. Here, we report the discovery of a spectacular fossil forest preserved over ∼1000 ha on top of the Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) Herrin (No. 6) Coal of Illinois, United States. The forest was abruptly drowned when fault movement dropped a segment of coastal mire below sea level. In the largest study of its kind to date, forest composition is statistically analyzed within a well-constrained paleogeographic context. Findings resolve apparent conflicts in models of Pennsylvanian mire ecology by confirming the existence of forest heterogeneity at the local scale, while additionally demonstrating the emergence of ecological gradients at landscape scale. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.