Freeze tolerance influenced forest cover and hydrology during the Pennsylvanian

Abstract

Significance Computer-assisted studies of natural history that consider extinct plant function contribute to the understanding of how Paleozoic glacial cycles controlled the distribution of forest cover and continental surface erosion. Simulated plant water balance supports widespread vegetation during the late Paleozoic ice age (LPIA). However, physiological inference suggests that plant freezing limited the geographic distribution of vegetation. Assuming LPIA plants had limited freeze tolerance, we found that increased surface runoff could have contributed to late Paleozoic climate change. Modeling that combines deep time climate reconstructions and paleobotanical data improves understanding of past Earth systems, which can help project future change.