Appearance and Spread of Modern Forests in Asia and North America – #365papers – 2017 – 72

#365papers for March 13, 2017

Baskin and Baskin, 2016. Origins and relationships of the mixed mesophytic forest of Oregon-Idaho, China, and Kentucky: Review and synthesis: Annals of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, v. 101, p. 525-552.

What’s it about?

Modern forests of North America and Asia are remarkably similar in the species of trees present, but there is no obvious connection between the two. This paper discusses the lead hypotheses to explain the similarities

Why does it matter?

Understanding how plant communities come be be where they are help us know what environmental variables drive plant adaptation and migration.

Why did I read this?

This is one of many papers I picked up while working on a grant proposal. The proposal includes pollen analysis and I was looking for middle Eocene sites in North America. The Clarno Nut Beds of Oregon are one such locality, and are discussed in this paper.