Lower Carboniferous floras from Northwest and Central Europe: differentation and modernization

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Early Carboniferous (Mississippian) floras are rather poorly known in comparison to Late Devonian and especially in comparison to Late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) floras, because Lower Carboniferous floras are comparatively rare. Although much work has been done in recent years on anatomically preserved material, the classification of Lower Carboniferous compression remains is still very problematic. Although comparisons of floras from various parts of Europe are strongly hampered by the lack of a uniform nomenclature and statistical data are not available yet, within western and central Europe a regional differentiation into different types of floral assemblages seems to exist, at least during the Visean. Similar patterns have been observed in palynological associations. The exact reasons for this differentiation are not clear. The aims of this study are: (1) the establishment of a uniform classification of Early Carboniferous plants, preferably based on whole plant taxa and including biological criteria, (2) once a good taxonomic framework has been established, comparisons between the various Lower Carboniferous occurrences in Germany and other parts of Europe will be made. This project should contribute to a better understanding of regional and ecological differentiation of floras during a time interval that is the advent of the period characterized by the largest accumulation of plant biomass in Earth history.