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

与晚泥盆纪相比，早石炭世（密西西比）的植物区系所知甚少，尤其是与晚石炭世（宾夕法尼亚）的植物区系相比，因为下石炭世的植物区系相对较少。尽管近年来在解剖保存的材料上做了很多工作，但下石炭世压缩的分类仍然很有问题。尽管由于缺乏统一的命名法和统计数据，对欧洲不同地区的植物区系进行比较受到很大的阻碍，但在西欧和中欧，似乎存在着不同类型植物组合的区域分化，至少在维桑时期是这样。在孢粉学关联中也观察到类似的模式。造成这种差异的确切原因尚不清楚。本研究的目的是：(1)建立一个统一的早石炭世植物分类，最好是基于整个植物分类群并包括生物学标准；(2)一旦建立了一个良好的分类框架，将对德国和欧洲其他地区的各种下石炭世植物进行比较。该项目将有助于更好地了解在地球历史上植物生物量积累最多的时期到来的时间间隔内植物区系的区域和生态分化。

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.