New Zealand Journal of Botany abstract

A macrofossil flora from sediments in a lagoon marginal to Lake Coleridge, Canterbury, New Zealand

C. J. BURROWS

Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch, New Zealand.

Abstract  Macrofossils from woody plants and a radiocarbon date (conventional radiocarbon age 7273 +/- 104 yr B.P.) from the bottom sediments in a lagoon marginal to Lake Coleridge indicate that mixed podocarp-angiosperm forest was present in the middle Rakaia River basin during most of the Aranuian (post-glacial) period. Among the forest species at Lake Coleridge were some (Prumnopitys taxifolia, Elaeocarpus hookerianus, and Melicope simplex) not present there now and only sparsely represented now anywhere in the middle Rakaia basin. Other aspects of forest history in the region are considered, including changes during the Aranuian and widespread destruction by fire within the last few centuries.

Keywords  Middle Rakaia River basin; fossil seeds; leaves; Prumnopitys taxifolia; Aranuian; fire

New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1995, Vol. 33: 519-522

0028-825X/95/3304-519 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1995

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (228K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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