Where did all the trees go ?
by Chris, 30 May, 2020, 0 comments
In terms of a ‘head count’ of tree species, Europe does not do well when compared to Asia or North America. There are approximately five hundred tree species scattered across Europe, whereas Asia and North America are home to some thousand species each. There is fossil evidence that tree species such as Liquadambar (Sweet Gums) and Liriodendron (Tulip tree) once lived here. So one might ask why did they disappear?
The answer may be due a combination of glaciation and topography. During the late Pliocene period, the global climate cooled and massive glaciers began to extend across the Earth’s surface. Glacial and interglacial periods followed in the Pleistocene or Quaternary Period; sometimes referred to as the Ice Age. As the glaciers moved relentlessly south, so plants (and animals) had to move Read more...
