Database-based Eco-Plant analysis for Mesozoic dispersed sporomorphs

Abstract

Patterns of community assemblage for plants are associated with particular climatic elements such as water, heat, light, and air. The classification based on these plant assemblages is referred to here as the ecogroup of plants (Eco-Plant), whereas the method of analysing palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate variation by using Eco-Plant is called the Eco-Plant model. The online database Sporopollen was created to quickly assign eco-climatic traits to quantitative fossil sporomorph data to assess implications for past vegetation patterns and climatic changes. A user-friendly interface has been created, where users can upload their data to the database and in return get immediate results. This database can automatically link all Mesozoic and Cenozoic sporomorphs to their putative parent plants at phylum, order, or family level. It can also automatically link all Triassic and Jurassic sporomorphs to Eco-Plant groups to assess the effect of humidity (EPH) and the effect of temperature (EPT). • The Eco-Plant model allows to reconstruction of relative Triassic and Jurassic humidity and temperature changes. • A useful tool for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. • A useful tool for (high-resolution) palynological studies.

Keywords

• Botanical affinity
• Ecogroup
• Palaeoenvironment
• Palaeoclimate
• Palaeoecology
• Sporopollen