| |
| |
Paleobotany of Australia and New Zealand conifers |
 | | Rainfall was high, but the associated presence of Allocasuarina indicates forest edge conditions, or perhaps disturbance by fire, which removed the canopy long enough for this genus to have a temporary advantage. |
 | | The part of this zone in which Allocasuarina was absent may represent the peak frequency of fires, which were detrimental to Allocasuarina. |
 | | A dramatic increase in rainfall and possibly soil-nutrients seems to have eliminated fire and caused the local replacement of Eucalyptus and Allocasuarina by a podocarp notophyll evergreen vine forest, including Elaeocarpaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Podocarpaceae and, in areas of impeded drainage, palms. |
| www.conifers.org /topics/nz_paleo.htm (1240 words) |
|