Heterogeneous occurrence of evergreen broad-leaved forests in East Asia: Evidence from plant fossils.

ABSTRACT: Evergreen broad-leaved forests (EBLFs) are widely distributed in East Asia and play a vital role in ecosystem stability. The occurrence of these forests in East Asia has been a subject of debate across various disciplines. In this study, we explored the occurrence of East Asian EBLFs from a paleobotanical perspective. By collecting plant fossils from four regions in East Asia, we have established the evolutionary history of EBLFs. Through floral similarity analysis and paleoclimatic reconstruction, we have revealed a diverse spatio-temporal pattern for the occurrence of EBLFs in East Asia. The earliest occurrence of EBLFs in southern China can be traced back to the middle Eocene, followed by southwestern China during the late Eocene-early Oligocene. Subsequently, EBLFs emerged in Japan dur

SUBMITTER: Zhao J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11873578 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature