Remnants of Ancient Forests

Remnants of Ancient Forests. . , Lycopods are prehistoric plants of this forest. Their origin reveals the rich history of the land. , Discover landscapes of the past. Imagine forests of the future. , , Paleozoic Era , Silurian , , Lycopods Take Root on Land , 443-416 Million Years Ago , A shallow tropical sea filled with life stretches for thousands of miles along both sides of the equator. , , Lycopods are the first vascular plants to emerge from the sea and plant their roots on shore, spreading to all corners of the earth. , , Plants turn the land green, form the first soils, increase oxygen in the atmosphere and prepare the way for animal life. , , Devonian , Forests Shape the Landscape , 416-359 Million Years Ago , The seas recede. The first ferns and seed plants appear. , , Lycopods are larger with strong stems to support branches and leaves. , , Forests thrive in the absence of plant eating animals. , , Carboniferous , Swamp Forests Flourish , 359-299 Million Years Ago , Lycopods grow to heights of 130 feet with trunks 6 feet in diameter., They dominate the landscape for 40 million years., Compressed remains of lycopods are the vast coal deposits of today., Permian , Modern Trees Appear , 299-251 Million Years Ago , A major transition in plant life begins. Conifer life begins and ginkgo forests now flourish. , , Swamp forests dry up as the climate becomes arid and cool., Most lycopods die out. The few that remain are smaller and shrub like. , , Mesozoic Era , Persistence and Adaptation , 250 Million Years Pass , Lycopods survive the great mass extinction., Lycopods are present during the rise and demise of the dinosaurs, the emergence of flowering plants and the expansion of mammals. , , They endure the ice age and the dominance of man. , , Humanity's Great Influence , 2.6 Million Years Ago to Present , , Today, lycopods are commonly called clubmoss. At only a few inches tall they are often mistaken for pine tree seedlings. , , Landscapes continue to change. But at no other time in history, have humans altered the land with such speed and force. , , Find a forest, conserve it, and work to keep it wild. , , "The fate of the forest and the fate of ourselves are one and the same." , Tim Palmer, Trees and Forests of America