Structure of the 7 Ma Bükkábrány fossil forest in Hungary

Kázmér, Miklós (2011) Structure of the 7 Ma Bükkábrány fossil forest in Hungary. Japanese Journal of Historical Botany, 19 (1-2). pp. 47-54. ISSN 0915-003X

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Abstract

An in situ late Miocene (Pannonian) fossil forest preserved as wood has been uncovered at Bükkábrány, Hungary. Excavation within the open-pit mine revealed 16 stumps that ranged from 1.8 to 3.6 m in diameter at the base and up to 6 m in height preserved atop a 16 m thick coal seam. A relative change in the elevation of Lake Pannon appears to have drowned the forest about 7 Ma ago. Sand deposited as part of a prograding delta covered the landscape and preserved the trunks in a waterlogged condition. Forest stand density was 36 stems per hectare. The trees grew 3 to 16 m apart. Their diameter at breast height ranged from 137 to 248 cm. Stem basal area varied from 3.46 to 8.44 m2 per tree, yielding a forest basal area of 240 m2/ha. The tree height was probably 44 to 52 m and the stem volume ranged from 44 to 125 m3. The total biomass of 1400 t/ha is estimated for the Miocene Bükkábrány forest. The net annual primary production was in the range of 2.8 t/ha.

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