Bondarenko O.V., Utescher T.
Botanica Pacifica: a journal of plant science and conservation 2026; 15(1): 3-21
Based on a comprehensive analysis of 240 micro- and macrofloras, the reconstruction of zonal vegetation across the paleocontinent Asia for the early, middle, and late Eocene has been performed, refining the model of a homogeneous "green belt." This belt was dominated by Mixed Mesophytic Forests (MMF), a unique biome without modern analogues, characterized by a balanced composition of broad-leaved deciduous (44.3-77.6 %) and evergreen (14.9-29.9 %) taxa. This biome extended into high Arctic latitudes (>75°N), indicating an exceptionally weak meridional temperature gradient during the early Paleogene. Clear latitudinal differentiation was observed: the proportion of evergreen elements increased southward, forming an MMF / Broad-Leaved Evergreen Forest (BLEF) ecotone and pure BLEF south of ~50°N. In central continental regions, a low content of sclerophytic components was noted, suggesting that lithological data on aridity reflect a mosaic of seasonally dry forests and open patches rather than a continuous zonal desert...
