Auel - Frozen Forests -

: Insights from these ancient forests are often used in modern ecological research to understand the resilience of coppice forests and other European woodland types in the face of modern climate change. Coppice Forests in Europe

The Auel sediment cores are vital for reconstructing "frozen" or glacial-era landscapes. Unlike many other sites, the Auel maar contains laminated (layered) sediments that acted as a natural trap, preserving pollen, spores, and chemical proxies of the surrounding environment. AUEL - Frozen Forests

: As the climate cooled toward the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) , the landscape underwent a "stepwise" change from these dense forests toward a "glacial desert" after 26,000 years ago. : Insights from these ancient forests are often

: During warmer, wet interstadials, the expansion of trees promoted landscape stability and active soil development. : As the climate cooled toward the Last

: The data suggests that Neanderthals and later Anatomically Modern Humans were attracted to these areas by the abundant food supply. Crucially, researchers from the Nature journal study conclude that megafauna were not "overkilled" by humans but were instead victims of the drastic vegetation shifts caused by climate change. Ecological Resilience

One of the most significant findings from the Auel site involves the presence of (spores that grow on animal dung like Sordaria and Sporormiella ). These markers prove that the "frozen forests" of the Eifel were never empty.

: Large mammals (megafauna) actually reached higher numbers during colder stadial climates, likely because the shift from dense forest to open steppe provided more grazing material.