The Fossils Forests of Antarctica: What Do They Mean for the Future of the Polaris Regions?

Dr. Erik Gulbranson, Visiting Assistant Professor of Geology

Antarctica in the present is ice-covered, with about 1% of the land area exposed above glacial ice.  Terrestrial ecosystems are sparse and no true forested ecosystem currently exists at the southern polar region.  The geologic past of Antarctica, however, reveals a much richer history of terrestrial ecosystems with numerous examples of forests having developed, from ~14 million years ago to ~300 million years ago.  Dr. Gulbranson will present an overview of these forested ecosystems; how they discover them; what they have learned about them; and how these ecosystems inform us about the significance of life on the land near the Earth's polar regions.

Meal served at 11:30am
Lecture begins at noon

$8.00 for Arboretum members
$9.00 for non-members

For questions, please contact us at: arboretum@gustavus.edu or 507-933-6181