Accumulations of Fruits and Seeds in Three Small Sedimentary Environments in Southern England and Their Palaeoecological Implications

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Abstract
Previous work on accumulation of plant material in modern depositional environments is summarized and data from studies of three lake sediment samples, one river sediment sample and one river embayment surface floating sample are presented. The lake sediment sample away from the direct influence of an input stream but within a zone of marginal aquatic vegetation, is shown to provide the most authentic representation of the plant community within which it was deposited. The sediment contained an abundant and diverse assemblage of potential macrofossils from aquatic and marginal aquatic plants. It also contained scant evidence of the existence of another plant community within the lake catchment. Details of this community were only revealed by the lake sediment sample within the area influenced by the inflow stream. This and samples from other depositional environments contained confusing mixtures of potential macrofossils from local and regional vegetation. Sediment samples containing only thick walled, durable plant material are considered to be the result of selective biodegradation. Under the conditions described here abrasion is considered to have no significant effect on potential macrofossils. Various ways in which the data obtained from this study may assist in the interpretation of plant fossil assemblages are considered.