Conservation cases

Fossil forests are very rare, they are trees preserved in the original standing upright position. Such a forest was found in Bkkbrny, Hungary in 2007. Bkkbrny is a village in North-Hungary, situated in the foothills of the Bkk Mountains; once it was on the shore of the Pannon sea. "The Pannonian Sea was a shallow ancient sea located in the area today known as the Pannonian Plain in Central Europe. The Pannonian Sea existed during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. " (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannonian_Sea) The water level 7 millions years ago suddenly rose, drowned also the forest near the shore. An inundation must have occurred which permitted the abrupt sedimentation of huge amounts of sands and consequently the preservation of the stumps. The forest was found in a opencast lignite mine, in 60 m depth, only in an 50 x 100 m area. The lignite seams extend to 10 m and are overlain by sand layers of up to 60 m formed during the Late Miocene. It is overlain by 56 m of grey sands, which is followed by Pannonian and Pleistocene sands, aleurites and gravels. Sand of a prograding delta covered the landscape, preserving the trunks in waterlogged condition. There were discovered 16 swamp cypress (Taxodium) trunks of Miocene age (probably Taxodium distichum). The trees were covered by a sandstorm up to a height of 6 meters (from the originally 30-40 m), and their trunks were preserved intact, without fossilization of the wood. The find is unique in Europe, since trees this old have never been found in their original state and original place before. They are 1,5-3 m large of diameters, some of them can reach 10 tons. At the moment of the waterlogging they were about 300-400 years old. The upper part of the stumps (from a height of ~5 m) either did not get buried or later became exposed and was degraded. For 7 million years oxygen-free, bacteria-free, upwards percolating groundwater preserved the trees and particulate organic matter. For the first sight the trees looked like normal, but a closer observation showed decortication and degradation by various biotic and abiotic factors as fungi, animals, climatic factors. Living Cupressaceae (esp. Taxodium) are known to resist wood-degrading fungi and wood-borer insects. Despite this, "the trunks all indicated a basally buttressed form and showed lobed xylem in cross section . In most cases the central (3050 cm) part of the xylem was not retained due to heartrot. The cavity inside the stumps was often lled with the grey sand that embedded the stumps. The basal part of the stumps were embedded in the underlying lignitic layers. Roots attached to the stumps could not be recognized, possibly these are not retained." Stems has been permanently below groundwater level for 7 million years. In the summer of 2007, while excavation work progressed, trees stood in summer heat, under direct sunlight, starting to dry, got fractured and contracted, producing thin peels . Unfortunately in this way we've lost 6 trees. To understand the underwater bacterial decay the researchers were mapping of patterns s by X-ray computer tomography and identified decaying agents by scanning electron microscope. 3 of them for polish proposal they tried to conserv with sugar tincture, adding various chemicals against the mildew and acid-formations. This will act the part of the lost cellulose. They are exhibited under a glass-bell. Seems that that was the best choise to conservation. 1 tree is exhibited under water, in a tank, with some windows to look inside. The other 6, as first step they blew out the sand from the trunks with a compressor. After this in the spongy tree body injected a special glue, what after drying becomes colourless, waterproof, and as solid as the wood. ...There the polymer, mixing with the intercellular water, will diffuse to the surface of the fibres. The size of the molecule will prevent polymer from getting into the inside of the cells. Among the macromolecules having been absorbed to the surface not only secondary, but also primary bonds will be

established to the effect of the space netting component in the wet substance." They could be exhibited outdoors. But as some paleobotanical said, they are not anymore fossils. The glue doesnt change the structure, the stems, but changes the whole concept, and contrary to the mentioned first 3 pieces, are not anymore "live" wood and can be examinated for researches. For all the citations and other pictures: http://osmaradvanyok.hu/index.php?p=kutatasok-oktatas under "Nvnymaradvnyok - Bkkbrnyi fk" http://pannontenger.hu/index.php/a-mocsari-ciprusok-toertenete