Wealden palaeoecology from the distribution of plant fossils

A delta complex was important both as a source and a transport agency for plant material preserved in the early Cretaceous Wealden rocks of south-east England. The megafossils and larger microfossils are relatively restricted in their distribution in these rocks and are perhaps almost exclusively products of the delta flora. The pollen, small spores and microscopic plant fragments are widely dispersed and may represent the flora of both delta and hinterland. The composition and distribution of some of the delta plant communities are inferred from available data. The structure and development of the pre-angiosperm vegetation as a whole remains, however, largely the subject of speculation. Possible models are presented but whether they are feasible depends not only on the reliability of the plant fossil data but also on the acceptability of certain geological interpretations.