: 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.
: Research indicates that from roughly 60,000 to 48,000 years ago , the landscape was dominated by a boreal forest featuring cold-temperate wood taxa and steppe components.
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. 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
: 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. : As the climate cooled toward the Last
: During warmer, wet interstadials, the expansion of trees promoted landscape stability and active soil development.
In scientific and paleoclimatic research, the "AUEL - Frozen Forests" typically refers to the (a volcanic crater lake) located in the Eifel region of Germany. This site has become a cornerstone of the ELSA-Project (Eifel Laminated Sediment Archive) , providing a high-resolution window into the climatic and ecological history of Central Europe over the last 60,000 years. The Auel Archive: A Paleoclimatic Deep-Dive These markers prove that the "frozen forests" of
The Auel records highlight how vegetation cover dictates landscape stability.