Plants living near streams and lakes are more likely to be represented as fossils in the sedimentary deposits than those living in drier environments farther away. However, considering the relative abundance of fossil pollen and plants along with the preferred environments of their nearest living relatives one can make inferences about the patterns of vegetation across this ancient landscape (Meyer, 2003, p. 53).

Algae, free-floating water ferns (Azolla), water lilies in the family Nymphaeaceae, cat-tails (Typha), and pondweed (Potamogeton) indicate a freshwater lake with marshy areas near the shoreline. Fossil leaves and pollen suggest a carpet of deciduous forests surrounding the lakeside and in valley bottoms along riparian zones bordering streams. Beech (Fagopsis), Cedrelospermum, Poplar (Populus), Willow (Salix), Sequoia, and White Cedar or false cypress (Chamaecyparis) trees would be found in these forests near water sources. Smaller trees and shrubs made up the understory of these lush forests including hickory (Carya), maple (Acer), soapberry (Sapindus), raintree (Koelruteria), and Paracarpinus. Epiphytes in these forests included the ferns Lygodium and Selaginella and possibly monocot bromeliads. Forests growing in this basin were humid and damp during the summer. A transition zone between moist forests in the basin and those growing in drier areas along ridges and hills may have been populated by shrubs such as sumac (Rhus), Rosa, serviceberry (Amelanchier), current (Ribes), and bladdernut (Staphylea). Plants such as Mormon tea (Ephedra) and members of the family Amaranthaceae which are drought and salt tolerant plants suggest the existence of salty microenvironments. The upland woodland areas above the Sequoia and deciduous forest were dryer and composed of montane elements such as Pine (Pinus) and Oak (Quercus). Spruce (Picea) and Fir (Abies) most likely occupied cool forest pockets in the draws or
along the higher slopes of the volcano (Leopold & Clay-Poole, 2001, p. 42; Meyer, 2003, p. 53-54; Nudds & Selden, 2008, p. 248).

The life cycles of insects also provide clues to the mosaic of microhabitats that may have existed at Florissant during this time. Dragonfly larvae are often found inhabiting water with vegetation such as cattails, while many caddisfly larvae flourish in streams littered with pebbles. The life cycle of butterflies and bees is completed in terrestrial environments and their presence suggests open areas such as meadows (Meyer, 2003, p. 54). The great diversity of fossils found at Florissant give insights into a mosaic of probable microenvironments found from an ancient lake to the surrounding hills of a volcano.

To a casual observer many of the insects, arachnids, fish, birds, and plants making up the ancient Florissant ecosystem would have looked familiar. Spiders, mayflies, dragonflies, damselflies, ants, termites, flies, beetles, bees, wasps, and butterflies would have looked somewhat familiar. But even the casual observer would be taken aback by the beautiful spoon-winged lacewing Marquettia americana and the large tsete flies whose living relatives are now restricted to the tropics. So too, the rain tree Koelreuteria and tree of heaven Ailanthus whose living relatives are found only in southeast Asia might capture attention. These American “castaways” would have looked out of place. Even the casual observer would be shocked to see the now extinct mammalian fauna including oreodonts, brontotheres, and the three-toed horse Mesohippus.

It is through the hard work of geologists and paleontologists that we gain an insight into casts of characters who interacted within these ancient lake and river ecosystems. The fossil record affords only pieces of the past. Science uses these pieces to work out a puzzle using a system of independent empirical verification. Together, impressions of the past explored by this most important human epistemology work out to be a way for nature to remember itself. Imagination fueled by empirical evidence is a true joy of science!