Part One Extraction techniques Locating and collecting fossil plants and spores• Extraction of lignitic and fusainized plant fragments from unconsolidated sandy and clay-rich sediments• Extracting plant mesofossils and megafossils by bulk acid maceration• Small palynomorphs• Large palynomorphs and debris• Palynomorph extraction from peat, lignite and coals•Part Two Morphology• Surface preparation of macrofossils (dégagement) • Plant and spore compression in sediments Macrophotography• Light microscopy of fossil pollen and spores• Light microscopy of cuticles• Scanning electron microscopy of megafossils and mesofossils•Part Three Anatomy• The acetate peel technique• Embedding techniques: adhesives and resins• Thin sections and wafering• Polished blocks and reflected light microscopy• Opaque petrifaction techniques• Lignified and charcoalified fossil wood• Fabric analysis and plant anatomy• Biomechanical analysis•Part Four Ultrastructure• The ultrastructure of fossil cuticle• Plant cell walls. • Megaspore ultrastructure• The ultrastructure of fossil pollen and spores•Part Five Geochemistry• Collection and storage of fossil plant remains for organic geochemical analyses• Carbon stable isotope analysis of fossil plants• Pyrolysis and chemolysis of fossil plant remains: applications to palaeobotany• Solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance of fossil plants and spores• Isolation, identification, and authentication of DNA sequences derived from fossil material• Mineralogical and geochemical analyses• Spore colour measurement• Bulk geochemistry as a guide to provenance and diagenesis•Part Six Conservation, databases and protocols• The plant fossil record on the internet• Taxonomic and nomenclatural alternatives • Curation in museum collections•Part Seven Sedimentology, taphonomy and stratigraphy• Experimental sedimentology• Palynofacies analysis• Particle orientation and palaeoenvironments• Coal ball sampling and quantification• Taphonomy: field techniques in modern environments• Palaeosols• Plant macrofossil biostratigraphy• Spore and pollen biostratigraphy•Part Eight Palaeoclimatology• Fossil leaf character states: multivariate analyses• Palaeobotanical databases and palaeoclimate signals• Fossil tree-ring analysis: palaeodendrology• Stomatal density and index: theory and application• Stomatal density and index: the practice• The nearest living relative method•Part Nine Palaeoecology• Palynology/ecology interfaces• Techniques for analysing uncompacted lake sediments• Collection and analysis techniques for palaeoecological studies in coastal-deltaic settings•. Calcareous algae: analytical techniques• Archaeobotany: collecting and analytical techniques for sub-fossils•Dendrochronology•14C dating sub-fossil plant remains •13C/12C in growth rings and leaves: carbon distribution in trees•Techniques in the study of plant-arthropod interactions•Plants and animal diets•Part 10 International laws•International laws: collecting transporting and ownership of fossils•AUSTRALIA•BELGIUM•CANADA•CHINA•FRANCE•THE NETHERLANDS•SOUTH AFRICA•UK•USA•References•Glossary of terms•Appendix: list of commonly used chemicals, equipment, and suppliers•Index