Lowland Floodplain Responses to Extreme Flood Events: Long-Term Studies and Short-Term Microbial Community Response to Water Environment Impacts

Research undertaken since 1995 has shown that changes in saturation (e.g. water levels, total moisture content), pH, and redox potential can signifi cantly effect in situ preservation potential in waterlogged environments (e.g. Caple and Dungworth, 1995; Caple et al., 1997; Hogan et al., 2002; Chapman and Cheetham, 2002; Cheetham, 2004; Corfi eld, 2007; Lillie, 2007; Lillie and Smith, 2007a; 2007b; 2008; Lillie et al., 2008). The range of degradation processes that occur as a result of the disruption of the anaerobic environment which usually characterizes a waterlogged burial environment are complex and diffi cult to quantify. In general, the assumption is that wetter is better, although this may well be an oversimplifi cation.