| Comments |
P.579 left column top paragraph: "There are approximately 630 conifer species, representing about 70 currently recognized genera, which dominate many terrestrial ecosystems, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. Conifers also dominated both before and after the major mass extinction events at the end of the Permian and Cretaceous periods, around 250 and 65 Myr ago, respectively. Conifers are of immense ecological and economic value, coniferous forests cover enormous areas in the Northern Hemisphere, and conifers are keystone species in many other ecosystems. Conifers contribute a large fraction of terrestrial photosynthesis and biomass, and the cultural and economic values of conifers are also paramount, early civilizations used conifers for firewood, tools and artefacts and today several national economies depend on commodities produced from conifers." |