Palaeoclimatic studies in South Shetland Islands,Antarctica, based on numerous stratigraphic variables in lake sediments

The hitherto longest found lake sediment sequence on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, was analysed with respect to lithology, chronology, diatoms, Pediastrum, pollen and spores, mosses, mineralogy, and sediment chemistry. During the ca. 5000 year long development the sediments were influenced by frequent tephra fall-outs. This volcanic impact played a major role in the lake's history during two periods, 4700–4600 and 2800–2500 BP, but was of importance during the lake's entire history with considerable influence on many of the palaeoenvironmentally significant indicators. The large and complex data set was analysed and zonated with different types of multivariate analysis. This resulted in a subdivision of the sequence into 8 time periods and 21 variables. Redundancy analysis (RDA) of this data set, both without and with the tephra periods, and with 4–6 of the variables as explanatory environmental variables, reveal that climatic/environmental signals are detectable. The palaeoclimatic picture that emerged out of the tephra noise suggests that the first 100 years were characterized by mild, humid conditions. This was followed by a less mild and humid climate until ca. 4000 BP when a gradual warming seems to have started, coupled with increased humidity. These mild and humid conditions seem to have reached an optimum slightly after 3000 BP. At ca. 2500 BP a distinct climatic deterioration occurred with colder and drier conditions and long seasons with ice cover. This arid, cold phase probably reached its optimum conditions at ca. 1500 BP, when slightly warmer conditions might have prevailed for a while. Except for the modern sample with rather mild climate, the last 1400 years seem to have been fairly arid and cold, and the effects of the frequent volcanic activity during this period is only vaguely seen in the records.     

Paleolimnological investigations of anthropogenic environmental change in Lake Tanganyika: V. Palynological evidence for deforestation and increased erosion

Pollen spectra from seven short cores taken from deltaic sites in the central and northern parts of Lake Tanganyika provide information about vegetation changes around the lake during the last 5000 years. Pollen analysis was undertaken to understand the history and timing of catchment deforestation and its causal linkage to excess sedimentation and ecosystem change in Lake Tanganyika. The spectra are dominated by grass pollen at all levels in every core. Grass pollen percentage values range between 40 and 80%. Low values of arboreal pollen taxa (1–20%) were documented from most cores except core LT-98-2M. Core LT-98-2M represents the longest duration vegetation record of this study (close to 5000 years BP), and records the onset of increasingly arid conditions in the Late Holocene, especially after 500 A.D., with the probable replacement of forest by open grassland in the Mahale Mountains region. The pollen/spore content for other cores showed a consistent trend of a decrease in grass pollen and an increase in pteridophyte and forest indicator pollen taxa during the last few centuries, contemporaneous with other indications of increased watershed disturbance from forest clearing (especially isotopes and lake faunal change). The timing or strength of this trend is not tied to specific levels of watershed disturbance. However, increasing fern spore abundance does occur progressively later towards the south, where modern human population densities are lower. Although increasing fern spore abundance is consistent with a land-clearing hypothesis, the rising arboreal pollen percentages are seemingly counterintuitive. One possible explanation is that increasing arboreal pollen proportions reflects the recycling of abundant pollen of this type from rapidly eroding soils. Another likely explanation for this finding is that land clearing involved the replacement of miombo woodland, with its mixture of trees producing little pollen and understory grasses producing large amounts of pollen, by the present day cassava, banana, and legume agricultural systems, all of which are poor pollen producers. This shift in catchment vegetation would increase the relative contribution of Afromontane pollen transported long distances from the surrounding highland regions. This hypothesis is consistent with both the lack of correlation of palynological history with specific watershed deforestation attributes, as well as the broader historical record of human habitation in the Lake Tanganyika region. This study also highlights the need for both modern pollen transect data from the region and comparative cores from low elevation swamps or ponds (wetlands) in the region with smaller catchment areas.     

Occurrence of Cladosporium spp. and Alternaria spp. spores in Western, Northern and Central-Eastern Poland in 2004–2006 and relation to some meteorological factors

The concentration of airborne spores of Cladosporium spp. and Alternaria spp. has been investigated at three monitoring stations situated along the west-north and central-east transect in Poland (Szczecin, Olsztyn, Warszawa,) i.e. from a height of 100 m to 149 m above sea level. The aerobiological monitoring of fungal spores was performed by means of three Lanzoni volumetric spore traps.Cladosporium spp. spores were dominant at all the stations. The highest Cladosporium spp. and Alternaria spp. numbers of spores were observed at all the cities in July and August.Statistically significant correlations have been found between the Cladosporium spp. and Alternaria spp. concentration in the air and the mean air temperature, amount of precipitation, air pressure and relative air humidity. The spore count of Cladosporium spp. and Alternaria spp. is determined by the diversity of local flora and weather conditions, especially by the air temperature. The identification of factors, which influence and shape spore concentrations, may significantly improve the current methods of allergy prevention.     

塔里木盆地泥盆系——石炭系界线研究

塔里木盆地泥盆系－石炭系东河塘组,甘木里克组和巴楚组产生丰富的孢子,牙形刺和鱼化石,本文依据古生物地层的最新研究成果,论述了东河塘组和甘木里克组（含砾砂岩段）的时代为晚泥盆世,巴楚组（下泥岩段和生屑灰岩段）的时代限于早石炭世早期,论证了泥盆系一石炭系界线应划在含砾砂岩段和下泥岩段之间。     

浙闽地区早白垩世暗色岩系的孢粉组合与古气候特征

通过定量分析浙闽地区三个典型剖面（浙江象山石浦、松阳枊城下湖源及福建武夷山崇安） 的暗色岩系沉积期的孢 粉化石,研究了早白垩纪浙闽地区的古气侯特征。研究表明,石浦地区孢粉中Pinuspollenites,Podocarpidites,Celtispollenites 和Ulmuspollenites 含量最多,下湖源地区孢粉以Pinuspollenites,Gleicheiniiidites,Classopollis 和Deltoidospora 为主,崇安地区 孢粉以Classopollis,Tracheid,Pinuspollenites 和Podocarpidites 为主。孢粉化石组合表明,石浦地区为亚热带潮湿气候,气候 变化较小;下湖源地区为亚热带潮湿-半潮湿气候,并出现一次变热变干事件;崇安地区为亚热带半干旱气候,但发生过 数次干旱与潮湿交替的气候波动。总体而言,早白垩纪研究区属于亚热带气候,具有潮湿、干旱交替变化、自东而西越来 越干旱的特征。     

苏浙皖交境地区下石炭统金陵组孢粉组合和沉积相研究

苏浙皖交境地区沉积了一套岩性比较稳定的早石炭世地层——金陵组 ,保存于该套地层中的生物化石有腕足类和孢粉化石。孢粉组合中的主要分子 Densosporites、Cymbosporites、Dibolisporites、L ycospora通常分布在早石炭世 ,可与我国许多地区 (如新疆准噶尔盆地滴水泉组 )的孢粉组合对比 ,反映该区金陵组属早石炭世杜内期(Toum aisian)沉积物。综合生物化石和岩石学特征 (包括沉积构造、岩石组分等 )的研究 ,金陵组为海陆交互相沉积环境。     

内蒙古巴林右旗下三叠统幸福之路组化石新发现

下三叠统幸福之路组分布于大兴安岭南部,时代为早三叠世.重新实测了幸福之路组三段建组剖面,采集了孢粉、叶肢介、双壳及植物化石,其中孢粉化石为首次发现.孢粉化石为A lisporites communis-Vittatina costabilis组合,叶肢介为Cyclotun-guzites-Euestheria组合.综合分析孢粉、叶肢介化石组合特征,认为其时代相当于早三叠世早期;幸福之路组孢粉组合在古植物地理区划上与新疆北部晚二叠世—早三叠世孢粉组合关系密切,但也含有华北地台晚二叠世晚期的一些分子,记录了安加拉和华夏两大植物群的交流.幸福之路组与林西组孢粉组合具有明显的连续性.     

Stratigraphy of the Maikop Group and Pteropoda Beds in northern Azerbaijan

Deepwater sections of the Maikop Group (Oligocene-lower Miocene) and overlying lower-middle Miocene sediments are studied near the Perekishkyul Settlement in lower reaches of the Sumgait River, northern Azerbaijan. Several lithological reference levels and the Spiratella (Pteropoda) Beds are used to correlate preliminarily these uniform clayey sections barren of benthic fossils. Based on distribution of the organicwalled and calcareous phytoplankton, spores, pollen and ichthyofossils, the sections are first subdivided in detail and dated. Distinguished in the sections are two regional levels characterizing distortions in the basin hydrological regime during the late Oligocene (level with large Leiosphaeridia and Pterospermella) and Burdigalian (level with dominant dinocysts of the genus Batiacasphaera), and separate intervals with diverse phytoplankton and ichthyofossils. The Tarkhanian sediments are marked by first-appearing oceanic nannoplankton with Sphenolithus heteromorphus and deepwater ichthyofauna with Vinciquerria merklini. The Karaganian is established at the first occurrence level of peculiar endemics (Sardinella karaganica W. Dan. and Mugil karaganicus Swich.) among ichthyofauna.     

Palynostratigraphy of Oligocene-Miocene continental deposits in Southwestern Siberia

Data on spores, pollen, and dinoflagellate cysts studied in composite section of Oligocene-Miocene deposits in southern part of West Siberia are presented. Eleven biostratigraphic units distinguished in the section are ranked as palynozones and beds with palynological assemblages. Palynological data substantiate age of deposits and specify ranges and boundaries of palynozones. Based on dinocyst assemblages first studied in sediments of the Zhuravka and Abrosimovo horizons (upper Oligocene, lower Miocene), the Pseudokomewuia Beds are included into local stratigraphic scheme. According to results of comparative analysis, similar and distinctive features of Oligocene-Miocene dinocyst assemblages from West Siberia, China and North America are elucidated. Based on palynological data, the local stratigraphic scheme of higher resolution is suggested for subdivision of Oligocene and Miocene deposits in southern part of West Siberia (Baraba and Kulunda lithofacies regions).     

关于库车巴什基奇克组时代的讨论

根据近年来对新疆库车前陆盆地及北部坳陷中生代主要储气层巴什基奇克组介形类、轮藻和孢粉化石的研究 ,认为该组主体的地质时代应为早白垩世中期。