Hooked: Habits of the Chinese Permian gigantopterid Gigantonoclea

Based upon anatomical evidence, Permian aged gigantopterid fossils are in general reconstructed as climbing or scrambling plants. Gigantonoclea, a genus of adpressed gigantopterid foliage from the Permian of northern China, has been reported to co-occur with hook-like organs that were interpreted as indicating a scrambling/climbing habit. We reinvestigated these hook-like structures and re-evaluated the nature of the co-occurrences in context with the flora preserved in each plant-bearing fossil ‘bed’ in the North China sedimentary succession. New findings show that the species Gigantonoclea hallei probably climbed using specially adapted clusters of compound grappling hook-like shoots borne on the stems. This structural arrangement comprising shoots of hooks is new to the scrambling/climbing concept in gigantopterids. However, a key figured specimen previously reported as showing intermediate hook-tipped leaf morphology on a sole pinnule tip is discounted as such and is reinterpreted as a ‘normal’ pinnule partially hidden under sediment that results in an unusual appearance to this pinnule tip. Adaptations for climbing or scrambling based upon ‘hooked leaves’ observed in Gigantonoclea lagrelii are no longer supported and are reinterpreted as incompletely expanded leaves where the vernation process was interrupted. These data weaken prior interpretations of G. lagrelii as a climber/scrambler and raise doubts about the ubiquity of hooks amongst the gigantopterids as structures enabling them to climb or scramble their way through the Permian world.     

Early Jurassic Flora and Stratigraphy from Shansonggang of Southern Jilin,China

1IntroductionThe Shansonggang Basin, one of the Mesozoic coal-bearing basins in northeastern China, is located in southern Jilin Province, China and covering about 30 km2(Fig.1). The basin is lying in the northwest-ern margin of the Longgang anticline, just opposite to the Yihe Basin which lies in the southeastern margin of the anticline. During 1940s~1970 s, a lot of work on the survey of coal geology was made in the basin, but there has been a little knowledge about the plant fossils…     

中国南方龙潭植物群的生态及乐平煤之沉积环境

作者经对海南岛红树林生态环境及红树林泥炭沉积环境的考察，综合研究了前人已有植物化石的解剖特征和红树林植物解剖特征后，认为龙潭植物群是以真政和种子蕨、楔叶纲、科达纲为主，生长在潮间带和潮上带，具有热带雨林和季雨林特征的一类特殊的类红树林植物群。指出二叠纪龙潭植物群中含有多种与现代红树林植物解剖特征类似的植物化石，其古生态环境应类似于海南岛现代红树林植物群的生态环境。依据二叠纪龙潭煤系中乐平煤的地球化学特征及煤层中所含的海相动物化石，佐证了乐平煤为泥炭坪红树林沼泽沉积环境，其煤层具有较高的生烃潜力。     

The history of Erica erigena R. Ross,an Irish plant with a disjunct European distribution

Scanning electron microscopy combined with pollen, spore, rhizopod and fungal analyses of two peat profiles at Claggan Mountain, Co. Mayo, sheds new light on the Holocene history of Erica erigena in western Ireland. This heather is referred to the Mediterranean-Atlantic group in the Irish flora, and is remarkable for its disjunct distribution in Europe, where it occurs in Ireland, Bordeaux in France, and in Spain and Portugal. Scanning electron microscopy has proved a powerful tool, allowing the unambiguous identification of ericoid pollens to species level and it is used to identify the first occurrence of Erica erigena pollen in the peat profiles. Radiocarbon dating of the profiles shows that Erica erigena is a relatively recent arrival at Claggan Mountain, appearing for the first time in the historic period at 1431 AD. The details of vegetational changes associated with the expansion of E. erigena have been explored by conventional pollen, spore, rhizopod and fungal analyses. Drying of the peat surface and replacement of bog vegetation by ericaceous heathland during a period of marked agricultural activity in the region was associated with its spread. The relatively recent arrival of E. erigena at Claggan Mountain, suggests that introduction might explain its presence here, and its disjunct distribution in Europe. Documented trade and pilgrimage routes between Ireland and those areas in Europe where the heather occurs may have allowed its recent introduction into Ireland. Further pollen analysis work, using SEM techniques, will be required if an earlier occurrence for the heather in Ireland is to be proved. The combination of techniques described here may prove useful in the study of the history of other plants with pollen that is difficult to identify using conventional light microscopy.     

Evaluation of chemical composition changes of surface water in Boguchan Reservoir (Siberia,Russia)

Abstract

Mathematical transformation models of TDS (total dissolved salts) and organic substance concentration as BOD₅ (biochemical oxygen demand) in water of the Angara River and the proposed Boguchan Reservoir have been developed. Having filled the reservoir to a water level of 208 m, in an average year it is shown that increase in surface water mineralization is expected in the cross-section of Boguchan Hydroelectric Power Station giving TDS of up to 20–40 mg/dm³, and values of BOD₅ will increase to 2.0–3.9 mgO₂/dm³. In a low-water year the value of BOD₅ may be as great as 5 mgO₂/dm³; mineralization, in contrast, decreases. Several years after reservoir filling, the values of BOD₅ would decrease, but water quality of the upper part of the reservoir would still depend on the degree of treatment of wastewater discharged to it.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Savichev, O.G. and Matveenko, I.A., 2013. Evaluation of chemical composition changes of surface water in Boguchan Reservoir (Siberia, Russia). Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (3), 706–715.     

内蒙古乌达地区早二叠世植物群和古生态研究

研究的植物化石采自内蒙古乌达地区早二叠世地层,共计11属20种,分属于石松纲、楔叶纲、瓢叶目、真蕨纲、种子蕨纲和苏铁纲。研究结果表明,植物群含有许多华夏植物群分子和地方性分子,为典型的华夏植物群。根据植物群分子的总体组成,植物群的时代为早二叠世,相当于阿瑟尔期(Asselian)、萨克马尔期(Sakmarian)、亚丁斯克期(Artinskian)和空谷期(Kungurian)。在研究植物群的基础上,对植物群的古生态进行了研究,建立了早二叠世Lepidodendron posthumii Paratingia datongensis植物群落。这一植物群落在二叠纪主要分布在沼泽和低地环境,以大量出现的蕨类和种子蕨分子为特征。植物群落为原地保存,借助于化石资料,植物的生活型得以重建,包括乔木、树蕨、灌木和草本。植物群落指示早二叠世本区为温暖潮湿的气候条件。     

毛乌素沙地低湿地维管植物区系特征

运用植物学及植物地理学方法,结合野外实地调查,对毛乌素沙地低湿地植物区系组成、地理成分、生活型及水分生态类群特征进行了分析研究。结果表明,低湿地共有维管植物59科182属323种,其中被子植物占总数的99.07%。单种科、寡种科和单种属、寡种属是低湿地植物区系的主体,是植物区系复杂性及物种多样性的主要来源,寡种属优势明显。中型科属和较大科属虽不占主体,但却往往是构成植物群落的建群种或为植物区系的代表成分,对植物区系的构成及植被的分布格局都有很大的影响。植物区系地理成分多样,温带分布型是低湿地植物区系地理成分的主要组成部分,低湿地植物具有典型的温带特征。低湿地草本植物占数量优势,草本植物以多年生为主,多年生草本植物对低湿地环境影响作用较为明显。低湿地植物地理成分及分布特征也说明气候、环境条件,植物种的生态幅度及其对环境的适应能力对植物地理分布具有决定性影响。     

Comparison of Early Jurassic flora from South Primorye of Russia with its main coeval floras of China

The Early Jurassic flora,with over 42 species of 26 genera and documented in age by sandwiched marine beds,from the Lower Jurassic Schitukhe Formation of South Primorye,Russia,is further reported.The flora is dominated by cycadophytes,ferns and conifers,with some of ginkgoales and czekanowskiales,and characterized by occurrence of Cycadocarpidium,with very rare Coniopteris.A comparison of this flora with its coeval Early Jurassic floras of China is discussed.The Russian flora is considered as the early assemblage of Early Jurassic flora,and more similar to the Early Jurassic floras from the Shansonggang-and Yihe formations of Jilin,Beipiao Formation of Liaoning,and lower-middle Guanyintan Formation of Hunan in China.     

四川盆地北缘达县、开县一带早侏罗世珍珠冲植物群及其古环境

讨论四川盆地北缘（川东）珍珠冲组植物群的组成、特征及时代、鉴定植物化石47属95种，该植物群归于Dictyophyllum-Clathropteris系上部Ptilophyllum-Coniopteris组合，相当于Pliesbachian-Aalenian阶，与瑞典和格陵兰Thaumatopteris带关系密切，还讨论了四川盆地 侏罗纪古气候、沉积环境与成煤关系。