| Abstract: | Pollen percentage and influx diagrams were prepared from two cores in Jianghan Plain, and studied by means of Fuzzy cluster and radiocarbon dating. This paper reports that there was a cool-temperate evergreen coniferous forest in late-glacial epoch, representing that the climate was cold and wet. In Holocene, the hypsithernaal interval took place about 9100–3500 year B. P. and the maximum was about 8000 year ago. At that time, the vegetation, was that of an evergreen and deciduous broad-leaf mixed forest, and the climate was warmer and damper than that of present. It also shows that the history of vagetational development and climate chenges in this area in the past 21900 years can be divided into five stages: (1). During 21000--10000 year B. P., the vegetation was one of the cool-temperate evergreen coniferous forest, dominated by Abies. The climate was cold and wet. (2) During 10000–9100 year B. P., the vegetation was that of the coniferous and deciduous broad-leaf mixed forest, consisting of Pinus. Quercus, Ulmus and Liquidambar, with a mild and cool climate. (3) During 9100–3500 year B. P., the mixed forest of evergreen and deciduous broad-leaf was predominant, consisting of Cyclobalanopsis, Fagus, Castanopsis, Castanea, Pterocarya, Quercus and Ulmus. The palaeoecological environment was warm and damp. (4) During 3500–2400 year B. P., there was deciduous broad-leaf, consisting of Quercus, Pterocarya, Liquidambar. and Pinus. The climate was droughter and cooler than that of stage(3). (5) During 2400 year B. P. to present, the broad-leaf forest, consisting of Quercus, Fagus, Liqui-dambar and Castanea, was dominant. The climate was warm and damp. |
