PALYNOLOGICAL RECORDS ON DEEP-SEA SEDIMENTS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND ITS PALEOENVIRONMENT

Based on the sporopollen and algae research of the deep-sea sediments at core 69 in the South China Sea, five sporopollen zones have been distinguished in ascending order as follows:
Zone 1(552.5~470 cm):Quercus(evergreen)-Pinus-Cyathea-Artemisia;
Zone 2(470~350 cm):Pinus-Podocarpus-Quercus-Polypodiaceae;
Zone 3(350~250 cm):Quercus(evergreen)-Castanopsis-Pinus-Polypodiaceae;
Zone 4(250~140 cm):Pinus-Podocarpus-Artemisia-Polypodiaceae;
Zone 5(140~0 cm):Podocarpus-Cyathea-Quercus(evergreen)-Pinus-Polypodiaceae.
The sporopollen zones reflect three stages of vegetation, climate and paleoenvironment evolution of the South China Sea since 64 000 years ago. The three stages were as follows:hot and wet tropical monsoon rain forest, northern tropic semievergreen monsoon rain forest and hot and wet tropical monsoon rain forest. Combined with oxygen isotope dating, the sporopollen and algae data can be used as one of the science evidences for stratigraphic division and reconstruction of paleoclimate and paleoenvironment in the South China Sea. Palynological zone 1 is oxygen isotope 3,stratigraphic time is Q₃^3-2; Palynological zone 2 to 4 are oxygen isotope 2,stratigraphic time is Q₃ ^3-3; Palynological zone 5 is oxygen isotope 1,stratigraphic time is Q₄.