Middle Miocene palynoflora of the Legnica lignite deposit complex ...

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its thickness reaches about 2–5 m at Legnica,
1–12 m at Ścinawa and about 0.6 m at Ruja,
so it has a small infl uence on the scale of coal
resources in the Legnica and Ruja deposits,
whereas distinctly greater in the Ścinawa
deposit. The seam consists of detrital, and
sometimes hard, coal with inserts of xylites
(Jaroń et al. 1978). Its age was determinated
as the Late Badenian (Dyjor 1986, Dyjor
& Sadowska 1986a, b, Piwocki & Ziembińska-
Tworzydło 1995). Deposits of the Henryk seam
(detritical brown coal with xylites) occur in the
cores Legnica 33/56 (depth 76.6–74.0 m), Legnica
41/52 (depth 91.8–89.0 m), and Komorniki
97/72 (depth 77.5–77.6 m).
The Poznań series (Poznań Formation) is
the next one in the lithostratigraphic scheme of
the Fore-Sudetic Block. The series is the latest
Middle Miocene – Early Pliocene (Late Badenian
– Early Dacian) in age (Dyjor 1986, Dyjor
& Sadowska 1986a, Piwocki & Ziembińska-
Tworzydło 1995, 1997). In the Legnica–Ścinawa
region the Poznań series is up to 40 m thick.
The grey and green clay horizons are present,
whereas the fl amy clays occur only in part of
the Legnica deposit and in the Ścinawa deposit
(Jaroń et al. 1978). Deposits of the Poznań
series occur in all studied cores, e.g. Legnica
33/56 (green clays with glauconite and fl amy
clays, depth 74.0–2.5 m) and Legnica 41/52
(grey clays, green clays with glauconite and
fl amy clays, depth 89.0–?25.0 m).
The youngest Neogene series in the Lower
Silesia is the Gozdnica series (Gozdnica Formation).
In the Legnica region only small fragments
of these deposits still exist, and their
thickness does not exceed 0.5 m (Jaroń et al.
1978, Sawicki 1995). Deposits of the Gozdnica
series (light-grey fi ne-grained sands, clays and
silts) occur only in one studied core Legnica
41/52 (depth ?25.0–7.0 m).
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Material from three boreholes – Legnica 33/56
(depth of 74.0–77.0 m and 90.0–112.0 m) and Legnica
41/52 (depth of 77.0–86.8 m, 89.3–91.8 m and 114.4–
125.5 m), as well as Komorniki 97/72 from the Ruja
deposit (depth of 77.2–81.4 m) have been used for palynological
studies (Fig. 2). A total of 103 samples (46
from Legnica 33/56, 45 from Legnica 41/52 and 12 from
Komorniki 97/72) have been collected. Material for
pollen analysis was prepared by modifi ed Erdtman’s
acetolysis method using HF acid (Faegri & Iversen
1975, Moore et al. 1991). Depending on frequency 1–6
slides from each sample were examined. Five samples
(2 from Legnica 41/52, and 3 from Komorniki 97/72)
were barren, and therefore data from 98 samples have
been used to construct pollen diagrams (histograms).
The sporomorphs were identifi ed on the basis of
available publications and the palynological reference
collection of the Department of Palaeobotany, W.
Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences
in Kraków.
Descriptions of selected sporomorphs and phytoplankton
microfossils (that were not described in detail
in previous elaborations, or having old descriptions),
as well as some synonyms of the taxa are presented.
Some informations about botanical affi nity, occurrence
in fossil fl oras and in the studied material as well as
about allied recent plants are given in remarks. All
taxa have been ordered taxonomically according to
their botanical affi nity, and classifi ed to an appropriate
palaeofl oristical element mainly on the basis of the
checklist of selected pollen and spore taxa from the
Neogene deposits (Ziembińska-Tworzydło et al. 1994a),
and the Atlas of Pollen and Spores of the Polish Neogene
(Stuchlik et al. 2001, 2002, 2009). The following
elements have been distinguished: palaeotropical (P):
tropical (P1) and subtropical (P2), as well as arctotertiary
(A): warm-temperate (A1) and cool-temperate (A2).
Some species, of which the nearest living relatives
occur in a variety of climatic conditions, were included
into cosmopolitan (P/A) climatic element. All illustrations
reproduced on the photo plates are presented at
1000 × magnifi cation, except where otherwise stated.
GENERAL RESULTS OF POLLEN
ANALYSIS
A total of 201 taxa from 96 genera (including
195 taxa from 92 genera of pollen and spores,
and 6 taxa from 4 genera of fresh-water phytoplankton)
have been identifi ed. There are some
multispecies genera (Abiespollenites, Araliaceoipollenites,
Cathayapollis, Cornaceaepollis,
Ericipites, Graminidites, Ilexpollenites, Laevigatosporites,
Nyssapollenites, Piceapollis,
Quercoidites, Sciadopityspollenites, Sequoiapollenites,
Stereisporites, Zonalapollenites, and
others).
In all studied samples pollen and spores
of the arctotertiary palaeofl oristical element
(mainly A1 – warm-temperate) distinctly prevail.
In the upper parts of both Legnica profi les
and in the Komorniki profi le this domination
is the strongest. Taxa of the palaeotropical
element (mainly P2 – subtropical) are more
frequent in the lowest parts of both Legnica
profi les (Tab. 1).
Pollen grains of conifers are numerous, but
they show a comparatively small diversity in
all studied profi les. Among them Taxodiaceae/