湖北利川水杉阴沉木的发现及意义

THE DISCOVERY OF BURIED METASEQUOIA WOOD IN LICHUAN, HUBEI, CHINA, AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

湖北省利川市水杉坝近年发现的阴沉木 ,有不同时期沉积的茎干、树蔸和树桩 ,直径最大可达 2 .32m。根据对 6个材料样品的初步比较解剖及扫描电镜图像分析 ,证明阴沉木为水杉 (MetasequoiaglyptostroboidesHuetCheng ,1 94 8)。这一发现为树轮年代学的研究及水杉年表的建立提供了材料 。

We report preliminary results from studies of buried woods recently unearthed in the “ Metasequoia Valley” in Lichuan, Hubei Province. Trunks with the largest diameter up to 2.32 m with attached stems and roots were recovered from unsolicited sediments in farmland. Comparative anatomical studies based on observations from thin sections and SEM images of 6 samples demonstrate that, these trunks can be tentatively assigned to Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu et Cheng 1948. Although the precise age, chronological sequences, and taphonomic conditions await further characterization, this finding provides materials for potential dendrochronological research based upon this endemic species. The information presented here may shed further light on the natural history of the living Metasequoia population and its associated environmental changes in south central China.