## 5 Discussion
### Paleovegetation and Paleoclimatic Evolution
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Spore-Pollen Taxa** & **Botanical Affinity** & **Ecological Type** & \
\begin{tabular}{c} **Types of** \\ **Climatic Zones** \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{c} **Vegetation** \\ **Component** \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline _Dictyophyllidites_ & Dipteridaceae & hygrophytic & tropical-subtropical & shrub \\ _Concavisporties_ & & hygrophytic & tropical-s subtropical & shrub \\ _Punctatisporties_ & Filicopsida & hygrophytic & tropical-temperate & Herb \\ _Toroisporis_ & Osmundaceae & hygrophytic & tropical-subtropical & shrub \\ _Cicatricosisporties_ & Lygodiaceae & hygrophytic & tropical & shrub \\ _Appendicisporties_ & Psphagaceae & hygrophytic & tropical & Herb \\ _Vphaginumsporties_ & Sphingaceae & hygrophytic & tropical & Herb \\ _Undulatsporties_ & Ophioglossaceae & hygrophytic & tropical & Herb \\ _Araucariacites_ & & mesophytic & tropical-subtropical & confer \\ _Callialasporites_ & Araucariaceae & mesophytic & tropical-subtropical & confer \\ _Psophosphaera_ & & mesophytic & tropical-subtropical & confer \\ _Jiahoepollis_ & & mesophytic & tropical-subtropical & confer \\ _Perinopolentities_ & & mesophytic & temperate zone & confer \\ _Innerutropropulentienties_ & Cupressaceae & mesophytic & temperate zone & confer \\ _Podocarpidites_ & Podocarpaceae & mesophytic & tropical-subtropical & confer \\ _Classopollis_ & Cherieopleidiaceae & xerophytic & tropical-subtropical & confer \\ _Cedripites_ & & mesophytic & tropical-temperate & confer \\ _Pinuspolientites_ & Pinaceae & mesophytic & tropical-temperate & confer \\ _Picaeepolienties_ & & mesophytic & zone & confer \\ _Abiespolientties_ & & mesophytic & tropical-temperate & confer \\ _Erliampollis_ & & mesophytic & tropical-temperate & confer \\ _Paleoconiferus_ & & mesophytic & temperate zone & confer \\ _Protoconiferus_ & Coniferales & mesophytic & temperate zone & confer \\ _Protopinus_ & & mesophytic & temperate zone & confer \\ _Cycadopites_ & Cycadaceae & mesophytic & tropical & broadleaved trees \\ _Ginkgoretectina_ & Ginkgoaceae & mesophytic & temperate zone & broadleaved trees \\ _Verrucosisporites_ & Uncertain & - & - & - \\ _Retiverrucispora_ & Uncertain & - & - & - \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Ecological habits of the major spore- and pollen-producing plants whose relics are preserved in the Madongshan Formation in the Liupanshan Basin. Pinaceae, Cupressaceae, and Podocarpaceae, which point to moist heat or warm humidity, appear only sporadically. In summary, Zone I reflects a vegetation type dominated by Cheirolepidiaceae, followed by Araucariaceae, indicative of a subtropical arid climate. Compared with Zone I, during the deposition in Zone II, a remarkable change occurred in the plant community. The proportion of Cheirolepidiaceae, which prefers dry and hot environments, decreased significantly (avg. 27.66%), while the proportion of Araucariaceae, such as Araucariacites, increased substantially (avg. 23.35%). Pollen of the primitive Coniferales, Podocarpaceae, and Pinaceae also increased in abundance (avg. 19.84%). Compared with Zone I, a slight increase in ferns was observed. Zone II showed increased vegetation diversity, dominated by Araucariaceae, followed by Cheirolepidiaceae, reflecting a subtropical warm semi-arid climate. During the deposition of Zone III, gymnosperms remained dominant, with a slight change in fern abundance compared with Zone II. The Araucariaceae content further increased (avg. 38.27%) and became the dominant vegetation during this period. The proportion of Cheirolepidiaceae was lower (avg. 10.88%), whereas the proportions of primitive Coniferales, Podocarpaceae, and Pinaceae decreased slightly (avg. 11.01%). Zone III reflected an Araucariaceae-dominated vegetation type, indicating a subtropical semi-humid climate. In the early stages of Zone I deposition in the Hajiazhuang section, Cheirolepidiaceae dominated the vegetation.