COAL-FORMING PLANT COMMUNITIES OF THE TAIYUAN FORMATION OF TAOZAO COALFIELD, SHANDONG PROVINCE, AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

There are abundant pyritic and calcareous coal balls from coal seams of the Taiyuan Formation in Taozao coalfield. The flora in coal balls consist of vascular plants, including Cordaitales, Lepidodendrales, Sphenophyllales, Equisetales, Lycopodiales, Psaronius and Algae (maily Botryococcaceae), bacteria fossils. Paleobotanical and paleoecological analyses indicated that the coal-forming plant communities of the Taiyuan Formation could be devided into three levels in vertical structure:The first is main layer of communities represented by Cordatitales and Lepidodendrales forest; the second is subordinate layer of communities represented by Sphenophyllales etc. developed under forest tree, the third is abundant Algae and Bacteria lived in the swamp waters. The vertical level structure and ecololgical environment of the coal-forming plant communtities of the Taiyuan Formation are similar to modern tropical Taxodiaceae forest swamp, one distingushed characteristicsis is significant constribuation of Algae and Bacteria in the coal-forming plant communities of Taiyuan Formation in North China. This is also the important reason of anomalous properties of coal and vitrinite of the Taiyuan Formation.