COMPARISON STUDY OF PALEOVEGETATION AND PALEOCLIMATE IN SOUTH AND NORTH KUNLUN MOUNTAINS IN PLIOCENE

According to the data of pollen analysis, the vegetation varied greatl y between the south and the north of the Kunlun Mountains during the P liocene. To the south of the Kunlun Mountains, including their south f lank, there was distribution of needle and broad-leaf mixed forest tha t contained tropical and subtropical compositions, while to the north of the Kunlun Mountains, including their north flank, there was distri bution of temperate deciduous broad-leaf forest and steppe. In both ar eas mentioned above, there were scattered middle Asian arid plants of a lush growth in the late Pliocene. In the Pliocene, the Pamir-Kunlun Ranges acted as the division line of the southern and northern types o f plants. Then, with the rising of these mountains, including Pamir, K unlun and Himalaya, this division line had been moving, until it reach ed the Xindukushi-Himalaya Mountains at present.