Palynological investigations on Pliocenic lacustre sediments in the «Castelnuovo dei Sabbioni» basin (upper Valdarno, central Italy)

Abstract

Palynological analyses were carried out on clay lacustrian sediments. The collection area is within the limits of the Santa Barbara lignite mine in the area of Castelnuovo dei Sabbioni (Arezzo, Tuscany). These analyses enabled us to make some ecological-environmental evaluation and thus fit the series into one of the cold oscillation which slowly lead to the climatic worsening of the Quaternary Era. In addition, an attemt was made to bring together both published and non published data on the plant macrofossils of the same area. Together, all these data offer a definite paleoenvironmental picture and positively confirm that the deposit belongs to the Pliocenic Era.