Unique recovery stage of reef communities after F/F event in a huge coral reef of Carboniferous, Southern Guizhou, China

Abstract

A huge coral reef occurring in the Triticites belt of the Maping Formation, in Bianping Village, about 4 km west of Houchang Town from Ziyun County, Southern Guizhou, China is described. The coral reef has been well studied and some significant characteristics were dis-covered: the composition of reef-building community is very monotonous; there are only one or two builders in each reef-building stage; the dwellers are also poor in variety; the reef-building process is very simple; the reef has been separately built by various reef-building mechanisms, and there have been few parts built by two coexisting building mechanisms; the process of reef building is often discontinuous and lacks transition. All these characteristics are considered to be unique to the recovery stage of reef communities after F/F event and are representative of a process that reef communities must undergo post the catastrophe.