Vegetation dynamics in the Early–Middle Pennsylvanian coal swamps of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Coalfield, France

Abstract

During recent years, different studies have focused on characterising plant diversities in the Carboniferous environments of the Variscan Foreland. One of these areas, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Coalfield, has a Namurian–Westphalian sequence that has historically yielded abundant evidence of vegetation change, but to date, little attention has been paid to its macrofloral diversity dynamics. Here we show, for the first time, a comprehensive characterisation of the diversity changes and macroevolutionary patterns from this coalfield. The results show evidence of low levels of species richness during the Namurian, followed by an exponential diversification at the base of Westphalian. Duckmantian–Bolsovian species diversity continues to progressively increase, suggesting relatively stable conditions at that time. Maximum species richness is observed at the mid-Bolsovian followed by a major depletion during the Asturian. Overall, this pattern is quite similar to that seen in other parts of the Variscan Foreland. However, we see Nord-Pas-de-Calais vegetation diversified earlier than those in the British parts, probably because the dynamics of marine incursions and lacustrine conditions delayed its development in the latter areas. Furthermore, we also see the Asturian decline of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais coal swamp occurred later than in other basins, such as in the Pennines, Ruhr, and South Wales. This scenario suggests that the collapse of this biome was probably caused by increased sediment influx and reduced subsidence, resulting from the northwards migration of the Variscan Mountains. This further supports other studies in Europe advocating that climate change was at most only a subsidiary factor in the collapse of the Pennsylvanian coal swamp biomes.