Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-wxhwt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-12T22:53:39.997Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stable Isotope Ratios of Carbon in Phytoliths as a Quantitative Method of Monitoring Vegetation and Climate Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Eugene F. Kelly ,
Ronald G. Amundson ,
Bruno D. Marino  and
Michael J. Deniro
Eugene F. Kelly
Affiliation:
Department of Soil Science, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
Ronald G. Amundson
Affiliation:
Department of Soil Science, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
Bruno D. Marino
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024
Michael J. Deniro
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The 13C/12C ratios of occluded carbon within opal phytoliths from the northern Great Plains show potential as a basis for paleoclimatic reconstruction. A significant correlation exists between the carbon isotopic composition of a host plant and that of the organic matter in its phytoliths. The 13C/12C ratios for phytoliths from surface layers of soils along climatic gradients reflect the current proportions of C3 and C4 plants. Variations in the δ13C values of phytoliths with soil depth are caused by a variety of processes: burial of soil surface by dust, bioturbation, and possible illuviation by percolating water. Also, contributions of phytoliths by dust and roots have unknown isotopic effects. The δ13C values of phytoliths from soils increase with decreasing 14C age, suggesting that the proportion of C4 plants in this region has increased during the Holocene. Phytoliths of apparent mid-Holocene age suggest exclusive dominance by C4 plants which agrees with paleoclimatic interpretations of an arid middle Holocene climate.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , March 1991 , pp. 222 - 233
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bender, M.M. Mass spectrometric studies of carbon 13 variations in corn and other grasses Radiocarbon 10 1968 468 472 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benner, R. Fogel, M.L. Sprague, E.K. Hodson, R.E. Depletion of 13C in lignin and its implications for stable carbon isotope studies Nature (London) 329 1987 708 710 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bolker, H.I. Terashima, N. Infrared spectroscopy of lignins. IV. Isolation of lignins by solvolysis in acetals Marton, J. Lignin Structure and Reactions 1966 American Chemical Society Washington, DC 110 124 Google Scholar
Ehleringer, J.R. Implications of quantum yield differences on the distribution of C3 and C4 grasses Oecologia 31 1978 255 267 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flint, R.F. Pleistocene Geology of Eastern South Dakota U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 262 1955 Google Scholar
Fredlund, G.G. Johnson, W.C. Dort, W. Jr. A preliminary analysis of opal phytoliths from the Eustis ash pit Frontier County Nebraska: Institute for Tertiary-Quaternary Studies (TER-QUA, Symposium Series, The Nebraska Academy of Science Vol 1 1985 147 162 Google Scholar
Geiss, J.W. Biogenic silica in three species of Gramineae Annals of Botany 42 1978 1119 1129 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grüger, J. Studies on the late Quaternary vegetation history of northeastern Kansas Geological Society of America Bulletin 84 1973 237 250 2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, S.A. Late Holocene paleoecology of the southern plains Quaternary Research 17 1982 391 407 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hay, R.L. Geology of the Olduvai Gorge 1976 University of California Press Berkeley CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hergert, H.L. Infrared spectra of lignin and related compounds. II. Conifer lignin and model compounds Journal of Organic Chemistry 25 1960 405 413 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackson, M.L. Soil Chemical Analysis—Advanced Course 1969 University of Wisconsin Press Madison Google Scholar
Jones, L.H.P. Milne, A.A. Studies of silica in the oat plant. I Plant and Soil 18 1963 207 220 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, L.H.P. Milne, A.A. Wadham, S.M. Studies of silica in oat plant. II Plant and Soil 18 1963 358 371 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, R.L. Beavers, A.H. Some mineralogical and chemical properties of plant opal Soil Science 96 1963 375 379 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, R.L. Beavers, A.H. Aspects of catenary and depth distribution of opal phytoliths Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 28 1964 413 416 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kinney, C.R. Doucette, E.I. Infrared spectra of a coalification series from cellulose and lignin to anthracite Nature (London) 182 1958 785 786 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Linick, T.W. Jull, A.J.T. Toolin, L.J. Donahue, D.J. Operation of the NSF-Arizona accelerator facility for radioisotope analysis and results from selected collaborative research projects Radiocarbon 28 1986 522 533 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nadelhoffer, K.J. Fry, B. Controls on natural nitrogen-15 and carbon-13 abundances in forest soil organic matter Soil Science Society of America Journal 52 1988 1633 1640 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nambudiri, E.M. Tidwell, W.D. Smith, B.N. Hebbert, N.P. A C4 plant from the Pliocene Nature (London) 276 1978 816 817 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Northfelt, D.W. DeNiro, M.J. Epstein, S. Hydrogen and carbon isotopic ratios of cellulose nitrate and saponifiable lipid fractions prepared from annual growth rings of California redwood Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 42 1981 1895 1898 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Brien, B.J. Stout, J.D. Movement and turnover of soil organic matter as indicated by carbon isotope measurements Soil Biology and Biochemistry 10 1978 309 317 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, P.L. The biogeochemistry of the stable isotopes of carbon in a marine bay Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 28 1964 1155 1164 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, E.A. Methods of Vegetation Study 1959 Holt, Winston New York Google Scholar
Piperno, D.R. Phytolith Analysis: An Archaeological and Geological Perspective 1988 Academic Press San Diego Google Scholar
Retallack, G.J. Late Eocene and Oligocene Fossil Soils from Badlands National Park, South Dakota Geological Society of America Special Paper 193 1983 Google Scholar
Ritchie, J.C. The late Quaternary vegetational history of the western interior of Canada Canadian Journal of Botany 54 1976 1793 1818 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ritchie, J.C. Cwynar, L.C. Spear, R.W. Evidence from north-west Canada for an early Holocene Milankovitch thermal maximum Nature (London) 305 1983 126 128 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rovner, I. Macro- and micro-ecological reconstruction using plant opal phytolith data from archaeological sediments Geoarchaeology 3 1986 155 163 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruhe, R.V. Soil-climate system across the prairies in midwestern U.S.A. Geoderma 34 1984 201 219 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sims, P.L. Singh, J.S. Laurenroth, W.L. The structure and function of ten western North American grasslands. I. Abiotic and vegetational characteristics Journal of Ecology 66 1978 251 285 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, B.N. Epstein, S. Two categories of 13C/12C ratios for higher plants Plant Physiology 47 1971 380 384 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, R.M. Twiss, R.C. Kraus, R.K. Brown, M.J. Dust deposition in relation to site, season, and climatic variables Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 34 1970 112 117 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soil Survey Staff Keys to Soil Taxonomy SMSS technical monograph No. 6 1987 Ithaca, NY Google Scholar
Stevenson, F.J. Humus Chemistry, Genesis, Composition, Reactions 1982 Wiley New York Google Scholar
Terri, J.A. Stowe, L.G. Climatic patterns and the distribution of C4 grasses in North America Oecologia 23 1976 1 12 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomasson, J.R. Nelson, M.E. Jakrezewski, R.J. A fossil grass (Gramineae: Chloridoideae) from the Miocene with Kranz Anatomy Science 233 1986 876 878 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tieszen, L.L. Senyimba, M.M. Imbamba, S.K. Troughton, J.H. The distribution of C3 and C4 grass species along an altitudinal and moisture gradient in Kenya Oecologia 37 1979 337 350 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Twiss, P.C. Grass-opal phytoliths as climatic indicators of the Great Plains Pleistocene Johnson, W.C. Quaternary Environments of Kansas Kansas Geological Survey Guidebook Series 5 1987 179 188 Google Scholar
Twiss, P.C. Suess, C.E. Smith, R.M. Morphological classification of grass phytoliths Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 33 1969 109 115 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Zandt, K.L. Late-glacial and post-glacial pollen and plant microfosils from Lake West Okoboji, northwestern Iowa Quaternary Research 12 1979 358 380 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, T. III Cushing, E.J. Wright, H.E. Jr. Holocene changes in the vegetation of the midwest Wright, H.E. Late Quaternary Environments of the United States, Vol. 2, The Holocene 1983 Univ. of Minnesota Press Minneapolis Google Scholar
Wilding, L.P. Radiocarbon dating of biogenetic opal Science 156 1967 66 67 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilding, L.P. Brown, R.E. Holowaychuk, N. Accessibility and properties of occluded carbon in biogenic opal Soil Science 103 1967 56 61 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winkler, M.G. Savain, A.M. Kutzbach, J.E. Middle Holocene dry periods in the northern midwestern United States: Lake levels and pollen stratigraphy Quaternary Research 25 1986 235 250 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yeck, R.D. Gray, F. Phytolith size characteristics between Udolls and Ustolls Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 36 1972 639 641 CrossRefGoogle Scholar