Here we present an electrochemical method for the anodic oxidation and subsequent degradation of lignin in speleothems to utilize the resulting lignin oxidation products (LOPs) as paleo‐vegetation markers. LOPs were analyzed using an ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) system coupled to a high‐resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS). The method presented here achieved comparable or even higher LOP concentrations than established CuO and CuSO4 oxidation methods. The method represents a new tool for the analysis and reconstruction of paleo‐vegetation and has the potential to be applied to other climate archives.

The Cover Feature illustrates the pathway of lignin from the plant into a stalagmite and to the electrochemically generated monomeric analytes. More information can be found in the Article by T. Hoffmann et al.