Effects of plant types on terrestrial leaf wax long-chain n-alkane biomarkers: Implications and paleoapplications

Liu, Jinzhao; Zhao, Jiaju; Huang, Xianyu; Jiang, Chong; Yan, Hong; Lin, Guanghui; An, Zhisheng

doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104248

Cited by 15 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 265 publications

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“…3c). The trend towards higher values in tropical savannas has been previously observed in Africa and Australia (Krull et al, 2006;J. Liu et al, 2022;Rommerskirchen et al, 2003;Rommerskirchen et al, 2006).…”

Section: Relation To Vegetation and Climatesupporting

confidence: 78%

Using Multi-Homologue Plant-Wax Carbon Isotope Signatures to Reconstruct Tropical Vegetation Types

Häggi,

Jr,

Akabane

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of plant components such as plant wax biomarkers is an important tool for reconstructing past vegetation. Plant wax δ13C is mainly controlled by photosynthetic pathways, allowing for the differentiation of C4 tropical grasses and C3 forests. Proxy interpretations are however complicated by additional factors such as aridity, vegetation density, elevation, and the considerable δ13C variability found among C3 plant species. Moreover, studies on plant wax δ13C in tropical soils and plants have focused on Africa, while structurally different South American savannas, shrublands and forests remain understudied. Here, we analyze the δ13C composition of long-chain n-alkanes and fatty acids from tropical South American soils and leaf litter to assess the isotopic variability in each vegetation type and to investigate the influence of climatic features on δ13C. Rainforests and open vegetation types show distinct values, with rainforests having a narrow range of low δ13C values (n-C29 n-alkane: -34.5 +0.9/-0.6 ‰ ; Suess-effect corrected) allowing for the detection of even minor incursions of savanna into rainforests (13C-enriched). While Cerrado savannas and semi-arid Caatinga shrublands grow under distinctly different climates, they can yield indistinct δ13C values for most compounds. Cerrado soils and litter show pronounced isotopic spreads between the n-C33 and n-C29 alkanes, while Caatinga shrublands show consistent values across the two homologues, thereby enabling the differentiation of these vegetation types. The same multi-homologue isotope analysis can be extended to differentiate African shrublands from savannas.

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Section: Relation To Vegetation and Climatesupporting

confidence: 78%

Using Multi-Homologue Plant-Wax Carbon Isotope Signatures to Reconstruct Tropical Vegetation Types

Häggi,

Jr,

Akabane

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…For these compounds, the ACL Alk29-33 shows higher values in more open savannas and in Caatinga compared to forests (Figure 3c). The trend toward higher values in tropical savannas has been previously observed in Africa and Australia (Krull et al, 2006;Liu et al, 2022;Rommerskirchen et al, 2003;Rommerskirchen et al, 2006). Likewise, the higher values for xeric shrublands have also been observed in African shrublands (Carr et al, 2014).…”

Section: Relation To Vegetation and Climatesupporting

confidence: 71%

Using Multi‐Homolog Plant‐Wax Carbon Isotope Compositions to Reconstruct Tropical Vegetation Types

Häggi,

Bertassoli,

Akabane

et al. 2024

JGR Biogeosciences

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The stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of plant components such as plant wax biomarkers is an important tool for reconstructing past vegetation. Plant wax δ13C is mainly controlled by photosynthetic pathways, allowing for the differentiation of C4 tropical grasses and C3 forests. Proxy interpretations are however complicated by additional factors such as aridity, vegetation density, elevation, and the considerable δ13C variability found among C3 plant species. Moreover, studies on plant wax δ13C in tropical soils and plants have focused on Africa, while structurally different South American savannas, shrublands and rainforests remain understudied. Here, we analyze the δ13C composition of long‐chain n‐alkanes and fatty acids from tropical South American soils and leaf litter to assess the isotopic variability in each vegetation type and to investigate the influence of climatic features on δ13C. Rainforests and open vegetation types show distinct values, with rainforests having a narrow range of low δ13C values (n‐C29 alkane: ‰ ; Suess‐effect corrected). This allows for the detection of even minor incursions of savanna (δ13C n‐C29 alkane ‰) into rainforests. While Cerrado savannas and semi‐arid Caatinga shrublands grow under distinctly different climates, they can yield indistinct δ13C values for most compounds. Cerrado soils and litter show pronounced isotopic spreads between the n‐C33 and n‐C29 alkanes, while Caatinga shrublands show consistent values across the two homologs, thereby enabling the differentiation of these vegetation types. The same multi‐homolog isotope analysis can be extended to differentiate African shrublands from savannas.

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“…For higher plant biomarkers, stable carbon isotope analysis (δ 13 C) of individual lipids provides a powerful tool to reconstruct past vegetation changes, because different photosynthetic pathways can be distinguished by their impact on plant tissue δ 13 C (Liu et al ., 2022). Thus, n ‐alkane δ 13 C from trees and shrubs using the C 3 (Calvin–Benson) pathway is on average >10 ppm lower than in n ‐alkane δ 13 C from plants using the C 4 (Hatch–Slack) pathway, which are mainly tropical grasses (Castañeda et al ., 2009a).…”

Section: Reconstructing Vegetation and Hydrological Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Biomarker proxies for reconstructing Quaternary climate and environmental change

McClymont,

Mackay,

Stevenson

et al. 2023

J Quaternary Science

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To reconstruct past environmental changes, a range of indirect or proxy approaches can be applied to Quaternary archives. Here, we review the complementary and novel insights that have been provided by the analysis of chemical fossils (biomarkers). Biomarkers have a biological source that can be highly specific (e.g. produced by a small group of organisms) or more general. We show that biomarkers are able to quantify key climate variables (particularly water and air temperature) and can provide qualitative evidence for changes in hydrology, vegetation, human–environment interactions and biogeochemical cycling. In many settings, biomarker proxies provide the opportunity to simultaneously reconstruct multiple climate or environmental variables, alongside complementary and long‐established approaches to palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Multi‐proxy studies have provided rich sets of data to explore both the drivers and impacts of palaeoenvironmental change. As new biomarker proxies continue to be developed and refined, there is further potential to answer emerging questions for Quaternary science and environmental change.

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Effects of plant types on terrestrial leaf wax long-chain n-alkane biomarkers: Implications and paleoapplications

Cited by 15 publications

References 265 publications

Using Multi-Homologue Plant-Wax Carbon Isotope Signatures to Reconstruct Tropical Vegetation Types

Using Multi-Homologue Plant-Wax Carbon Isotope Signatures to Reconstruct Tropical Vegetation Types

Using Multi‐Homolog Plant‐Wax Carbon Isotope Compositions to Reconstruct Tropical Vegetation Types

Biomarker proxies for reconstructing Quaternary climate and environmental change

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