长白山北坡垂直植被带表土植硅体组合研究

长白山垂直分布的植被是欧亚大陆从温带到寒带植被水平地带性的缩影。对其北坡不同海拔高度植被带土壤中的植硅体进行初次研究,结果发现,该山北坡海拔700m到2630m的土壤中发育了形态和数量丰富的植硅体。不同植被带植硅体组合的含量各不相同,主要特征表现为随海拔升高示冷型的植硅体含量整体呈上升趋势,而示暖型的植硅体含量整体呈下降趋势。温泉附近土壤中的植硅体则表现出明显的与其上下相邻地点不同的特点。它对中国东北第四纪沉积物中植硅体组合的研究及第四纪古植被和古环境的重建可提供重要的基础性资料。     

Paleoecological and archaeological implications of a late Pleistocene/Early holocene record of vegetation and climate from the pacific coastal plain of panama

A phytolith record from Monte Oscuro, a crater lake located 10 m above sea level on the Pacific coastal plain of Panama, shows that during the Late Pleistocene the lake bed was dry and savanna-like vegetation expanded at the expense of tropical deciduous forest, the modern potential vegetation. A significant reduction of precipitation below current levels was almost certainly required to effect the changes observed. Core sediment characteristics indicate that permanent inundation of the Monte Oscuro basin with water occurred at about 10,500 ¹⁴C yr B.P. Pollen and phytolith records show that deciduous tropical forest expanded into the lake’s watershed during the early Holocene. Significant burning of the vegetation and increases of weedy plants at ca. 7500 to 7000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. indicate disturbance, which most likely resulted from early human occupation of the seasonal tropical forest near Monte Oscuro and the development of slash-and-burn methods of cultivation.     

Phytolith reference study for identifying vegetation changes in the forest−grassland region of northeast China

To provide a basis for tracing changes in vegetation and tree cover density, we studied the phytoliths of 129 common temperate plant species, and extracted the phytoliths from 75 surface soil samples from sites in grassland, forest−grassland ecotone and forest habitats in northeast China. From the analysis of shapes and morphological parameters of the plant samples, we developed a reference data set of herbaceous and woody phytoliths, and subsequently identified 21 herbaceous and 13 woody phytolith types in the surface soil samples. To test the reliability of soil phytolith analysis for distinguishing forest, grassland and the forest−grassland ecotone, we used principal components analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis (DA) to summarize the soil phytolith assemblage characteristics of the different ecosystems. The results show that the grassland and forest samples are characterized by abundant herbaceous and woody phytoliths, respectively; and that forest−grassland ecotone habitats are characterized by low abundances of blocky polyhedral, multifaceted epidermal and sclereid phytoliths. In general, the surface soil phytolith assemblages can reliably differentiate samples from forest, grassland and the forest−grassland ecotone, with up to 92% of the samples classified correctly. We also tested the reliability of phytolith indices (W/G (1), W/G (2), W/G (3)) for discriminating different vegetation types in our study area, and found that W/G (2) was the most reliable index and corresponded well with the species inventory data. The W/G values for grassland ranged from 0 to 0.3, from 0.3 to 0.6 for the forest−grassland ecotone, and exceeded 0.6 for forest. We conclude that our study provides reliable analogues for phytolith assemblages from palaeoecological contexts, which can be used to reconstruct shifts in forest−grassland ecotones and vegetation succession in temperate areas.     

Assessing modern arboreal phytolith sensitivity to vegetation variations in temperate forest regions

To assess the reliability of arboreal phytoliths for differentiating vegetation types in temperate forest regions, we systematically analysed arboreal leaf phytoliths from 72 arboreal plants and 49 modern soils from three forest types in northeast China. The arboreal leaf phytolith production and morphotypes were highly variable between species. The arboreal leaf phytolith assemblages could clearly distinguish between broadleaf and coniferous species, but they were much less successful in differentiating broadleaved trees into subtaxa. Coniferous leaf morphotypes were successfully used to differentiate coniferous trees into families and subtaxa, especially in the Pinaceae. Two diagnostic broadleaved and six coniferous phytolith morphotypes were recognized within the modern soil beneath forest ecosystems. These arboreal phytoliths comprised up to 10–15% of the total soil phytoliths, and were dominated by coniferous types. Arboreal phytolith concentrations and phytolith assemblages in the soils fluctuated substantially amongst the three forest types. Soil arboreal phytolith assemblages were successfully used to differentiate samples from Larix mixed forest, broadleaf forest and Pinus koraiensis mixed forest. In addition, the arboreal index quantitatively distinguished the three forest types, with B/BE values <0.4 for Larix mixed forest samples, values from 0.4 to 0.6 for broadleaf forest samples, and values from 0.6 to 0.9 for P. koraiensis mixed forest. Thus, our surface soil arboreal phytolith assemblages and arboreal index are a useful reference for differentiating forest ecotypes, and they also provide reliable analogues for arboreal phytoliths from palaeoecological contexts in temperate forest regions.     

Advances in Study of Phytolith Carbon Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems of China

Phytolith-Occluded Carbon (PhytOC), a relatively stable carbon fraction, plays an important role in biogeochemical carbon cycle and mitigation of global warming. The formation mechanisms of PhytOC, the influence factors of phytolith carbon sequestration, the advances in study of phytolith carbon sequestration, and the management for enhancing the potential of phytolith carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems of China were summarized in this review. Finally, future researches on phytolith carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems of China were prospected. Climates, vegetation types, soil circumstances, the chemical compositions of the phytoliths and other factors will directly or indirectly affect the potential of phytolith carbon sequestration. In China, the PhytOC production quantity in grassland, cropland, forest, wetland and shrub ecosystems is (0.6±0.1)×10⁶,(4.9±1.7)×10⁶,(1.9±0.4)×10⁶,(0.6±0.5)×10⁶ and (1.3±0.3)×10⁶ t CO₂/a, respectively. Application of silicon-containing fertilizer, cultivation of high-silicon plant, and traditional enhancement of the plant net primary productivity can significantly improve the potential of phytolith carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems of China. Future studies should focus more on ①the mechanisms of phytolith formation in different plants, ②the phytolith carbon sequestration in underground parts of plants from different terrestrial ecosystems, ③the quantification of soil PhytOC in different terrestrial ecosystems. Furthermore, more comprehensive, economical and reasonable management practices of improving the potential of phytolith carbon sequestration should also be further studied in different terrestrial ecosystems.     

Phytolith assemblages as a promising tool for reconstructing Mediterranean Holocene vegetation

The reliability of phytolith assemblage analysis for characterizing Mediterranean vegetation is investigated in this study. Phytolith assemblages are extracted from modern and buried Holocene soils from the middle Rhône valley (France). The relation between modern phytolith assemblages and the surrounding vegetation, as well as between fossil assemblages and contemporaneous vegetation, already reconstructed through other proxies, is discussed. We demonstrate that the main northwestern Mediterranean biomes are well distinguished by soil phytolith assemblage analysis. In particular, the density of pine and nonconiferous trees (densities expressed relatively to the grass cover) and the overall degree of opening of the vegetation appear well recorded by three phytolith indexes. North Mediterranean vegetation changes during the Holocene period, mainly tree line shifts, pine wood development and deforestation are poorly documented, due to the scarcity of proxy-preserving sites. Phytolith assemblage analysis of soils, buried soils, and sediments appears to be a promising technique to fill this gap.     

植硅石研究在考古及古环境解释中的应用

植硅石研究在我国是近二、三十年才开展起来的一门研究古气候、古环境的新兴的边缘学科，国外开展较早，且广泛地应用于考古及古气候和古环境的解释中。我国虽起步较晚，已在考古学及植物起源、古环境解释中已取得可喜成果。由于我国历史悠久，考古遗址很多，加之幅员辽阔，具各种植被类型的土壤，研究领域广阔，所以我国将在国际植硅石研究中发挥非常重要的作用。     

碳酸盐岩红土植硅体记录的指示意义

选取广西桂林市雁山碳酸盐岩红土剖面,对红土中的植硅体类型、分布及含量进行了定量分析。发现:(1)表土植硅体形态多样、含量丰富,含量从剖面表层向下迅速减少,20cm及其以下植硅体含量极少或没有;(2)除了0~0.1m内有植硅体富集外,其他深度再也没有发现新的植硅体富集层;(3)受淋滤和生物扰动作用影响,植硅体可能出现向下10~20cm的运移,但运移对其形态和大小没有明显的选择性,植硅体形态组合受运移影响不大,能够很好地反映上覆植被的组成和所处地区的气候总体特征;(4)研究区植硅体富集于红土表层,且为剖面中的唯一富集层,是红土形成过程植硅体运移的反映,支持了红土的碳酸盐岩风化成因;(5)植硅体运移选择性不明显的特点,为利用碳酸盐岩红土植硅体客观分析和重建古环境提供了基础和可能。      

The detailed palaeoecology of a mid‐Wisconsinan interstadial (ca. 32 000 14C a BP) vegetation surface from interior Alaska

We present a multi‐proxy reconstruction from a well‐preserved vegetation surface (ca. 32 000 ¹⁴C a BP) from the Fox Permafrost tunnel near Fairbanks, Alaska. A thick litter layer of plant material on the vegetation surface is consistent with the vegetation lacking evidence of disturbance. Plant macrofossils and graminoid cuticle analysis show the presence of a graminoid assemblage consistent with phytolith data. The pollen data indicate that trees were not local to the site and that Artemisia sp. was present in the region. The insect and bryophyte reconstructions are consistent with the vascular plant reconstruction, indicating the site was at least periodically wet. δ¹³C values from the graminoids present show a large range encompassing both the wet and dry range displayed by modern graminoids in Alaska. Sequential δ¹³C analyses conducted along the length of leaves attached to the vegetation surface indicate a seasonal shift towards relatively higher water use efficiency. The lower water use efficiency earlier in the growing season may have stemmed from the use of winter season meltwater by plants at the site – a scenario consistent with the site's cryostratigraphy. Our multi‐proxy reconstruction contributes to the limited palaeoecological data available for graminoid‐dominated vegetation present in Eastern Beringia and particularly the interior of Alaska during the mid‐Wisconsinan interstadial. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

末次间冰期以来黄土高原南部植被演替的植物硅酸体记录

对于本次间冰期以来黄土高原是否存在大面积森林植被的问题一直存在争议,本文通过对渭南、宝鸡和兰州剖面的植物硅酸体记录研究表明,末次间冰期以来,在黄土高原南部,主要发育草原和森林草原的植被类型,只有在气候最适宜期年降水量超过800mm以上,才可能有短期的森林植被发育。在黄土高原源区发育森林植被所需要的降水量要比基岩山地高250mm以上。     

Simultaneous thin section and phytolith observations of finely stratified deposits from Neolithic Çatalhöyük,Turkey: implications for paleoeconomy and Early Holocene paleoenvironment

Simultaneous thin section and phytolith observations of finely stratified anthropogenic deposits from the Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük, Turkey, dated between 7400 and 6000 BC provide evidence for both the depositional context and phytolith assemblage of these deposits. Although extracted phytoliths provide a general picture of vegetation that supports existing evidence of a local wet marshland environment, comparisons with observations of phytoliths in situ indicate a diverse range of microcontexts, as well as depositional and post‐depositional processes that influence phytolith size. This has implications for studies that use conjoined phytolith size as a proxy for water availability and early agricultural practices. Observations indicate a significant background noise of phytoliths and micro‐charcoal in the deposits, linked to the frequent use of fire, which has implications for interpreting assemblages where phytolith counts are low, such as from floors of buildings. This study confirms the usefulness of phytoliths in providing information on human plant use and environment where the taphonomy of the deposits is clear, and provides new evidence for wet farming of at least some of the wheat found at the site. It also suggests there needs to be greater consideration of phytolith taphonomy, which can be provided to an extent by combining phytolith analysis with thin section micromorphology. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating phytolith influx in lake sediments

So far, no phytolith extraction protocols have been tested for accuracy and repeatability. Here we aim to display a phytolith extraction method combining the strengths of two widely used protocols, supplemented with silica microspheres as exogenous markers for quantifying phytolith concentrations. Phytolith concentrations were estimated for samples from two sedimentary sequences in which numerical age–depth models make it possible to calculate phytolith influxes (phytolith numbers per cm²per yr). Analysis of replicates confirmed the statistical robustness, the repeatability and the very few biases of our extraction technique for small phytoliths, since the relationship between grass silica short cells and microspheres was kept stable. Furthermore, we demonstrated that silica microspheres are robust exogenous markers for estimating phytolith concentrations. The minimum number of items (i.e., phytoliths plus silica microspheres) that must be counted to estimate phytolith concentrations and thus influxes depends on the ratio of phytoliths to microspheres (R) and is minimized when R = 1. Nevertheless, we recommend using ratios R ≤ 1 in order to avoid having the counting process become excessively time-consuming, because microspheres are easier to identify and count than phytoliths.     

Vegetation and climate change since 14,810 C yr B.P. in southeastern Uruguay and implications for the rise of early Formative societies

This article presents a combined pollen and phytolith record of a 1.70-m sediment core from the wetlands of India Muerta (33° 42′ S, 53° 57′ W) in the lowland Pampa (grasslands) of southeastern Uruguay. Six ¹⁴C dates and the pollen and phytolith content of the samples permitted the recognition of four distinct climatic periods between 14,850 ¹⁴C yr B.P. and the present. The Late Pleistocene period (between ca. 14,810 and ca. 10,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P.) was characterized by drier and cooler conditions indicated by the presence of a C3-dominated grassland. These conditions prevailed until the onset of the warmer and more humid climate of the Holocene around 9450 ¹⁴C yr B.P. The early Holocene (between around 10,000 and 6620 ¹⁴C yr B.P.) was characterized by the establishment of wetlands in the region as evidenced by the formation of black peat, the increase in wetland taxa, and the replacement of C3 Pooideae by C4 Panicoideae grasses. During the mid-Holocene, around 6620 ¹⁴C yr B.P., began a period of environmental change characterized by drier climatic conditions, which resulted in the expansion of halophytic communities in the flat, low-lying areas of the wetlands of India Muerta. About 4020 ¹⁴C yr B.P. a massive spike of Amaranthaceae/Chenopodiaceae coupled with a radical drop in wetland species indicates another major and more severe period of dryness. After ca. 4000 ¹⁴C yr B.P., a decrease of halophytic species indicates the onset of more humid and stable climatic conditions, which characterized the late Holocene.The findings reported in this article substantially improve our knowledge of the late Glacial and Holocene climate and vegetation in the region. The data provide a detailed record of the timing and severity of mid-Holocene environmental changes in southeastern South America. Significantly, the mid-Holocene drying trend coincided with major organizational changes in settlement, subsistence, and technology of the pre-Hispanic populations in the region, which gave rise to early Formative societies. This study also represents the first combined pollen and phytolith record for southeastern South America reinforcing the utility of phytoliths as significant indicators of long-term grassland dynamics.     

Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction from the last interglacial using phytolith analysis,southeastern North Island,New Zealand

Phytoliths extracted from loess resting conformably on lacustrine sediments in southeastern North Island, New Zealand, provide a nearly continuous vegetation–climate record spanning the time period from the last interglacial (Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 5) to the present. Phytoliths reveal changes in vegetation patterns following changes in climate. Correlation between tree–shrub phytolith fluctuations and the SPECMAP oxygen isotope curve, between Marine Oxygen Isotope Stages 1 and 5, suggest that changes in the ratio of arboreal to non‐arboreal phytoliths directly result from changes in climate. These data generally support the existing pollen and diatom record. This study confirms the usefulness of phytolith fossils for providing environmental and climate information from the Quaternary sedimentary record, especially in cases where the deposits contain no fossil pollen or diatoms. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

晚更新世以来洛川黑木沟黄土地层中植物硅酸体研究及古植被演替

文中扼要介绍了植物硅酸体在古环境分析中的应用基础,详细研究了洛川黑木沟黄土剖面晚更新世以来植物硅酸体的组合特点、古植被及其演替规律,探讨了植物硅酸体分析在研究高分辨率气候事件及古气候空间格局中的意义。     

东北地区湿度梯度下的表土植硅体的空间分布规律

植硅体的现代过程研究是恢复古环境的基础,探讨表土植硅体分布及组合特征对环境因子的响应尤为重要。沿中国东北地区年均温为4 ℃等温线采集70块表土样品,研究了单一温度因素控制下表土植硅体的空间分布规律,以期获得不同类型植硅体对降水的响应。研究结果表明:所有表土样品中植硅体丰富且数量较多,主要有棒型、尖型、块状、扇型、扁平状、短鞍型、帽型、哑铃型、齿型、三棱柱型、导管型、硅质突起、硅化气孔、弓型和多面表皮植硅体;且主要以短细胞、棒型、尖型为主,其平均百分含量之和高达80.77%,块状、扁平状、扇型次之,其他类型的植硅体含量较少。方差分析结果表明:棒型、三棱柱型、硅质突起、哑铃型和扁平状在大兴安岭、松嫩平原和长白山之间存在显著性差异,且棒型、三棱柱型、硅质突起的百分含量与年降水量具有极显著的正相关性,哑铃型的百分含量与年降水量具有极显著的负相关性。总之,年均温为4 ℃等温线上70块表土样品中植硅体类型基本相同,但不同类型植硅体的百分含量存在差异,说明本研究区域内表土植硅体组合特征对降水的响应较为敏感。     

Geoarchaeology and Paleoenvironmental Context of the Burntwood Creek Rockshelter,High Plains of Northwestern Kansas,U.S.A

The first systematic geoarchaeological study of a rockshelter in Kansas yielded information about rockshelter formation, Holocene paleoenvironments, archaeological site formation processes, and prehistoric human habitation and site use. The rockshelter was carved by groundwater sapping; colluvium, alluvium, and roof‐fall debris subsequently accumulated on its floor. An assemblage of Late Archaic (∼2000–4000 ¹⁴C years before present [yr B.P.]) cultural deposits (lithic material, bone, and charcoal) is preserved in a 2‐m thick package of colluvium and alluvium in front of the shelter. Chipped stone analysis indicates that Late Archaic occupants of the shelter were using mostly local materials and resharpening their stone tools at the shelter. Stable carbon isotope and phytolith analyses indicate that a mixed C₃ and C₄ plant community existed in the study area and that it changed in composition through the late Holocene. Based on the phytolith assemblage from an unlined fire pit at the front of the shelter, Late Archaic people used local hackberry trees for fuel and/or food.     

Assessing vegetation dynamics in the Three-North Shelter Forest region of China using AVHRR NDVI data

The Three-North Shelter Forest Programme (TNSFP) covers 551 Chinese counties and an area of 4,069,000 km² mostly in arid and semi-arid regions. In this paper, we discuss the temporal and spatial changes in value of the normalized-difference vegetation index (NDVI) in this region, and the relationships between NDVI and climatic factors (temperature and precipitation) based on NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies NDVI data with 8-km resolution from 1982 to 2006. During the past 25 years, the vegetation cover has generally increased in eastern regions of China and the oasis in the north piedmont of Tianshan Mountains, but has decreased northwest of Xinjiang and in the Hulunbeier Plateau. The multi-year monthly average NDVI distribution map showed that NDVI increased from April to August, but in the western and northern plateau areas, the lower temperatures and high altitude created a shorter growing season (1 or 2 months). The vegetation of the study area has generally increased in the regions covered by the TNSFP. Linear regression analysis of the vegetation cover showed an increasing trend over large areas. The largest annual growth rate per pixel (the slope of the regression) was 0.009; the largest negative annual change was −0.004. The correlation between NDVI and precipitation was higher than that between NDVI and temperature, suggesting that precipitation is the most important factor that affects NDVI changes in the study area, especially for temperate desert vegetation in northwestern China.