Compound-specific carbon isotope variation among plant functional types at Stiffkey saltmarsh, the north Norfolk coast: Implications for plant ecology and palaeoclimatology

Yvette Eley; Nikolai  Pedentchouk; Julian  Andrews

Compound-specific carbon isotope variation among plant functional types at Stiffkey saltmarsh, the north Norfolk coast: Implications for plant ecology and palaeoclimatology

Yvette Eley, Nikolai Pedentchouk, Julian Andrews

Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review

Abstract

Palaeoclimate studies of fossil plant material employing δ13C measurements traditionally focus either on the variation in the 13C content of organic material as a record of the 13C/12C composition of atmospheric CO2, or the distribution of C3 vs. C4 vegetation to infer broad-scale climatic shifts. The development of compound-specific isotope techniques has allowed for increased resolution of information available from plant δ13C data. However, studies that investigate the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on terrestrial plant biomarkers across a range of plant functional types (PFTs) are still limited.

We present leaf-wax n-alkyl lipid δ13C data from an ongoing project studying the most dominant higher plant species (C3 and C4 grasses; succulents; evergreens) at Stiffkey saltmarsh. We observe large intraseasonal variations in n-alkane δ13C values, which range from 0.6 to 6‰. The pattern of carbon isotope fractionation at specific micro-environmental zones within the marsh is related to PFT. This study will evaluate the extent to which the varied responses of PFTs to edaphic factors across the study site influence the carbon isotope signatures of leaf wax biomarkers used in palaeoclimate studies. Additionally, these data will further our understanding of plant potential responses to ecological and environmental changes in the future.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 2012
Event	Development of Isotopic Proxies for Palaeoenvironmental Interpretation: A Carbon Perspective (DIPPI-C) - Durham, United Kingdom Duration: 8 May 2012 → 10 May 2012

Conference

Conference	Development of Isotopic Proxies for Palaeoenvironmental Interpretation: A Carbon Perspective (DIPPI-C)
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Durham
Period	8/05/12 → 10/05/12

Cite this

Eley, Yvette ; Pedentchouk, Nikolai ; Andrews, Julian . / Compound-specific carbon isotope variation among plant functional types at Stiffkey saltmarsh, the north Norfolk coast: Implications for plant ecology and palaeoclimatology. Abstract from Development of Isotopic Proxies for Palaeoenvironmental Interpretation: A Carbon Perspective (DIPPI-C), Durham, United Kingdom.

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title = "Compound-specific carbon isotope variation among plant functional types at Stiffkey saltmarsh, the north Norfolk coast: Implications for plant ecology and palaeoclimatology",

abstract = "Palaeoclimate studies of fossil plant material employing δ13C measurements traditionally focus either on the variation in the 13C content of organic material as a record of the 13C/12C composition of atmospheric CO2, or the distribution of C3 vs. C4 vegetation to infer broad-scale climatic shifts. The development of compound-specific isotope techniques has allowed for increased resolution of information available from plant δ13C data. However, studies that investigate the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on terrestrial plant biomarkers across a range of plant functional types (PFTs) are still limited.We present leaf-wax n-alkyl lipid δ13C data from an ongoing project studying the most dominant higher plant species (C3 and C4 grasses; succulents; evergreens) at Stiffkey saltmarsh. We observe large intraseasonal variations in n-alkane δ13C values, which range from 0.6 to 6‰. The pattern of carbon isotope fractionation at specific micro-environmental zones within the marsh is related to PFT. This study will evaluate the extent to which the varied responses of PFTs to edaphic factors across the study site influence the carbon isotope signatures of leaf wax biomarkers used in palaeoclimate studies. Additionally, these data will further our understanding of plant potential responses to ecological and environmental changes in the future. ",

author = "Yvette Eley and Nikolai Pedentchouk and Julian Andrews",

year = "2012",

language = "English",

note = "Development of Isotopic Proxies for Palaeoenvironmental Interpretation: A Carbon Perspective (DIPPI-C) ; Conference date: 08-05-2012 Through 10-05-2012",

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Compound-specific carbon isotope variation among plant functional types at Stiffkey saltmarsh, the north Norfolk coast: Implications for plant ecology and palaeoclimatology. / Eley, Yvette; Pedentchouk, Nikolai ; Andrews, Julian .
2012. Abstract from Development of Isotopic Proxies for Palaeoenvironmental Interpretation: A Carbon Perspective (DIPPI-C), Durham, United Kingdom.

Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review

TY - CONF

T1 - Compound-specific carbon isotope variation among plant functional types at Stiffkey saltmarsh, the north Norfolk coast: Implications for plant ecology and palaeoclimatology

AU - Eley, Yvette

AU - Pedentchouk, Nikolai

AU - Andrews, Julian

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Palaeoclimate studies of fossil plant material employing δ13C measurements traditionally focus either on the variation in the 13C content of organic material as a record of the 13C/12C composition of atmospheric CO2, or the distribution of C3 vs. C4 vegetation to infer broad-scale climatic shifts. The development of compound-specific isotope techniques has allowed for increased resolution of information available from plant δ13C data. However, studies that investigate the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on terrestrial plant biomarkers across a range of plant functional types (PFTs) are still limited.We present leaf-wax n-alkyl lipid δ13C data from an ongoing project studying the most dominant higher plant species (C3 and C4 grasses; succulents; evergreens) at Stiffkey saltmarsh. We observe large intraseasonal variations in n-alkane δ13C values, which range from 0.6 to 6‰. The pattern of carbon isotope fractionation at specific micro-environmental zones within the marsh is related to PFT. This study will evaluate the extent to which the varied responses of PFTs to edaphic factors across the study site influence the carbon isotope signatures of leaf wax biomarkers used in palaeoclimate studies. Additionally, these data will further our understanding of plant potential responses to ecological and environmental changes in the future.

AB - Palaeoclimate studies of fossil plant material employing δ13C measurements traditionally focus either on the variation in the 13C content of organic material as a record of the 13C/12C composition of atmospheric CO2, or the distribution of C3 vs. C4 vegetation to infer broad-scale climatic shifts. The development of compound-specific isotope techniques has allowed for increased resolution of information available from plant δ13C data. However, studies that investigate the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on terrestrial plant biomarkers across a range of plant functional types (PFTs) are still limited.We present leaf-wax n-alkyl lipid δ13C data from an ongoing project studying the most dominant higher plant species (C3 and C4 grasses; succulents; evergreens) at Stiffkey saltmarsh. We observe large intraseasonal variations in n-alkane δ13C values, which range from 0.6 to 6‰. The pattern of carbon isotope fractionation at specific micro-environmental zones within the marsh is related to PFT. This study will evaluate the extent to which the varied responses of PFTs to edaphic factors across the study site influence the carbon isotope signatures of leaf wax biomarkers used in palaeoclimate studies. Additionally, these data will further our understanding of plant potential responses to ecological and environmental changes in the future.

M3 - Abstract

T2 - Development of Isotopic Proxies for Palaeoenvironmental Interpretation: A Carbon Perspective (DIPPI-C)

Y2 - 8 May 2012 through 10 May 2012

ER -