Habitat Influence on the Molecular, Carbon and Hydrogen Isotope Compositions of Leaf Wax <i>n</i>-Alkanes in a Subalpine Basin, Central China

Chaoyang Yan; Yiming Zhang; Yanzhen Zhang; Zhiqi Zhang; Xianyu Huang

doi:10.1007/s12583-020-1322-x

Volume 31 Issue 4

Aug 2020

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Journal of Earth Science > 2020 > 31(4): 845-852.

Chaoyang Yan, Yiming Zhang, Yanzhen Zhang, Zhiqi Zhang, Xianyu Huang. Habitat Influence on the Molecular, Carbon and Hydrogen Isotope Compositions of Leaf Wax n-Alkanes in a Subalpine Basin, Central China. Journal of Earth Science, 2020, 31(4): 845-852. doi: 10.1007/s12583-020-1322-x

Citation:

Chaoyang Yan, Yiming Zhang, Yanzhen Zhang, Zhiqi Zhang, Xianyu Huang. Habitat Influence on the Molecular, Carbon and Hydrogen Isotope Compositions of Leaf Wax n-Alkanes in a Subalpine Basin, Central China. Journal of Earth Science, 2020, 31(4): 845-852. doi: 10.1007/s12583-020-1322-x

Citation:

Chaoyang Yan, Yiming Zhang, Yanzhen Zhang, Zhiqi Zhang, Xianyu Huang. Habitat Influence on the Molecular, Carbon and Hydrogen Isotope Compositions of Leaf Wax n-Alkanes in a Subalpine Basin, Central China. Journal of Earth Science, 2020, 31(4): 845-852. doi: 10.1007/s12583-020-1322-x

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Habitat Influence on the Molecular, Carbon and Hydrogen Isotope Compositions of Leaf Wax n-Alkanes in a Subalpine Basin, Central China

doi: 10.1007/s12583-020-1322-x

Chaoyang Yan^{1, 2
,},
Yiming Zhang¹,
Yanzhen Zhang¹,
Zhiqi Zhang¹,
Xianyu Huang^{1, 2
,
,
,}

1.
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
2.
Hubei Key Laboratory of Critical Zone Evolution, School of Geography and Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China

More Information

Corresponding author: Xianyu Huang, ORCID:0000-0001-6175-9158.E-mail:xyhuang@cug.edu.cn
Received Date: 30 Oct 2019
Accepted Date: 31 Dec 2019
Publish Date: 24 Aug 2020

Abstract

Abstract

Epidermal leaf waxes of terrestrial higher plants have been widely utilized for the reconstructions of paleoenvironment and paleoclimate in peat deposits. In this study, specimens of four plant species growing in both peatland and non-peatland habitats were retrieved to compare their molecular, carbon (δ¹³C) and hydrogen (δ²H) isotopic compositions of leaf wax n-alkanes from a closed subalpine basin in Central China. Three of the four species show quite higher total concentrations of n-alkanes in the relatively dry non-peatland setting than in the peatland. In addition, the δ²H values of long-chain n-alkanes are generally less depleted in the peatland and are comparable among different plant species, which is interpreted as the influence of inundation condition and the possible limited supply of photosynthetic products. This study reveals different patterns of plant wax molecular and isotopic compositions between peatland and the surrounding non-peatland conditions, and confirms the paleoenvironmental potential of leaf wax ratios on the peat sequences.
- habitat,
- n-alkane,
- compound specific carbon isotope,
- compound specific hydrogen isotope,
- peat deposit

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References(44)

References

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