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Updated: Jul 6, 2025
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Monitoring Pedogenic Inorganic Carbon Accumulation Due to Weathering of Amended Silicate Minerals in Agricultural Soils.
Published on: June 4, 2021
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Elemental composition of grass phytoliths: Environmental control and effect on dissolution.
Oleg S Pokrovsky1, Alisson Akerman2, Fabrice Fraysse3
1Geoscience and Environment Toulouse, UMR 5563 CNRS, University of Toulouse, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France; BIO-GEO-CLIM Laboratory, Tomsk State University, Lenin Ave, 36, Tomsk 634050, Russia.
The Science of the Total Environment
|January 4, 2024
Summary
Plant phytoliths
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry and environmental science, focusing on plant silica biomineralization.
Background:
- Plant phytoliths, silica biomineralizations, hold crucial paleo-environmental and agricultural data.
- Their elemental composition influences soil preservation and elemental cycling, but controlling mechanisms are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors controlling phytolith elemental composition.
- To assess the impact of elemental composition on phytolith reactivity and soil preservation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of major and trace elements in phytoliths from diverse plant species and regions.
- Experimental determination of phytolith dissolution rates with varying trace metal concentrations.
Main Results:
- Phytolith elemental composition varies significantly between species and regions, influenced by atmospheric dust, climate, and local geology.
- Siberian grass phytoliths showed distinct elemental profiles compared to European samples.
- Despite wide elemental variations, phytolith dissolution rates were similar across studied plant types.
Conclusions:
- Elemental composition has a minor impact on phytolith preservation in soils.
- Atmospheric dust and climate are key drivers of phytolith elemental makeup.
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