Simulation experiments on the variation of leaf n-alkanes in aquatic environments |
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| Authors: | Chengling Jia Anwen Zhou Xiangru Ma Jingjing Li and Shucheng Xie |
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| Institution: | (1) State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China;(2) Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China |
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| Abstract: | The leaves of six plant species and the corresponding leaf residues collected in water from the two-year simulation experiments
were analyzed in nalkane distributions by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mas spectrometry (GC/MS). The leaf
nalkanes keep unchanged in the dominant homologues when soaked in tap water for two years. The most significant change was
observed in carbon preference index (CPI), with enhanced values being found in leaf residues collected from water. This is
contradictory with the previous reports showing the lower CPI values during sinking and burial processes in natural aquatic
environments. The elevated CPI values from leaf residues might be related to the low amount of microorganisms in the water
used in the simulation experiment, and the enhanced solubility of even-carbon-numbered n-alkanes via van der Waals attraction. In contrast with herbaceous plants, the woody plants appear to show relatively great
variations in both the CPI and the average chain length (ACL) values of n-alkanes after submerged in water for two years. Our data clearly show the differentiated decomposition between woody and
herbaceous leaves, with the woody leaves suffered from much stronger decomposition. This observation suggests that in comparison
with the grassland, the forest vegetation might result in relatively low authentic signals to be preserved in the n-alkane distributions in aquatic sediments. |
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| Keywords: | leaf wax n-alkanes aquatic environment woody plants |
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