Phytolith assemblages in grasses native to central Argentina |
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Authors: | Gallego Lucrecia Distel Roberto A |
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Institution: | Departamento de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional del Sur and CERZOS, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República Argentina, San Andrés 800, 8000-Bahía Blanca, Argentina. |
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Abstract: | BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Phytolith reference collections are a prerequisite for accurate interpretation of soil phytolith assemblages aimed at reconstructing past vegetation. In this study a phytolith reference collection has been developed for several grasses native to central Argentina: Poa ligularis, Piptochaetium napostaense, Stipa clarazii, Stipa tenuis, Stipa tenuissima, Stipa eriostachya, Stipa ambigua, Stipa brachychaeta, Pappophorum subbulbosum, Digitaria californica, Bothriochloa edwardsiana and Aristida subulata. METHODS: For each species, phytoliths present in the leaf blades were classified into 47 morphotypes, and their relative frequency determined by observing 300-400 phytoliths per sample (n = 5). Data were analyzed by complete linkage cluster analysis, using the Morisita Index as measure of association. KEY RESULTS: The results showed differentiation among phytolith assemblages at species level or at plant functional type level. Cluster analysis separated C3 from C4 species and palatable from non-palatable species. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the possibility of reconstructing past vegetation in central Argentina grasslands through the analysis of soil phytolith assemblages. |
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