Geocheminar fall-2015

Unraveling the paleoclimate information recorded by leaf wax lipids: insights from a modern UK saltmarsh

Terrestrial plants synthesize a wide range of organic compounds that are well preserved in lacustrine and marine sediments, potentially providing valuable information about past plant communities and environmental conditions. To fully interpret the plant biomarker archive, however, a detailed mechanistic understanding of the information recorded in the carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures of these compounds is required. This talk will present findings from a two-year study of plants growing at a temperate coastal site in the UK, illustrating the relative importance of environmental and biochemical controls on leaf wax n-alkane carbon and hydrogen isotope signals. Consideration will also be given to the role of plant community change in driving the isotope composition of sedimentary n-alkanes.