Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://repositorio.inpa.gov.br/handle/1/18269
Title: Deciphering earth mound origins in central Brazil
Authors: Silva, Lucas de Carvalho Ramos
Vale, Gabriel D.
Haidar, Ricardo Flores
Sternberg, Leonel da Silveira Lobo O.Reilly
Keywords: C3 Plant
C4 Plant
Carbon Isotope
Concrete
Dominance
Floristics
Grassland Soil
Isotopic Composition
Physicochemical Property
Soil Erosion
Soil Organic Matter
Termite
Isoptera
Issue Date: 2010
metadata.dc.publisher.journal: Plant and Soil
metadata.dc.relation.ispartof: Volume 336, Número 1, Pags. 3-14
Abstract: Mound fields are a common landscape throughout the world and much of the evidence for their origin has been of a circumstantial nature. It has been hypothesized that earth mounds emerge over grasslands by termite activity; alternatively, they might be formed after erosion. We tested whether a mound field in central Brazil was generated by termite activity or erosion. We used soil organic matter isotopic composition, soil chemical, physical and floristic composition to determine the origin of a mound field. If the mounds emerged by termite activity in an established grassland the soil organic matter below the mound should have the isotopic signature of C4 dominated grassland, which contrasts with savanna C3 + C4 signature. Additionally, soil traits should resemble those of the grassland. All markers indicate that the mounds were formed by erosion. The soil isotopic composition, chemical traits and texture below the mound resembled those of the savanna and not those of the grassland. Moreover, most of the species present in the mound were typical of savanna. Concrete evidence is provided that mound fields in the studied area were produced by erosion of a savanna ecosystem and not termite activity. The use of the techniques applied here would improve the assessments of whether analogous landscapes are of a biogenic nature or not. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
metadata.dc.identifier.doi: 10.1007/s11104-010-0329-y
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