Carbon and Oxygen Isotope Analysis of Lake Sediment Cellulose: Methods and Applications

Wolfe, Brent B.; Edwards, Thomas W. D.; Elgood, Richard J.; Beuning, Kristina R. M.

doi:10.1007/0-306-47670-3_14

Cited by 62 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Furthermore, since chironomid head capsules can be easily pre-identified under the microscope, non-lacustrine chironomid taxa, belonging to rheophilous, semi-terrestrial or terrestrial groups, can be excluded when preparing samples for analysis. Therefore, the approach may not be as susceptible to contamination from terrestrial or running water sources as stable isotopic analyses of other sediment components such as diatom silica (sometimes affected by contamination with clay minerals) (Leng & Barker 2006) and aquatic cellulose (potentially affected by contamination with terrestrial cellulose) (Wolfe et al 2001). Wooller et al (2004) provided the first stable isotopic record based on fossil chironomids.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable isotopic analysis of fossil chironomids as an approach to environmental reconstruction: state of development and future challenges

2012

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. 2012. Stable isotopic analysis of fossil chironomids as an approach to environmental reconstruction: state of development and future challenges. Fauna norvegica 31: 7-18.Remains of chironomid larvae, especially their strongly sclerotized head capsules, can be found abundantly and well preserved in most lake sediment records. These remains mainly consist of chitin and proteins and, since their chemical composition does not seem to be strongly affected by decompositional processes, they can be used to develop palaeoenvironmental reconstructions based on their stable isotopic composition. Here we review available stable isotope studies based on fossil chironomids and indicate future research necessary to further develop this still relatively new research approach. Efforts to produce stable isotope records based on fossil chironomids have mainly examined the elements H, N, C, and O. They have focussed on (1) developing the methodology for preparing samples for isotopic analysis, (2) laboratory studies cultivating chironomid larvae under controlled conditions to determine the factors affecting their stable isotopic composition, (3) ecosystem-scale studies relating stable isotopic measurements of fossil chironomid assemblages to environmental conditions, and (4) developing first down-core records describing past changes in the stable isotopic composition of chironomid assemblages. These studies have shown that chemical sample pretreatment may affect the isotopic composition for some elements. Laboratory runs suggest that the diet of the larvae influences their stable isotopic composition for H, N, C and O, whereas stable isotopes in the ambient water also strongly influence their oxygen and to a lesser extent hydrogen isotopic composition. These experiments also indicate only minor offsets between the nitrogen and carbon isotopic composition of chironomid soft tissue and the fossilizing head capsules, whereas for hydrogen and oxygen this offset remains to be explored. Though few datasets have been published, the available ecosystem studies and developed down-core sediment records indicate that stable isotopes in chironomid remains have the potential to provide reconstructions of past climatic change (H, O) and insights into past food web structure, methane production and pollution of lake ecosystems (N, C). Future efforts will be necessary to develop these approaches including more detailed analyses of the effects of sample pretreatment on stable isotope measurements on chitinous fossils, more extensive laboratory studies constraining the effects of external factors (e.g., isotopic composition of food and ambient water, temperature) on stable isotopes in chironomid larvae, and surveys exploring seasonal changes in the isotopic composition of chironomid larvae and assessing how this seasonality influences fossil assemblages. Finally, multi-site field studies relating chironomid δD, δ 15 N, δ 13 C and δ 18 O to parameters such as δ 18 O of precipitation, air and water temperatures, and nutrient and greenhouse gas conc...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable isotopic analysis of fossil chironomids as an approach to environmental reconstruction: state of development and future challenges

2012

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“…The EF method is calculated on element concentrations, with Al used as a passive tracer element to reflect the natural contribution of geochemical inputs (EF function = (M/Al) sample/(M/Al) basal core sample (where M is the metal studied)) (Binford, 1990;Norton et al, 1992). Stable C and N isotopic measurements and C:N ratios were used to determine the source(s) of organic matter (Cerling, 1999;Wolfe et al, 2001;Meyers, 2003), based on procedures described in Lohse et al (2000), Talbot (2001) and Wolfe et al (2001). Isotope measurements were made using a Thermo Delta plus Continuous Flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (CF-IRMS).…”

Section: Proxiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropocene environmental change in an internationally important oligotrophic catchment on the Atlantic seaboard of western Europe

et al. 2014

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“…Cellulose is a structural component found in cell walls of terrestrial and aquatic vascular plants, as well as in most algae (Wolfe et al, 2001). The aquatic cellulose productivity takes place during the ice-free season (spring to early autumn) in high latitude regions.…”

Section: The Oxygen Isotope Composition Of Lacustrine Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The isotopic composition of cellulose (δ 18 O cellulose ) will, as long as the sediment cellulose is aquatic in origin, incorporate a δ 18 O lakewater signal reflecting the lake isotope hydrology during this period. The oxygen isotope fractionation between cellulose and lake water (c. 1.025-1.030) is believed to be independent of water temperature, plant species, the photosynthetic mode and the oxygen isotopic composition of CO 2 (Epstein, 1977;Yakir and DeNiro, 1990;Wolfe et al, 2001;Sauer et al, 2001;Wolfe et al, 2007;St. Amour, 2009).…”

Section: The Oxygen Isotope Composition Of Lacustrine Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstructing past atmospheric circulation changes using oxygen isotopes in lake sediments from Sweden

et al. 2010

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Abstract. Here we use lake sediment studies from Sweden to illustrate how Holocene-aged oxygen isotope records from lakes located in different hydrological settings, can provide information about climate change. In particular changes in precipitation, atmospheric circulation and water balance. We highlight the importance of understanding the present lake hydrology, and the relationship between climate variables and the oxygen isotopic composition of precipitation (δ 18 O p ) and lake waters (δ 18 O lakewater ) for interpretation of the oxygen isotopic record from the sediments (δ 18 O). Both precipitation reconstructions from Northern Sweden and water balance reconstructions from South and Central Sweden show that the atmospheric circulation changed from zonal to a more meridional airflow over the Holocene. Superimposed on this Holocene trend are δ 18 O p minima resembling intervals of the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), thus suggesting that the climate of Northern Europe is strongly influenced by atmospheric and oceanic circulation changes over the North Atlantic.

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Carbon and Oxygen Isotope Analysis of Lake Sediment Cellulose: Methods and Applications

Cited by 62 publications

References 57 publications

Stable isotopic analysis of fossil chironomids as an approach to environmental reconstruction: state of development and future challenges

Stable isotopic analysis of fossil chironomids as an approach to environmental reconstruction: state of development and future challenges

Anthropocene environmental change in an internationally important oligotrophic catchment on the Atlantic seaboard of western Europe

Reconstructing past atmospheric circulation changes using oxygen isotopes in lake sediments from Sweden

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