Abstract
Abstract. Santos et al. (2012) address the important issue that 14C dating of the carbon occluded in silica phytoliths (PhytOC) isolated from contemporary plant materials can produce ages that are incompatible, being often several kyr older, with both their known recent origin and the 14C age of the bulk plant material. In their article, Santos et al. (2012) propose that the anomalously old 14C carbon dates of PhytOC from harvested plant materials are based on plants taking up "old" dissolved soil carbon to the plant by roots during nutrient uptake. They then propose that this old soil-derived carbon is subsequently partitioned from the general plant biomass into either the silica phytoliths they produce or as recalcitrant organic matter elsewhere in the plant. We suggest that the full data available for PhytOC 14C dating do not support this hypothesis. Santos et al. (2012) also address the important issue of contamination of PhytOC by general plant biomass material that can occur with procedures that incompletely extract phytoliths. Whilst we agree that such contamination needs to be avoided when examining the nature of PhytOC, we also point out that the converse problem, i.e. removal of PhytOC by over-vigorous extraction procedures, can also have important adverse consequences.
Highlights
MethodsIsolated from soil provided by other doafttienngHdmoyednthorotodcslo.orSrgealnyattoeaswentedalll.w(2it0h1t2h)eexdaamtespropose that the anomalously old 14C carbon dates of Phy- ine this phenomenon by uEsiangrtrheceSntylyshtaervmested plant spectOC from harvested plant materials are based on plants taking up “old” dissolved soil carbon to the plant by roots during imens, during tpahkyintoglitchonpsriedpeararabtlieone,ffaonSrdt ctboiyeexnreccvluieedwesicnognotatmheirnaptuiobnnutrient uptake
We suggest that the full data available for PhytOC 14C dating do Santos et al (2012) hypothesise that the anomalously old 14C carbon dates of PhytOC from harvested plant materials are based on plantOs tcakeinagnupS“coilde”ndcisesolved soil carbon to the plant by roots during nutrient uptake
Carbon occluded in silica phytoliths (PhytOC) from modern (Note: the authorship of this unpublished progress report was plant materials as well as the utility of techniques for the iso- incorrectly attributed in Santos et al (2012): it is corrected lation of phytoliths and the determination of PhytOC
Summary
Isolated from soil provided by other doafttienngHdmoyednthorotodcslo.orSrgealnyattoeaswentedalll.w(2it0h1t2h)eexdaamtespropose that the anomalously old 14C carbon dates of Phy- ine this phenomenon by uEsiangrtrheceSntylyshtaervmested plant spectOC from harvested plant materials are based on plants taking up “old” dissolved soil carbon to the plant by roots during imens, during tpahkyintoglitchonpsriedpeararabtlieone,ffaonSrdt ctboiyeexnreccvluieedwesicnognotatmheirnaptuiobnnutrient uptake They propose that this old soil-derived lished data. Santos et al (2012) address soil-derived carbon is subsequently strongly partitioned from the important issue of contamination of PhytOC by general the general plant biomass and into either the silica phytoliths plant biomass material that can occur with procedures that they produce (as PhytOC) or as recalcitrant organic matter incompletely extract phytoliths. Whilst we agree that such elsewhere in the plant
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