Phytoliths as paleoenvironmental indicators in a dune field on the northern Great Plains

Abstract

Recent applications of grass phytolith analysis on the northern Great Plains emphasize the use of this proxy as an indicator of regional paleoenvironmental change. In contrast, opal phytolith assemblages from a late Holocene (<4100 14C yrs BP) parabolic dune correlate more strongly with localized changes in topography and moisture during episodes of soil formation. This is because soils on eolian landforms are often short-lived, produce low phytolith inheritance, and are less likely to form and preserve during less humid intervals. Phytolith assemblages preserved in these contexts therefore lack the temporal and spatial integration necessary to be clear indicators of regional vegetative succession and climate change.