Phytolith records in organic soils: Evidence of environmental changes in the southern Brazilian highlands

📘 New article in the Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo (RBCS)

Phytolith records in organic soils: Evidence of environmental changes in the southern Brazilian highlands

Authors: João Pedro Comendouros Scott, Carlos Roberto Pinheiro Junior, Melania Merlo Ziviani, Marcos Gervasio Pereira, Eduardo Carvalho da Silva Neto

Soil is a living archive of the Earth’s past. It preserves memories of climate, vegetation, and human activities throughout its formation. These records explain why certain soils exist, where they are found, and how they have changed over time.

Organic soils (Histosols) are especially valuable as repositories of such records. In this study, Histosols from southern Brazil, located on the Serra Geral Plateau, were analyzed. By combining phytoliths, δ¹³C, and chemical and morphological characteristics, researchers reconstructed vegetation and climate changes over time and identified recent evidence of landscape opening caused by human activity.

Understanding these transformations helps reveal the processes behind soil formation and evolution in the landscape, as well as predict responses to future climate change.

Read the full article:https://doi.org/10.36783/18069657rbcs20240191