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Title

Aluminum in the opal silica reticule of phytoliths: a new tool in palaeoecological studies
Authors
Carnelli, Adriana
Madella, Marco
Theurillat, Jean-Paul
Ammann, Brigitta
Published in American journal of botany. 2002, vol. 89, no. 2, p. 346-351
Abstract X-ray microanalysis was employed to screen biogenic plant silica extracted from the aboveground tissues of 20 species (Gramineae, Cyperaceae, Ericaceae, and Coniferae) occurring in subalpine and alpine grasslands, heaths, and woodlands on siliceous bedrock in the Valaisan Swiss Alps. Among the taxa investigated, only woody species produced a high proportion of phytoliths containing aluminum in the form of aluminosilicates. This difference between the chemical composition of wood and that of herbaceous phytoliths has important implications for the sourcing of phytoliths. As applications for palaeoenvironmental studies can be expected to be far-reaching, the potential of this microanalytical technique is discussed.
Keywords Alps — Aluminium — Coniferae — Cyperaceae — Ericaceae — Gramineae — Opal — X-ray microanalysis
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Structures
Faculté des sciences / Section de biologie / Département de botanique et biologie végétale
Citation
(ISO format) 		CARNELLI, Adriana et al. Aluminum in the opal silica reticule of phytoliths: a new tool in palaeoecological studies. In: American Journal of Botany, 2002, vol. 89, n° 2, p. 346-351. doi: 10.3732/ajb.89.2.346 https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:79460

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Deposited on : 2016-01-18

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