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Oil-palm and Rainforest Phytoliths Dissolve at Different Rates - with Implications for Silicon Cycling After Transformation of Rainforest Into Oil-palm Plantation.

Authors :
von der Lühe, Barbara
Bezler, Karin
Hughes, Harold J.
Greenshields, Britta
Tjoa, Aiyen
Sauer, Daniela
Source :
SILICON (1876990X); Feb2023, Vol. 15 Issue 3, p1347-1354, 8p
Publication Year :
2023

Abstract

Phytoliths make up the predominant fraction of biogenic silica in plant litter and soils. Thus, they represent a major source of dissolved silicon (Si) in soil-plant systems. Dissolution of phytoliths from Si-accumulating crops such as rice has been well studied in recent years. However, phytolith dissolution in oil-palm plantations remains largely understudied. In this study, we compared dissolution rates of phytoliths isolated from oil-palm fronds, oil-palm litter, and rainforest litter. Our results showed that phytoliths from oil-palm fronds represent an important reservoir of easily dissolvable Si with high dissolution rates (0.44 - 0.69 mg g - 1 d - 1 ). Compared to fresh phytoliths from oil-palm fronds, phytoliths isolated from litter showed up to 18 times lower dissolution rates, reflecting silica aging over time. The dissolution rate of phytoliths isolated from rainforest litter (0.067 mg g - 1 d - 1 ) was significantly higher than that of phytoliths from oil-palm litter (0.038 mg g - 1 d - 1 ). These results demonstrate that transformation of rainforest into oil-palm plantation involves a major change in phytolith production and Si release from litter, considerably altering Si cycling in the soil-plant system. We identified cut-off palm fronds that are usually piled up between the palm rows as most important Si sources maintaining biogeochemical Si cycling in oil-palm plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1876990X
Volume :
15
Issue :
3
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
SILICON (1876990X)
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
162032665
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-022-02066-y