TY - JOUR

T1 - Petrological and geochemical characteristics of xylites and associated lipids from the First Lusatian lignite seam (Konin Basin, Poland)

T2 - Implications for floral sources, decomposition and environmental conditions

AU - Bechtel, Achim

AU - Widera, Marek

AU - Lücke, Andreas

AU - Groß, Doris

AU - Woszczyk, Michal

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2020/9

Y1 - 2020/9

N2 - Single pieces of fossil wood fragments (xylites) were collected from the middle Miocene First Lusatian lignite seam at the Adamów, Jóźwin IIB and Tomisławice opencast mines and are characterized by maceral variety, cellulose contents and their molecular and isotopic composition. Biomarker composition of xylites and δ 13C of their total organic matter, lipids and cellulose are used to provide insights into woody plant community and the effects of wood decomposition. The investigated xylites represent fragments of fossil wood from conifers, most likely species of Cupressaceae, indicated by terpenoid biomarkers characteristic for conifers and by the δ 13C values of the extracted cellulose. This conclusion is confirmed by paleobotanical data highlighting Taxodium and Nyssa as the main elements of the wet forest swamps. Due to the wet swamp habitat and the higher-decay resistance exclusively wood fragments of conifers are found in the lignite seam. Minor abundances of angiosperm-derived triterpenoids in the xylites are explained by impurities from inherent detritic lignite. The xylites are characterized by minor to moderate extents of gelification, but elevated to high cellulose decomposition. The relationship between δ 13C values of xylites and their cellulose contents reflects wood decomposition removing preferentially the 13C-enriched compounds, but decomposition did not affect the δ 13C of cellulose. Despite of similar δ 13C of xylites and detritic lignite, differences in isotopic composition of hopanoids argue for slightly different microbial communities involved in the decomposition of the respective OM. Thus, we conclude that wood decomposition proceeded in a freshwater environment under acidic conditions by fungi and bacteria. Variations in water availability during growth periods of the conifers are suggested as the most probable cause for the observed minor variations in isotopic composition of plant lipids. The positive relationship found between δ 2H and δ 13C of plant biomarkers, and cellulose of xylites can be explained by the ability of vascular plants to minimize evapotranspiration during dryer phases resulting in plant OM enriched in 13C and 2H. The significant differences in δ 2H between diterpenoids of different structural types and n-alkanes are most likely caused by differences in isotopic fractionation during lipid biosynthesis.

AB - Single pieces of fossil wood fragments (xylites) were collected from the middle Miocene First Lusatian lignite seam at the Adamów, Jóźwin IIB and Tomisławice opencast mines and are characterized by maceral variety, cellulose contents and their molecular and isotopic composition. Biomarker composition of xylites and δ 13C of their total organic matter, lipids and cellulose are used to provide insights into woody plant community and the effects of wood decomposition. The investigated xylites represent fragments of fossil wood from conifers, most likely species of Cupressaceae, indicated by terpenoid biomarkers characteristic for conifers and by the δ 13C values of the extracted cellulose. This conclusion is confirmed by paleobotanical data highlighting Taxodium and Nyssa as the main elements of the wet forest swamps. Due to the wet swamp habitat and the higher-decay resistance exclusively wood fragments of conifers are found in the lignite seam. Minor abundances of angiosperm-derived triterpenoids in the xylites are explained by impurities from inherent detritic lignite. The xylites are characterized by minor to moderate extents of gelification, but elevated to high cellulose decomposition. The relationship between δ 13C values of xylites and their cellulose contents reflects wood decomposition removing preferentially the 13C-enriched compounds, but decomposition did not affect the δ 13C of cellulose. Despite of similar δ 13C of xylites and detritic lignite, differences in isotopic composition of hopanoids argue for slightly different microbial communities involved in the decomposition of the respective OM. Thus, we conclude that wood decomposition proceeded in a freshwater environment under acidic conditions by fungi and bacteria. Variations in water availability during growth periods of the conifers are suggested as the most probable cause for the observed minor variations in isotopic composition of plant lipids. The positive relationship found between δ 2H and δ 13C of plant biomarkers, and cellulose of xylites can be explained by the ability of vascular plants to minimize evapotranspiration during dryer phases resulting in plant OM enriched in 13C and 2H. The significant differences in δ 2H between diterpenoids of different structural types and n-alkanes are most likely caused by differences in isotopic fractionation during lipid biosynthesis.

U2 - 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2020.104052

DO - 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2020.104052

M3 - Article

VL - 147.2020

JO - Organic geochemistry

JF - Organic geochemistry

SN - 0146-6380

IS - September

M1 - 104052

ER -