CPI values of terrestrial higher plant-derived long-chain n-alkanes: a potential paleoclimatic proxy

Abstract

Carbon Preference Index (CPI values) of higher plant-derived long-chain n-alkanes extracted from 62 surface soil samples in eastern China exhibited a specific pattern of variations, namely gradual increase with the increasing latitudes. Such regular variations existed in both forest soil and grassland soil. Our data implied that CPI values of higher plant-derived long-chain n-alkanes had a certain connection with climatic conditions, and such a connection was not influenced by vegetation types. Together with previous data from marine sediments, loess/paleosol sequences, tertiary red clay and modern plants, our observation made us conclude that CPI values of higher plant-derived long-chain n-alkanes may be used as an excellent proxy for paleoclimatic studies.

Keywords

long-chain n-alkanes / CPI values / paleoclimatic proxy

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX3-SW-152), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40672121), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 20080430792) and the NSFC National Innovative Research Team Project (No. 40721061). The authors were grateful to Dr. HAN Jiangwei and Mr. JIA Wanglu for assistance in the field and lab analysis. Thanks also go to the reviewers and editor who help improve this manuscript.

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