Dr. Li Rencheng’s Phytolith Research in Southwest China

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November 5, 2024
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Main Research

Morphology and formation

To reveal phytolith morphology changes in the plant-soil system, the seasonal variations of dissolved Si and phytoliths in the plant-soil system were studied on a karst mountain. We found that the phytolith morphology, assemblage, occluded elements, and dissolved Si varied in the bamboo forest plant-soil system during the growing season. The phytolith assemblage and SiO2 content in bamboo species can respond to leaf age and climatic conditions. This research focuses on revealing phytolith formation mechanisms in plants and the interactions between the silica in plants and soil.

Fire activity indicating

Phytolith analysis is a potential tool for indicating and reconstructing fire activity. The ratio of charcoal to phytolith particles, the elements occluded in phytoliths, and the dissolution rate of phytoliths are investigated in plant ash, soil and sediment under (forest) fire conditions. Dr Li’s team established phytolith indices to indicate the occurrence of fire events and evaluated the effect of fire on phytolith chemical composition. This research aims to discover and build phytolith fire activity indicators and enhance the application of phytolith analysis to fire activity reconstruction.

Chemical elemental analysis

Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA) was applied to phytoliths to reveal the elements in a micro-area of an individual phytolith morphotype. Accumulation of HMs (heavy metals) in phytoliths from common grasses growing in mining environments in southwest China was investigated, revealing HM enrichment within phytoliths compared to plants and soils and the main factor controlling the degree of phytoliths enrichment in HM. This research will provide the basis for using the elemental composition of phytoliths for plant classification and paleo soil contamination events and evaluating the HM immobilising capacity of different plant species.