The effect of C3 and C4 plants for the magnetic susceptibility signal in soils

To understand the origin of the ultrafine pedogenic components responsible for the magnetic susceptibility (MS) enhancement remains a major challenging problem in linking magnetic signal with paleoclimate. Here we examine the effect of the natural fires on the MS signal of both plants and modern soils and in particular the MS difference between C3 and C4 plant ashes and their influence on magnetic susceptibility. We also proved the influence of the different floral root systems on the MS signal of modern soils. We find that the C3 and C4 plants are different in their ability to enhance MS signal of modern soils. Increased MS signal of modern soils by C4 plants was much greater than that by C3 plants.