Characteristics of phytoliths in Leymus chinensis from different habitats on the Songnen Plain in Northeast China and their environmental implications

The characteristics of phytoliths in Leymus chinensis leaves from five different pH-value habitats from Songnen Plain in China were analyzed to reveal their environmental implications and possible use for quantitative reconstruction of the paleoenvironment. The phytoliths in leaves of L. chinensis from the five habitats showed a non-linear correlation with soil pH. The main types of phytoliths from the different habitats were exactly the same, including silicified stomata, hat-shaped, lanceolate, elongated, multilateral-plate, and tooth-shaped. However, there were significant differences in the contents of each shape of phytoliths among the five habitats. The amount and the volume of weakly tooth-shaped, lanceolate phytoliths and silicified stomata increased with increased pH, while the total amount of phytoliths was reduced. In addition, there were different types of phytoliths in the L. chinensis leaves from the five habitats of different pH, suggesting that the types of phytoliths were controlled, at least in part, by soil pH. The changes of size and percentage of phytoliths were most remarkable at pH 10.15-10.18, indicating that this is the highest pH value that L. chinensis can tolerate.