Oil-palm and Rainforest Phytoliths Dissolve at Different Rates - with Implications for Silicon Cycling After Transformation of Rainforest Into Oil-palm Plantation

• DOI: 10.1007/s12633-022-02066-y
• Publication Date: 2022-09-17T07:02:26Z
• Authors: Barbara von der Lühe; Karin Bezler; Harold J. Hughes; Britta Greenshields; Aiyen Tjoa; Daniela Sauer
• Keywords: Arecaceae; Cycling; Tropical rain forest; Elaeis guineensis

Abstract Phytoliths make up the predominant fraction of biogenic silica in plant litter and soils. Thus, they represent a major source dissolved silicon (Si) soil-plant systems. Dissolution phytoliths from Si-accumulating crops such as rice has been well studied recent years. However, phytolith dissolution oil-palm plantations remains largely understudied. In this study, we compared rates isolated fronds, litter, rainforest litter. Our results showed that fronds an important reservoir easily dissolvable Si with high (0.44 - 0.69 mg g $$^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> d ). Compared to fresh 18 times lower rates, reflecting aging over time. The rate (0.067 ) was significantly higher than (0.038 These demonstrate transformation into plantation involves change production release considerably altering cycling system. We identified cut-off palm are usually piled between rows most sources maintaining biogeochemical plantations.