Welcome to the website of the research project
PALEOISOMED:
Stable isotopes in Mediterranean forest and agricultural ecosystems: from a mechanistic understanding of isotope fractionation processes in plants to the application in paleoenvironmental research
PALEOISOMED:
Stable isotopes in Mediterranean forest and agricultural ecosystems: from a mechanistic understanding of isotope fractionation processes in plants to the application in paleoenvironmental research
Funding Source: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
Project Number: CGL2009-13079-C02
Participants
Subproject 1: University of Lleida (PALEOISOTREE)
Juan Pedro Ferrio (PI Subproject 1, coordinator)
Jordi Voltas
Luis Serrano
Manuel Garasa
Jorge del Castillo
Guillem Pérez (Univ. València)
Arthur Gessler (ZALF, Germany)
Subproject 2: University of Barcelona (PALEOISOCROP)
Salvador Nogués (PI Subproject 2)
José Luis Araus
Maria Dolors Serret
Iker Aranjuelo
Jordi Bort
Cristina Caldelas
Regina Roca
Gemma Molero
Salvador Aljazairi
Mònica Aguilera
Juan Pedro Ferrio (PI Subproject 1, coordinator)
Jordi Voltas
Luis Serrano
Manuel Garasa
Jorge del Castillo
Guillem Pérez (Univ. València)
Arthur Gessler (ZALF, Germany)
Subproject 2: University of Barcelona (PALEOISOCROP)
Salvador Nogués (PI Subproject 2)
José Luis Araus
Maria Dolors Serret
Iker Aranjuelo
Jordi Bort
Cristina Caldelas
Regina Roca
Gemma Molero
Salvador Aljazairi
Mònica Aguilera
Project overview
In the Mediterranean region, precipitation is the most significant climate factor impacting ecosystems and limiting crop yields, and the combined effect of current aridity with future climate change is expected to particularly threaten forest ecosystems and rainfed crops in this area. In this context, studying plant responses to past global changes provides valuable insights for predicting future responses to a rapidly changing environment. In particular, one key to understand long-term plant responses to climate changes in the Mediterranean is to characterize past changes in precipitation and its distribution and their effect on rainfed cultivated plants and forest trees. Although global climate trends during the Holocene are well described, there is a lack of information on its spatial variability.
The widespread presence of archaeobotanical remains in the Mediterranean Basin, together with the stable isotope techniques developed by the applicants, offers the possibility to study past geographic variability of different environmental variables affecting forest and crop species. However, certain uncertainties in isotopic models in plants have raised in recent years and need to be addressed to provide a better interpretation of palaeoenvironmental records.
In this context, this proposal aims to expand the use of stable isotopes from archaeobotanical remains as palaeoenvironmental proxies. Bearing in mind the questions arisen in previous projects, the first objective of the proposal is to further understand fractionation processes of carbon and nitrogen isotopes and to explore the use of other non-traditional stable isotopes (Sr, Pb, Zn) in Mediterranean vegetation. This will be used to refine their application as palaeoenvironmental proxies, previously developed by the participants. As a secondary objective, the Project aims to provide local and regional reconstructions of 1) climate for the Iberian Peninsula during the last 8,000 years and 2) the water and nutrient status and productivity of main cultivated crops during this period.
The widespread presence of archaeobotanical remains in the Mediterranean Basin, together with the stable isotope techniques developed by the applicants, offers the possibility to study past geographic variability of different environmental variables affecting forest and crop species. However, certain uncertainties in isotopic models in plants have raised in recent years and need to be addressed to provide a better interpretation of palaeoenvironmental records.
In this context, this proposal aims to expand the use of stable isotopes from archaeobotanical remains as palaeoenvironmental proxies. Bearing in mind the questions arisen in previous projects, the first objective of the proposal is to further understand fractionation processes of carbon and nitrogen isotopes and to explore the use of other non-traditional stable isotopes (Sr, Pb, Zn) in Mediterranean vegetation. This will be used to refine their application as palaeoenvironmental proxies, previously developed by the participants. As a secondary objective, the Project aims to provide local and regional reconstructions of 1) climate for the Iberian Peninsula during the last 8,000 years and 2) the water and nutrient status and productivity of main cultivated crops during this period.
