The Calibrations of Phytolith Assemblages for Quantitative Climate and Vegetation Reconstruction

To validate and enhance the accuracy of phytolith analysis, I have invested a significant amount of time developing modern calibrations based on topsoil data. These calibrations focus on establishing relationships between phytolith assemblages and various bioclimate parameters, including temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, the aridity index, canopy coverage, and more.

Figure. Frequency diagram of phytolith morphotypes observed in topsoil from elevation quadrats in the Daiyun mountains, China. ([Li et al., 2022](https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.912627)).

Selected references

• Li, N., Yu, F., Sack, D., Huang, Z., Tian, G., and Liu, S., 2022. Phytolith assemblages as a promising tool for quantitative canopy coverage reconstruction in subtropical forests, China. Frontiers in Plant Science 13: 912627. [link]
• Gao, G., Jie, D., Li, D., Li, N., Liu, L., Liu, H., Wang, J., Niu, H., Meng, M., Liu, Y., and Zhang, G., 2021. Reconstruction of local-scale plant community characteristics using phytolith: A case study of a forested region in Northeast China. Catena 203: 105146. [link]
• Gao, G., Jie, D., Li, D., Li, N., Liu, L., Liu, H., Leng, C., Wang, J., Liu, B. and Li, P., 2019. Assessing modern arboreal phytolith sensitivity to vegetation variations in temperate forest regions. BOREAS 48: 731–745.[link]
• Gao, G., Jie, D., Li, D., Li, N., Liu, L., Liu, H., Shi, J., Leng, C. and Wang, J., 2018. Reliability of phytoliths for reconstructing vegetation dynamics in northern temperate forest regions: A case study in northeast China. Quaternary Science Reviews 201: 1–12. [link]
• Li, N., Sack, D., Gao, G., Liu, L., Li, D., Yang, X., Jie, D., Liu, H., Shi, J. and Leng, C., 2018. Holocene Artemisia-Chenopodiaceae-dominated grassland in North China: Real or imaginary? The Holocene 28: 834–841. [link]