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Variations of δ30Si and Ge/Si with weathering and biogenic input in tropical basaltic ash soils under monoculture

par Opfergelt, Sophie;Cardinal, Damien ;André, Luc ;Delvigne, Camille;Bremond, Laurent;Delvaux, Bruno
Référence Geochimica et cosmochimica acta, 74, 1, page (225-240)
Publication Publié, 2010-01

Article révisé par les pairs

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Résumé :

In soils, silicon released by mineral weathering can be retrieved from soil solution through clay formation, Si adsorption onto secondary oxides and plant uptake, thereby impacting the Si-isotopic signature and Ge/Si ratio of dissolved Si (DSi) exported to rivers. Here we use these proxies to study the contribution of biogenic Si (BSi) in a soil-plant system involving basaltic ash soils differing in weathering degree under intensive banana cropping. δ30Si and Ge/Si ratios were determined in bulk soils (<2 mm), sand (50-2000 μm), silt (2-50 μm), amorphous Si (ASi, 2-50 μm) and clay (<2 μm) fractions: δ30Si by MC-ICP-MS Nu Plasma in medium resolution, operating in dry plasma with Mg doping (δ30Si vs. NBS28 ± 0.12‰ ± 2σSD), Ge/Si computed after determination of Ge and Si concentrations by HR-ICP-MS and ICP-AES, respectively. Components of the ASi fraction were quantified by microscopic counting (phytoliths, diatoms, ashes). Compared to fresh ash (δ30Si = -0.38‰; Ge/Si = 2.21 μmol mol-1), soil clay fractions (<2 μm) were enriched in light Si isotopes and Ge: with increasing weathering degree, δ30Si decreased from -1.19 to -2.37‰ and Ge/Si increased from 4.10 to 5.25 μmol mol-1. Sand and silt fractions displayed δ30Si values close to fresh ash (-0.33‰) or higher due to saharian dust quartz deposition, whose contribution was evaluated by isotopic mass balance calculation. Si-isotopic signatures of bulk soils (<2 mm) were strongly governed by the relative proportions of primary and secondary minerals: the bulk soil Si-isotopic budget could be closed indicating that all the phases involved were identified. Microscopic counting highlighted a surface accumulation of banana phytoliths and a stable phytolith pool from previous forested vegetation. δ30Si and Ge/Si values of clay fractions in poorly developed volcanic soils, isotopically heavier and Ge-depleted in surface horizons, support the occurrence of a DSi source from banana phytolith dissolution, available for Si sequestration in clay-sized secondary minerals (clay minerals formation and Si adsorption onto Fe-oxide). In the soil-plant system, δ30Si and Ge/Si are thus highly relevant to trace weathering and input of DSi from phytoliths in secondary minerals, although not quantifying the net input of BSi to DSi. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.