Phytolith record of surface samples from central eastern Inner Mongolia and their relationship to the Modern vegetation

Phytolith analysis of fourteen surface samples from central eastern Inner Mongolia was carried out, and the results were tested by correspondence analysis. The results reveal that rondels and crenates are dominant in all surface samples. Rondels are over represented, and exceed 50% in the Aneurolepidium chinese-dominated and Stipa grandis-dominated grasslands. In the Stipa krylovii-dominated grassland and degenerated grassland, Stipa bilobates and keeled rondels are common, and can be used as indictors of both dry habitat and grassland degeneration. The phytolith production of Artemisia species is low, and Artemisia blocky type phytoliths are not common even in Artemisia frigida shrubbery. The correspondence analysis of phytoliths in soils from different habitats indicates that two particular habitats are extremely different from all the rest: Ulmus pumila and Picea meyeri woodlands. The phytolith types that define these two habitats are Panicoid grass forms for Ulmus pumila (multilobates, trilobates, bilobates, and simple bilobate), and arboreal blocky forms and polyhedrons for Picea meyeri (multifaceted polyhedrals, psilate blocky type, polyhedron, and scabrate blocky type; and one grass type: a cross). The distinctiveness of each of these samples suggests that they would be easily identifiable in a soil record. Meadow grassland and Populus davidiana forest samples are less related to other samples. A correspondence analysis combining surface samples with Taipusi profile samples demonstrates that phytolith analysis of surface samples can provide modern analogue for the reconstruction of Holocene grassland change.