Land plant responses during extinction events linked to large volcanic eruptions – is there a common pattern?
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Land plant responses during extinction events linked to large volcanic eruptions – is there a common pattern? / Lindström, Sofie; Galloway, Jennifer M.; Tegner, Christian; Bos, Remco; Schootbrugge, Bas van de .
2023. Abstract from EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria.Research output: Contribution to conference › Conference abstract for conference › Research › peer-review
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T1 - Land plant responses during extinction events linked to large volcanic eruptions – is there a common pattern?
AU - Lindström, Sofie
AU - Galloway, Jennifer M.
AU - Tegner, Christian
AU - Bos, Remco
AU - Schootbrugge, Bas van de
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Large-scale volcanic activity during the formation of large igneous provinces (LIPs) were contemporaneous with almost every mass extinction event in Earth’s history, and LIP activity is believed to have caused or contributed to at least three, if not all, Big Five mass extinctions. However, compared to the marine fossil record, the effects of the volcanism on the terrestrial plant record is still poorly understood. Extinctions in the animal record during major biotic crises in Earth history are not mirrored by comparable major changes in land plants. Despite being sedentary organisms land plants have evolved adaptations to cope with adverse changes in the environment which may provide autecological advantages compared to animals. Despite their remarkable resilience, land plant communities were still affected in multiple ways during LIP-induced extinction events. During the end-Triassic mass extinction (201.56–201.36 million years ago) emissions of greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide and aerosols, halocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Hg and heavy metals from magmatic activity, as well as sea-level changes, during the emplacement of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) are considered to have severely stressed land plants. This is exemplified by major changes in ecosystem structure in palynological records, a rise in microscopic charcoal abundance indicating increased wildfire activity, enhanced reworking of palynomorphs indicating increased soil erosion, acid rain damages on macroplant leaves, and increased abundances of abnormal spores and pollen indicating mutagenesis from Hg-toxicity and/or ozone layer depletion. Several of these land plant responses have also been observed during other extinction events contemporaneous to LIP activity. Here, we compare and discuss some of the changes in common between different biotic crises to evaluate whether there is a common pattern or not.
AB - Large-scale volcanic activity during the formation of large igneous provinces (LIPs) were contemporaneous with almost every mass extinction event in Earth’s history, and LIP activity is believed to have caused or contributed to at least three, if not all, Big Five mass extinctions. However, compared to the marine fossil record, the effects of the volcanism on the terrestrial plant record is still poorly understood. Extinctions in the animal record during major biotic crises in Earth history are not mirrored by comparable major changes in land plants. Despite being sedentary organisms land plants have evolved adaptations to cope with adverse changes in the environment which may provide autecological advantages compared to animals. Despite their remarkable resilience, land plant communities were still affected in multiple ways during LIP-induced extinction events. During the end-Triassic mass extinction (201.56–201.36 million years ago) emissions of greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide and aerosols, halocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Hg and heavy metals from magmatic activity, as well as sea-level changes, during the emplacement of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) are considered to have severely stressed land plants. This is exemplified by major changes in ecosystem structure in palynological records, a rise in microscopic charcoal abundance indicating increased wildfire activity, enhanced reworking of palynomorphs indicating increased soil erosion, acid rain damages on macroplant leaves, and increased abundances of abnormal spores and pollen indicating mutagenesis from Hg-toxicity and/or ozone layer depletion. Several of these land plant responses have also been observed during other extinction events contemporaneous to LIP activity. Here, we compare and discuss some of the changes in common between different biotic crises to evaluate whether there is a common pattern or not.
KW - Faculty of Science
KW - Mass extinctions
KW - large igneous provinces
KW - palynology
KW - volcanism
KW - land plants
KW - end-Triassic crisis
U2 - 10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12194
DO - 10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12194
M3 - Conference abstract for conference
T2 - EGU General Assembly 2023
Y2 - 24 April 2023 through 28 April 2023
ER -
ID: 345325326