Koch, B.P., Rullkötter, J. and Lara, R.J. (2003) Evaluation of triterpenols and sterols as organic matter biomarkers in a mangrove ecosystem in northern Brazil. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 11 (4). pp. 257-263. DOI https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025063516054.

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Abstract

Mangrove leaves, sediment, and excrementfrom the mangrove crab Ucidescordatus from the coastal areas of theBragança peninsula in North Brazil wereanalysed to determine suitable biomarkersfor mangrove-derived organic matter. Leavesof Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove),the dominant species in the area, werecharacterised by high amounts ofβ-amyrin, germanicol, taraxerol, andlupeol. Avicennia germinans (blackmangrove) mainly contained betulin, lupeol,and β-sitosterol, whereas significantquantities of β-sitosterol and lupeolwere typical of Laguncularia racemosa(white mangrove), the locally leastabundant species. Except for betulin, theexcrement of U. cordatus containedall of the above substances, but moststrongly reflected the triterpenolsignature of R. mangle leaves, thepredominant diet of this crab. Surfacesediments from various mangrove locationshad relatively uniform compositions thatpossibly reflect tidal mixing. Sedimentextracts were dominated by taraxerol andcontained smaller amounts ofβ-amyrin, germanicol, and lupeol.Only sediments in a marsh area, dominatedby Sporobolus virginicus (seashoredropseed) and Eleocharis sp. (spikerush), revealed a differentbiomarker distribution. Core samples ofsubrecent sediment (up to 4000 14C yrBP), for which previous pollen analysisindicated vegetation dominated bymangroves, had compositions similar to thatof the surface sediment. Taraxerol was themain component in the examined mangrovesediments and may be a marker for mangrovematter in this region, although analysis ofplant material did not unequivocallysupport this. Germanicol is suggested to bea biomarker for organic matter from R.mangle in North Brazil. It was detected inolder sediments, and was not significantlyaffected by ingestion by land crabs.

Document Type:	Article
Programme Area:	UNSPECIFIED
Research affiliation:	Biogeochemistry and Geology
Refereed:	Yes
Open Access Journal?:	No
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025063516054
ISSN:	09234861
Date Deposited:	16 Mar 2020 12:07
Last Modified:	01 Oct 2020 13:01
URI:	http://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/3648

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