TY - JOUR
T1 - From plants to patterns: Constructing a comprehensive online strontium isoscape for Belgium (IsoBel) using high density grid mapping
AU - Sengeløv, Amanda
AU - Capuzzo, Giacomo
AU - Dalle, Sarah
AU - James, Hannah
AU - Sabaux, Charlotte
AU - Stamataki, Elisavet
AU - Hlad, Marta
AU - Gerritzen, Carina
AU - Legrand, Emma
AU - Veselka, Barbara
AU - De Mulder, Guy
AU - Annaert, Rica
AU - Boudin, Mathieu
AU - Salesse, Kevin
AU - Warmenbol, Eugène
AU - Matielli, Nadine
AU - Snoeck, Christophe
AU - Vercauteren, Martine
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Wendy Debouge en Jeroen De Jong of G-Time lab (Geochemistry & Geophysics: Tephra, Isotope, Mineral & Earthquakes) at the Universit\u00E9 Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), and Martyna Kremer from the AMGC lab (Archaeology, Environmental Changes and Geo-Chemistry) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) for their help with the different isotope analyses. We would like to thank the EOS-project CRUMBEL (30999782), and the ERC Starting Grant LUMIERE (Landscape Use and Mobility In EuRope \u2013 Bridging the gap between cremation and inhumation), funded by European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 948913. AS thanks the F.R.S-FNRS (Le Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique) for her doctoral scholarship (40001875). AS would also like to thank Rens de Hond and Jeanette Sengel\u00F8v, who helped collecting the majority of the samples in the field. CTG thanks the CRIME-project (CRemation or Inhumation of ancient populations? A Multidisciplinary question at the European level), which is a joint Flemish-Slovenian research project funded by the Flemish Research Foundation (FWO) and the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS), for her doctoral scholarship (G0A9721N). MH, ES, and EMG also want to thank FWO for their doctoral scholarship (11F1122N, 11A6221N, and 11PUL24N respectively). Acknowledgments are extended to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science (RBINS), who provided the geological shapefiles.
Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Wendy Debouge en Jeroen De Jong of G-Time lab (Geochemistry & Geophysics: Tephra, Isotope, Mineral & Earthquakes) at the Universit\u00E9 Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), and Martyna Kope\u0107 from the AMGC lab (Archaeology, Environmental Changes and Geo-Chemistry) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) for their help with the different isotope analyses. We would like to thank the EOS-project CRUMBEL (30999782), and the ERC Starting Grant LUMIERE (Landscape Use and Mobility In EuRope \u2013 Bridging the gap between cremation and inhumation), funded by European Union\u2019s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 948913. AS thanks the F.R.S-FNRS (Le Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique) for her doctoral scholarship (40001875). AS would also like to thank Rens de Hond and Jeanette Sengel\u00F8v, who helped collecting the majority of the samples in the field. CTG thanks the CRIME-project (CRemation or Inhumation of ancient populations? A Multidisciplinary question at the European level), which is a joint Flemish-Slovenian research project funded by the Flemish Research Foundation (FWO) and the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS), for her doctoral scholarship (G0A9721N). MH, ES, and EMG also want to thank FWO for their doctoral scholarship (11F1122N, 11A6221N, and 11PUL24N respectively). Acknowledgments are extended to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science (RBINS), who provided the geological shapefiles.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2025/1/1
Y1 - 2025/1/1
N2 - Understanding the spatial distribution of strontium isotopes in plants or other archives within a region is crucial for various fields, including archaeology, environmental studies, food sciences and forensic science. This study aims to create a detailed dynamic strontium isoscape for Belgium through high-density plant sampling, presented in a web application (IsoBel) that serves the mentioned research fields. A total of 540 plant samples (199 locations), representing various species of grass, shrubs, and trees across Belgium were collected and were analysed for their strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) to create a first biologically available strontium map. Sampling sites were selected to cover diverse lithological formations and soil types, ensuring representative coverage of the region’s geological heterogeneity, by using a novel high density grid mapping method. Sixty-four previously published plants from 21 locations are also included in this study, bringing the total amount of plant samples used to 604 from 220 locations. The results reveal significant variations in 87Sr/86Sr across Belgium (ranging from 0.7054 to 0.7259), which reflect the underlying lithology and geological processes (tectonics, weathering,…) which shaped the landscape. Although overlapping 87Sr/86Sr is seen across the majority of lithologies, there is a statistically significant difference between the distribution of 87Sr/86Sr values across all different lithological units in Belgium (Kruskal-Wallis test; p < 0.0001). Distinct regional patterns were observed, with higher 87Sr/86Sr in the older geological south-eastern part of Belgium, compared to the younger north-western parts. The high-density plant sampling approach employed in this study allowed for enhanced spatial resolution and improved accuracy in the predictive surfaces for bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr created by Empirical Bayesian Kriging (EBK). These findings provide valuable insights into the geographic distribution of strontium isotopes within Belgium and offer a foundation for future studies in archaeology, ecology, environmental studies, food sciences and forensics. Furthermore, the extensive coverage of various plant species provided a robust representation of the local ecosystems and their strontium sources. Overall, this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on regional strontium isoscapes, enhancing our understanding of the complex interplay between litho- and biosphere in shaping the strontium isotope compositions of ecosystems.
AB - Understanding the spatial distribution of strontium isotopes in plants or other archives within a region is crucial for various fields, including archaeology, environmental studies, food sciences and forensic science. This study aims to create a detailed dynamic strontium isoscape for Belgium through high-density plant sampling, presented in a web application (IsoBel) that serves the mentioned research fields. A total of 540 plant samples (199 locations), representing various species of grass, shrubs, and trees across Belgium were collected and were analysed for their strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) to create a first biologically available strontium map. Sampling sites were selected to cover diverse lithological formations and soil types, ensuring representative coverage of the region’s geological heterogeneity, by using a novel high density grid mapping method. Sixty-four previously published plants from 21 locations are also included in this study, bringing the total amount of plant samples used to 604 from 220 locations. The results reveal significant variations in 87Sr/86Sr across Belgium (ranging from 0.7054 to 0.7259), which reflect the underlying lithology and geological processes (tectonics, weathering,…) which shaped the landscape. Although overlapping 87Sr/86Sr is seen across the majority of lithologies, there is a statistically significant difference between the distribution of 87Sr/86Sr values across all different lithological units in Belgium (Kruskal-Wallis test; p < 0.0001). Distinct regional patterns were observed, with higher 87Sr/86Sr in the older geological south-eastern part of Belgium, compared to the younger north-western parts. The high-density plant sampling approach employed in this study allowed for enhanced spatial resolution and improved accuracy in the predictive surfaces for bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr created by Empirical Bayesian Kriging (EBK). These findings provide valuable insights into the geographic distribution of strontium isotopes within Belgium and offer a foundation for future studies in archaeology, ecology, environmental studies, food sciences and forensics. Furthermore, the extensive coverage of various plant species provided a robust representation of the local ecosystems and their strontium sources. Overall, this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on regional strontium isoscapes, enhancing our understanding of the complex interplay between litho- and biosphere in shaping the strontium isotope compositions of ecosystems.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85211186023&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.117123
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.117123
M3 - Article
VL - 453
SP - 1
EP - 15
JO - Geoderma
JF - Geoderma
SN - 0016-7061
IS - 117123
M1 - 117123
ER -