Neutral monosaccharides from a hypersaline tropical environment: Applications to the characterization of modern and ancient ecosystems

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(93)90293-6· OSTI ID:6031630

Moers, M E.C.; Larter, S R ^[1]

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1. The University, Newcastle upon Tyne (United Kingdom)

Surficial and buried sediment samples from a hypersaline lagoon-sabkha system (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) were analyzed for carbohydrates (as neutral monosaccharides) to distinguish and characterize various types of recent and ancient tropical ecosystems on a molecular level. The samples consisted of surficial and buried microbial mats, lagoonal sediments containing seagrass (Halodule uninervis), and mangrove (Avicennia marine) paleosoils and handpicked mangrove leaves, ranging in age from contemporary to ca. 6000 yr BP. Analysis of quantitative neutral monosaccharide data by multivariate techniques shows that various groups can be distinguished: intact vascular plant material (mangrove leaf) contains high amounts of arabinose and glucose and hardly any partially methylated monosaccharides, whereas microbial mats in general and lagoonal seagrass sediments show high contributions of fucose, ribose, mannose, galactose, and partially methylated monosaccharides. Moreover, surficial microbial mats consisting of filamentous cyanobacteria (Microcoleus chtonoplastes, Lyngbya aestuarii) can be distinguished from other mats and sediments containing coccoid cyanobacteria (Entophysalis major) and/or fermenting, sulphate reducing, and methanogenic bacteria on the basis of high contributions of specific groups of partially methylated monosaccharides and other [open quotes]minor[close quotes] saccharides. The neutral monosaccharides present in mangrove paleosoils are for a substantial part derived from microorganisms. 22 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6031630
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States), Vol. 57:13; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BASELINE ECOLOGY
MONOSACCHARIDES
MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
TROPICAL REGIONS
ARABINOSE
CYANOBACTERIA
GALACTOSE
GLUCOSE
HEXOSES
MANGROVES
MANNOSE
METHANOGENIC BACTERIA
RIBOSE
SEDIMENTS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA
ALDEHYDES
BACTERIA
CARBOHYDRATES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
ECOLOGY
ECOSYSTEMS
MAGNOLIOPHYTA
MAGNOLIOPSIDA
MATHEMATICS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PENTOSES
PLANTS
SACCHARIDES
STATISTICS
TREES
540310* - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (1990-)