Collaborative Research: Paleoecology of Jurassic Terrestrial Landscapes

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This project will study ancient ecosystems of the Jurassic and could provide insight into how modern terrestrial ecosystems may respond to warmer future climates. High atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and warm global temperatures make the Jurassic Period an appropriate analog for near-future climates. The responses of plants and animals to changes in climate in ancient ecosystems will inform predictions on long-term effects of changing climate for modern biodiversity. The ancient soils will be sampled and analyzed to estimate temperature and precipitation. This project will enhance STEM education through mentorship of students, including funding for graduate student participation in field work and involvement of undergraduate students in laboratory analyses, and training a graduate student in new analytical methods. Broad dissemination of results will be achieved through development of a project website and an agreement with the Perot Museum in Dallas to feature this project in its exhibits. By emphasizing the connections between climate and biodiversity in modern and ancient environments, this project has the potential to inform the public and policy discussions about the implications of global environmental change.This project examines the relationships among faunal richness, primary productivity, and moisture availability in Late Jurassic terrestrial ecosystems of the Junggar Basin in northwestern China. Comparison of these results with previous studies will test if these ecological factors are positively correlated in the Jurassic, as in the modern. This project will 1) reconstruct Middle to Late Jurassic paleoclimate in the Junggar Basin during the using paleosol (ancient soil) morphology and geochemistry, 2) contrast Middle and Late Jurassic productivity within the basin, and 3) compare the Late Jurassic productivity-richness-climate relationship in northwestern China with previously observed patterns in North America and Europe. Paleosols from multiple stratigraphic sections in the Junggar Basin will be measured, described, and classified for mineralogical, elemental, and stable isotopic composition to provide estimates of paleoprecipitation and paleotemperature. Paleotemperature estimates will be derived from clumped isotope analysis of paleosol calcite and hydrogen and oxygen isotope analysis of clay minerals. Soil carbon dioxide concentration, a proxy for productivity, will be estimated using the carbon isotope values of paleosol calcite and associated organic matter.