Long-chain n-alkanols and n-alkanes in core sediments from the northern South China Sea (SCS) were measuredto make a comparison during terrestrial vegetation reconstruction from ～42 ka to ～7 ka. The results showed thatterrestrial vegetation record from long-chain n-alkanes matched well with previous studies in nearby cores,showing that more C4 plants developed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and C3 plants dominated in theinterglacial period. However, these scenarios were not revealed by terrestrial vegetation reconstruction usinglong-chain n-alkanols, which showed C3 plant expansion during the LGM. The discrepancy during the interglacialperiod could be attributed to the aerobic degradation of functionalized long-chain n-alkanols in the oxygen-richbottom water, resulting in poor preservation of terrestrial vegetation signals. On the other hand, the differentadvantages of functionalized n-alkanols and non-functional n-alkanes to record local and distal vegetationsignals, respectively, may offer a potential explanation for the contradiction during the LGM when the SCS wascharacterized by low-oxygen deep water. Nevertheless, large variations on n-alkyl lipid compositions in C3/C4plants could play a part in modulating sedimentary long-chain n-alkanols and n-alkanes toward differentvegetation signals, thereby suggesting that caution must be taken in respect to the terrestrial vegetationreconstruction using long-chain n-alkanes and long-chain n-alkanols.

Shengyi Mao;Guodong Jia;Xiaowei Zhu;Nengyou Wu;Daidai Wu;Hongxiang Guan;Lihua Liu

CAS Key Laboratory of Gas Hydrate, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Guangzhou 510640, China;Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China;State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China;Key Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China;Key Laboratory of Gas Hydrate of Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, Qingdao266237, China;Laboratory for Marine Mineral Resources, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao),Qingdao 266237, China

海洋学报（英文版）

[1]Shengyi Mao;Guodong Jia;Xiaowei Zhu;Nengyou Wu;Daidai Wu;Hongxiang Guan;Lihua Liu-.Last glacial terrestrial vegetation record of leaf wax n-alkanols in the northern South China Sea: Contrast to scenarios from long-chain n-alkanes)[J].海洋学报（英文版）,2022(08):22-30

alkanols,measuredto,thatterrestrial,theinterglacial,usinglong,interglacialperiod,richbottom,differentadvantages,vegetationsignals,wascharacterized,C4plants,differentvegetation,vegetationreconstruction

Last,record,leaf,wax,northern,South,China,Sea,Contrast,scenarios,from,chain,alkanes,Long,sediments,SCS,were,make,comparison,during,results,showed,matched,well,previous,studies,nearby,cores,showing,more,developed,Glacial,Maximum,LGM,C3,dominated,However,these,not,revealed,which,expansion,discrepancy,could,be,attributed,aerobic,degradation,functionalized,oxygen,water,resulting,poor,preservation,On,other,hand,local,distal,respectively,may,offer,potential,explanation,contradiction,when,low,deep,Nevertheless,large,variations,alkyl,lipid,compositions,play,part,modulating,sedimentary,toward,thereby,suggesting,caution,must,taken

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