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.

中文翻译：

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从植物到模式：使用高密度网格映射为比利时构建全面的在线锶等值图 （IsoBel）


了解一个地区内植物或其他档案中锶同位素的空间分布对于各个领域都至关重要，包括考古学、环境研究、食品科学和法医学。本研究旨在通过高密度植物采样为比利时创建详细的动态锶等景图，并在服务于上述研究领域的 Web 应用程序 （IsoBel） 中展示。总共收集了 540 个植物样本（199 个地点），代表比利时各种草、灌木和树木，并分析了它们的锶同位素比值 （87Sr/86Sr），以创建第一个生物可用的锶图。通过使用一种新颖的高密度网格制图方法，选择采样点以涵盖不同的岩性构造和土壤类型，确保该地区地质非均质性的代表性覆盖。本研究还包括来自 21 个地点的 64 种先前发表的植物，使来自 220 个地点的植物样本总数达到 604 种。结果显示比利时各地 87Sr/86Sr 的显着变化（范围从 0.7054 到 0.7259），这反映了塑造景观的潜在岩性和地质过程（构造、风化,...）。尽管在大多数岩性中可以看到重叠的 87Sr/86Sr，但在比利时所有不同岩性单元中，87Sr/86Sr 值的分布之间存在统计学上的显著差异（Kruskal-Wallis 测试;p < 0.0001）。观察到明显的区域模式，与较年轻的西北部相比，比利时较老的地质东南部的 87Sr/86Sr 更高。 本研究中采用的高密度植物采样方法可以提高空间分辨率和提高由经验贝叶斯克里金法 （EBK） 创建的生物可利用度 87Sr/86Sr 预测表面的准确性。这些发现为比利时境内锶同位素的地理分布提供了宝贵的见解，并为未来考古学、生态学、环境研究、食品科学和法医学的研究奠定了基础。此外，各种植物物种的广泛覆盖为当地生态系统及其锶来源提供了强有力的代表。总体而言，这项研究有助于不断增长的区域锶等位素知识体系，增强了我们对岩石圈和生物圈之间在塑造生态系统锶同位素组成过程中复杂相互作用的理解。