JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 116, G03033, doi:10.1029/2010JG001521, 2011 Establishment and formation of fog‐dependent Tillandsia landbeckii dunes in the Atacama Desert: Evidence from radiocarbon and stable isotopes Claudio Latorre,1,2 Angélica L. González,1,2 Jay Quade,3 José M. Fariña,1 Raquel Pinto,4 and Pablo A. Marquet1,2 Received 16 August 2010; revised 23 May 2011; accepted 9 June 2011; published 14 September 2011. [1] Extensive dune fields made up exclusively of the bromeliad Tillandsia landbeckii thrive in the Atacama Desert, one of the most extreme landscapes on earth. These plants survive by adapting exclusively to take in abundant advective fog and dew as moisture sources. Although some information has been gathered regarding their modern distribution and adaptations, very little is known about how these dune systems actually form and accumulate over time. We present evidence based on 20 radiocarbon dates for the establishment age and development of five different such dune systems located along a ∼215 km transect in northern Chile. Using stratigraphy, geochronology and stable C and N isotopes, we (1) develop an establishment chronology of these ecosystems, (2) explain how the unique T. landbeckii dunes form, and (3) link changes in foliar d15N values to moisture availability in buried fossil T. landbeckii layers. We conclude by pointing out the potential that these systems have for reconstructing past climate change along coastal northern Chile during the late Holocene. Citation: Latorre, C., A. L. González, J. Quade, J. M. Fariña, R. Pinto, and P. A. Marquet (2011), Establishment and formation of fog‐dependent Tillandsia landbeckii dunes in the Atacama Desert: Evidence from radiocarbon and stable isotopes, J. Geophys. Res., 116, G03033, doi:10.1029/2010JG001521. 1. Introduction [McKay et al., 2003]. These unique, functionally root‐less (epiarenitic) plants survive through a series of specialized [2] Many researchers have examined extreme environ- adaptations, such as Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) ments intensively for clues as to how living organisms cope ‐ ‐ and interwoven aciculate leaves adorned with water absorbing and evolve under near abiotic conditions [Javaux, 2006; trichomes [Rundel et al., 1997]. Indeed, Rundel et al. [1997] Lillywhite and Navas, 2006; Peck et al., 2006]. These proposed that T. landbeckii propagules disperse so that an studies range in scale from the smallest microorganisms to entire band or “dune” forms asexually as ramets arise from a macroscopic plants and animals and their modification of single genet. This strategy would allow the plants to quickly the landscape [Dietrich and Perron, 2006]. Such a major colonize favorable environments as fog‐water input fluc- modification of otherwise barren landscapes occurs in the tuates over time. Atacama Desert of northern Chile where extensive areas [4] Tillandsia landbeckii dunes are unique ecosystems are colonized exclusively by “tillandsiales,” unique fog‐ that constitute single units with distinct natural boundaries dependent ecosystems that form distinct dune fields [Rundel through which energy and nutrients are exchanged readily. et al., 1997; Pinto et al., 2006; Westbeld et al., 2009; They are supported almost exclusively by fog with dew Borthagaray et al., 2010]. playing a minor role [Westbeld et al., 2009]. Too little water [3] Abundant mono‐specific stands of the bromeliad and the plants die by dehydration but studies on bromeliads Tillandsia landbeckii are commonplace on the inner coastal have shown that too much moisture (aside from favoring the landforms of the Atacama (Figure 1), an extreme hyperarid growth of phytopathogens) can cause a surface tension film environment often used as an analog for the surface of Mars to form, collapsing the trichomes over the stomates and interfering with gas exchange essentially reducing CO2 1Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity, uptake rates [Benzing and Renfrow, 1971; Benzing et al., Departamento Ecologia and Laboratorio Internacional de Cambio Global, 1978; Martin, 1994]. Water thresholds for T. landbeckii, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. however, have yet to be established empirically. 2 Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Santiago, Chile. 5 3 [ ] Nevertheless, water availability is a key controlling Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, aspect through fog interception by the exposed plant surface USA. 4Iquique, Chile. [Borthagaray et al., 2010]. A recent mathematical model demonstrates how the wavelength of the typical banding Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union. pattern is a function of fog‐water input, speed (wind), and 0148‐0227/11/2010JG001521 G03033 1of12 G03033 LATORRE ET AL.: TILLANDSIA DUNES IN THE ATACAMA DESERT G03033 Figure 1. Oblique view of northern Chile with the distribution of known Tillandsia landbeckii dunefields (“tillandsiales”) outlined in black [after Pinto et al., 2006]. Contours are gray scaled every 1000 m (altitude in m is shown on the right). The localities discussed in the text are, from north to south, QV, Quebrada Vitor; CH, Cerro Huantajaya; CI, Cerro Isla; CG, Cerro Guanacos; PJ, Pajonales. Topographic data are from the SRTM (NASA/JPL) here shown with an exaggerated vertical scale. topography [Borthagaray et al., 2010]. Hence, the spatial and latitude [Garreaud et al., 2003; Houston, 2006; distribution and formation of the ‘tillandsiales’ are basically Garreaud et al., 2008]. The central Andes receive more constrained by the availability of fog moisture, which summer rainfall during La Niña years whereas El Niño years, increases with altitude (Figure 2) starting at the marine which are dry on the Altiplano [Aceituno, 1988; Garreaud boundary layer (which controls the height of the cloud base) et al., 2003; Aceituno et al., 2009], are associated with rare until the top of the cloud deck is reached at the thermal winter rainfall events along the coast of northern Chile inversion layer [Pinto et al., 2006; Garreaud et al., 2008; [Houston, 2006; Cereceda et al., 2008a; Garreaud et al., González et al., 2011]. 2008]. The relationship between ENSO and fog intensity [6] The relationship between rainfall, fog and ENSO in and frequency is less clear. A 22‐year record of past fog tropical to subtropical northern Chile depends on altitude intensity in subtropical Chile (∼30°S latitude) links positive Figure 2. Fog water equivalent (in mm) plotted against altitude for the four localities discussed (see Figure 1 for abbreviations). The regression of water input on altitude is statistically significant (R2 = 0.95, p < 0.005). Note that fog water input seems to level off with altitude and variance increases (see González et al. [2011] for data and methods). 2of12 G03033 LATORRE ET AL.: TILLANDSIA DUNES IN THE ATACAMA DESERT G03033 Table 1. Geographic Location, Stratigraphy, and Radiocarbon Dates for 20 Buried Tillandsia landbeckii Layers Reported in This Study Depth From Radiocarbon Dune Crest Lab 14C Median Sample (cm) Numbera (years B.P.) (cal years B.P.)b +/−1 s Pajonales PJ‐1: S 20°43.995′‐ W69°58.174′ ‐ 983 m 1PJ‐1‐1‐14C 25 GX32455 1470 ± 70 1330 57/48 2PJ‐1‐2‐14C 42 GX32399 1800 ± 80 1660 111/114 3PJ‐1‐3‐14C 55 GX32456 1360 ± 100 1210 94/123 4PJ‐1‐4‐14C 85 GX32400 2290 ± 40 2230 95/71 5 TILLANDSIA 1 85 GX31966 2280 ± 60 2230 97/75 Pajonales PJ‐1A: S 20°43.993′ ‐ W69°58.174′ ‐ 983 m 6PJ‐1A‐5‐14C 78 GX32401 2150 ± 90 2080 219/203 Pajonales PJ‐2: S 20°44.031′ ‐ W69°58.262′ ‐ 973 m 7PJ‐2‐4‐14C 80 GX32457 1470 ± 90 1330 82/140 Pajonales P‐4: S 20°42.950′ ‐ W69°57.895′ ‐ 1001 m 8P4‐1‐14C 130 UGAMS3048 3140 ± 25 3310 49/46 Additional Basal Layer Dates From Pajonales 9 TILLANDSIA 2 basal layer GX31967 1790 ± 90 1650 124/116 10 TILLANDSIA 3 basal layer GX31968 1680 ± 90 1520 94/115 Quebrada Vitor QV‐1: S 18°52.895′ ‐ W70°03.043′ ‐ 1175 m 11 QV‐1‐1‐14C 98 UGAMS3049 1640 ± 20 1470 50/53 Quebrada Vitor QV‐2: S 18°52.944′ ‐ W70°02.974′ ‐ 1181 m 12 QV‐2‐5‐14C 5 UGAMS3054 180 ± 20 150 126/150 13 QV‐2‐4‐14C 28 UGAMS3053 240 ± 25 200 96/46 14 QV‐2‐3‐14C 50 UGAMS3052 730 ± 20 650 17/76 15 QV‐2‐2‐14C 70 UGAMS3051 1100 ± 20 950 12/15 16 QV‐2‐1‐14C 90 UGAMS3050 1870 ± 25 1760 51/49 Cerro Guanacos CG‐1: S 20°24.064′ ‐ W70°04.939′ ‐ 1100 m 17 CG‐1‐1‐14C 125 UGAMS3055 3360 ± 25 3530 35/51 Cerro Isla CI‐1: S 20°13.477′ ‐ W69°54.694′ ‐ 1222 m 18 CI‐1‐1‐14C 80 UGAMS3056 3120 ± 25 3290 52/38 Cerro Huantajaya CH‐1: S 20°13.587′ ‐ W70°00.172′ ‐ 1048 m 19 CH‐1‐4‐14C 40 UGAMS3057 260 ± 25 280 27/125 20 CH‐1‐1‐14C 90 UGAMS3163 1980 ± 25 1870 27/44 aAbbreviations are GX (Geochron Labs, Boston, Massachusetts) and UGAMS (Center for Applied Isotope Studies, University of Georgia). bRadiocarbon dates are calibrated using CALIB5.0.1 [Stuiver and Reimer, 1993], SHcal04 calibration curve [McCormac et al., 2004]. (negative) phases of ENSO with high (low) fog occurrence track current and past variations in carbon sources and [Garreaud et al., 2008]. The key synoptic aspect controlling available moisture [Ehleringer et al., 1998; Dawson et al., advective fog events appears to be the intensity and altitude 2002; Ehleringer et al., 2002; Swap et al., 2004]. Carbon of the thermal inversion that forms over the coastal Pacific isotope evidence also points to a possible explanation for the as a result of the interaction between large‐scale Hadley cell origin of distinct carbonate “cap layers” seen in many of our subsidence and the cold, northward flowing Chile‐Peru buried dune systems. Our results indicate that T. landbeckii (Humboldt) current.