Carbon isotope discrimination as a tracer of functional traits in a mediterranean macchia plant community

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Werner ◽  
Cristina Máguas
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Carbon Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Evergreen Species ◽  
Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Growing Period ◽  
Functional Types ◽  
Plant Groups ◽  
Species Specific

Characterising functional plant groups with simple robust parameters of structural and functional traits is an important tool in ecological research. The reliability of carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) as an indicator of functional types was assessed in a highly diverse mediterranean macchia comprising drought semi-deciduous malacophylls, evergreen sclerophylls and a gymnosperm. Pronounced differences in Δ13C of 4‰ occurred: semi-deciduous species (Cistus sp. L.) showed the highest and the gymnosperm (Juniperus sp. L.) the lowest Δ13C (20.3 ± 0.5‰ and 16.2 ± 0.18‰, respectively). Across all studied species, Δ13C was correlated with (i) phenology (length of growing period) and (ii) leaf structure (leaf mass and N per area). The correlation of Δ13C with leaf water potentials, an indicator of drought stress, was species-specific and only 6 out of 11 species exhibited a significant relationship. Thus, leaf phenology governs seasonal responsiveness of Δ13C to drought, which constrains its applicability as an indicator of water use efficiency, particularly in evergreen species with short growing periods. Principal components analysis indicated the robustness of Δ13C for the classification of functional groups yielding similar results based on multiple leaf traits or solely on Δ13C. Hence Δ13C provides an ecological tracer of different functional types, integrating structural, functional and phenological attributes.

scholarly journals Productivity, leaf traits and carbon isotope discrimination in 29 Populus deltoides × P. nigra clones

2005 ◽  
Vol 167 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romain Monclus ◽  
Erwin Dreyer ◽  
Francis M. Delmotte ◽  
Marc Villar ◽  
Didier Delay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Carbon Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Populus Deltoides ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Isotope Discrimination

scholarly journals Genetic variation in productivity, leaf traits and carbon isotope discrimination in hybrid poplars cultivated on contrasting sites

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 503-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludovic Bonhomme ◽  
Cécile Barbaroux ◽  
Romain Monclus ◽  
Domenico Morabito ◽  
Alain Berthelot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Carbon Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Hybrid Poplars

scholarly journals Variations in bulk leaf carbon isotope discrimination, growth and related leaf traits among three Populus nigra L. populations

2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 1076-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Chamaillard ◽  
R. Fichot ◽  
C. Vincent-Barbaroux ◽  
C. Bastien ◽  
C. Depierreux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Carbon Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Populus Nigra ◽  
Isotope Discrimination

scholarly journals Carbon isotope discrimination of C3 vegetation in Central Asian grassland as related to long-term and short-term precipitation patterns

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 913-924 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. O. M. Wittmer ◽  
K. Auerswald ◽  
R. Tungalag ◽  
Y. F. Bai ◽  
R. Schäufele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Carbon Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Precipitation Patterns ◽  
Growing Period ◽  
C3 Species

Abstract. The relationship between carbon isotope discrimination (13Δ) of C3 vegetation and long-term (30 years) and short-term (growing period) precipitation was investigated. Different species of Stipa, a dominant grass genus in the (semi-)arid Asian steppes, and other C3 species were collected along aridity gradients in Inner Mongolia in 2005 (11 sites, 71 samples) and in the Republic of Mongolia in 2006 (40 sites, 45 samples). The data set was expanded with published and unpublished data of Stipa and other C3 species (11 studies covering 8 years, including 64 observations of Stipa, and 103 observations of other C3 species) and C3 community bulk-samples (11 samples). Weather data were geostatistically interpolated for all sampling sites and years. 13Δ of Stipa followed different relationships for the individual years when related to mean annual precipitation due to large anomalies between annual and long-term average precipitation patterns. However, the 13Δ response to rainfall converged when the (long-term) mean annual precipitation was replaced by year-specific mean daily precipitation during the growing period (PG). Remarkably, the 13Δ-response to (PG) for C3 species as a whole (including herbaceous dicots, semi-shrubs and grasses) and also the C3 community-level response were virtually identical to that of Stipa. The relation was also valid outside the geographical and climatic range where it was developed, giving proof of its robustness.

scholarly journals Carbon isotope discrimination of C3 vegetation in Central Asian Grassland as related to long-term and short-term precipitation patterns

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 903-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Wittmer ◽  
K. Auerswald ◽  
R. Tungalag ◽  
Y. F. Bai ◽  
R. Schäufele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Carbon Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Precipitation Patterns ◽  
Growing Period ◽  
C3 Species

Abstract. The relationship between carbon isotope discrimination (13Δ) of C3 vegetation and long-term (30 years) and short-term (growing period) precipitation was investigated. Members of Stipa, a dominant grass genus in the (semi-)arid Asian steppes, and other C3 species were collected along aridity gradients in Inner Mongolia in 2005 (11 sites, 71 samples) and in the Republic of Mongolia in 2006 (40 sites, 45 samples). The data set was expanded with published and unpublished data of Stipa and other C3 species (11 studies covering 8 years, including 64 observations of Stipa, and 103 observations of other C3 species) and C3 community bulk-samples (11 samples). Weather data were geostatistically interpolated for all sampling sites and years. 13Δ of Stipa followed different relationships for the individual years when related to mean annual precipitation due to large anomalies between annual and long-term average precipitation patterns. But, the 13Δ response to rainfall converged when mean annual precipitation was replaced by year-specific mean daily growing period precipitation (PG). Remarkably, the 13Δ-response to PG for C3 species as a whole (including herbaceous dicots, semi-shrubs and grasses) and also the C3 community-level response were virtually identical to that of Stipa. The relation was also valid outside the geographical and climatic range where it was developed, giving proof of its robustness.

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