scholarly journals Leaf Age, Canopy Position, and Habitat Affect the Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Water-Use Efficiency in Three C3 Leguminous Prosopis Species from a Hyper-Arid Climate

Plants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 402 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Iftikhar Hussain ◽  
Ali El-Keblawy ◽  
François Mitterand Tsombou
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Carbon Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Stable Carbon Isotope ◽  
Leaf Age ◽  
Stable Carbon ◽  
The West ◽  
Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Canopy Position ◽  
Use Efficiency

The present study involved measurements of the stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) and intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) of three C3 leguminous Prosopis spp. (P. juliflora, P. cineraria, and P. pallida) foliage at different canopy positions (east and west) from saline (SLH) and non-saline habitats (NSH). Integrated measurements of the stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of plant tissue were broadly used to study iWUE, taking into consideration the effect of leaf age and canopy position on C isotope discrimination. Mature foliage of P. pallida from an SLH with a west canopy position had significantly higher δ13C (less negative) than that from NSH. On the west side, Δ13C values ranged from 17.8‰ (P. pallida) to 22.31‰ (P. juliflora) for a west canopy position, while they varied from 18.05‰ (P. pallida) to 22.4‰ (P. cineraria) on the east canopy side. Because the patterns are similar for the three Prosopis species, the difference in carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) between the canopy position (west and east) is relatively consistent among species and sites, ranging between 17.8 ± 4.43‰ for the young foliage in the west and 18.05 ± 4.35‰ for the east canopy position. The iWUE of P. pallida was twice that of P. cineraria. The iWUE of P. juliflora was higher from NSH than SLH. Mature leaves possessed a higher iWUE than the young leaves. We concluded that exotic P. juliflora and P. pallida have higher iWUE values than the native P. cineraria, which might be due to the rapid below-ground development of plant roots in the Arabian deserts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This could enable the alien species access to deeper humid soil layers or water resources.

scholarly journals An observational constraint on stomatal function in forests: evaluating coupled carbon and water vapor exchange with carbon isotopes in the Community Land Model (CLM4.5)

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 5183-5204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett Raczka ◽  
Henrique F. Duarte ◽  
Charles D. Koven ◽  
Daniel Ricciuto ◽  
Peter E. Thornton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stomatal Conductance ◽  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Carbon Isotopes ◽  
Nitrogen Limitation ◽  
Carbon Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Stable Carbon Isotope ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 ◽  
Stable Carbon ◽  
Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Community Land Model

Abstract. Land surface models are useful tools to quantify contemporary and future climate impact on terrestrial carbon cycle processes, provided they can be appropriately constrained and tested with observations. Stable carbon isotopes of CO2 offer the potential to improve model representation of the coupled carbon and water cycles because they are strongly influenced by stomatal function. Recently, a representation of stable carbon isotope discrimination was incorporated into the Community Land Model component of the Community Earth System Model. Here, we tested the model's capability to simulate whole-forest isotope discrimination in a subalpine conifer forest at Niwot Ridge, Colorado, USA. We distinguished between isotopic behavior in response to a decrease of δ13C within atmospheric CO2 (Suess effect) vs. photosynthetic discrimination (Δcanopy), by creating a site-customized atmospheric CO2 and δ13C of CO2 time series. We implemented a seasonally varying Vcmax model calibration that best matched site observations of net CO2 carbon exchange, latent heat exchange, and biomass. The model accurately simulated observed δ13C of needle and stem tissue, but underestimated the δ13C of bulk soil carbon by 1–2 ‰. The model overestimated the multiyear (2006–2012) average Δcanopy relative to prior data-based estimates by 2–4 ‰. The amplitude of the average seasonal cycle of Δcanopy (i.e., higher in spring/fall as compared to summer) was correctly modeled but only when using a revised, fully coupled An − gs (net assimilation rate, stomatal conductance) version of the model in contrast to the partially coupled An − gs version used in the default model. The model attributed most of the seasonal variation in discrimination to An, whereas interannual variation in simulated Δcanopy during the summer months was driven by stomatal response to vapor pressure deficit (VPD). The model simulated a 10 % increase in both photosynthetic discrimination and water-use efficiency (WUE) since 1850 which is counter to established relationships between discrimination and WUE. The isotope observations used here to constrain CLM suggest (1) the model overestimated stomatal conductance and (2) the default CLM approach to representing nitrogen limitation (partially coupled model) was not capable of reproducing observed trends in discrimination. These findings demonstrate that isotope observations can provide important information related to stomatal function driven by environmental stress from VPD and nitrogen limitation. Future versions of CLM that incorporate carbon isotope discrimination are likely to benefit from explicit inclusion of mesophyll conductance.

Genetic variation in carbon isotope discrimination and its relationship to growth under field conditions in full-sib families of Piceamariana

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence B. Flanagan ◽  
Kurt H. Johnsen
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Carbon Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Stable Carbon Isotope ◽  
Leaf Tissue ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Sib Families

Measurements of the stable carbon isotope composition of leaf tissue were made on Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P trees from four full-sib families grown on three different field sites at the Petawawa National Forestry Institute, Ontario, Canada. The four families chosen exhibited genetic variation for growth characteristics. Genetic variation was also observed for carbon isotopic discrimination (Δ) among the families of P. mariana. In addition, a strong correlation occurred between Δ values measured on trees in 1991 and 1992, two years that had very different precipitation and temperature conditions during the growing season, indicating that the ranking of individual trees remained almost constant between years. A strong, negative correlation was observed between average carbon isotope discrimination and average tree height for the four families on the driest, least productive site, as was expected based on leaf photosynthetic characteristics. There was no significant correlation, however, between Δ values and growth on the other two study sites, where productivity was higher.

Stable carbon isotope discrimination in the smut fungusUstilago violacea

1986 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar H. Will ◽  
Larry L. Tieszen ◽  
Mark Kellen ◽  
Tamara Gerlach
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Carbon Isotope Discrimination ◽  
Stable Carbon Isotope ◽  
Stable Carbon ◽  
Isotope Discrimination
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document