Los isótopos estables del hidrógeno y el oxígeno en los estudios ecofisiológicos de plantas
Stable isotope studies of elements in biological organisms have become a useful tool to assess the exchange of molecules in the biosphere. Since water is one of the most abundant molecules in such an exchange, studies on stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen have become a fundamental component of many plant ecophysiological studies, from the leaf level to the reconstruction of past climates. In this review, we mention the most common methodologies, general notation and the most relevant research on hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes. Also, we discuss studies on plant water sources, leaf isotopic enrichment due to transpiration, the relationship between environment and oxygen stable isotopes in organic matter, and present studies that propose some plant species as environmental indicators in a globally changing world.