scholarly journals Effects of leaf length and development stage on the triple oxygen isotope signature of grass leaf water and phytoliths: insights for a proxy of continental atmospheric humidity

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (23) ◽  
pp. 4613-4625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Alexandre ◽  
Elizabeth Webb ◽  
Amaelle Landais ◽  
Clément Piel ◽  
Sébastien Devidal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Leaf Growth ◽  
Development Stage ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Leaf Length ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Leaf Biomass

Abstract. Continental relative humidity (RH) is a key climate parameter, but there is a lack of quantitative RH proxies suitable for climate model–data comparisons. Recently, a combination of climate chamber and natural transect calibrations have laid the groundwork for examining the robustness of the triple oxygen isotope composition (δ′18O and 17O-excess) of phytoliths, that can preserve in sediments, as a new proxy for past changes in RH. However, it was recommended that besides RH, additional factors that may impact δ′18O and 17O-excess of plant water and phytoliths be examined. Here, the effects of grass leaf length, leaf development stage and day–night alternations are addressed from growth chamber experiments. The triple oxygen isotope compositions of leaf water and phytoliths of the grass species F. arundinacea are analysed. Evolution of the leaf water δ′18O and 17O-excess along the leaf length can be modelled using a string-of-lakes approach to which an unevaporated–evaporated mixing equation must be added. We show that for phytoliths to record this evolution, a kinetic fractionation between leaf water and silica, increasing from the base to the apex, must be assumed. Despite the isotope heterogeneity of leaf water along the leaf length, the bulk leaf phytolith δ′18O and 17O-excess values can be estimated from the Craig and Gordon model and a mean leaf water–phytolith fractionation exponent (λPhyto-LW) of 0.521. In addition to not being leaf length dependent, δ′18O and 17O-excess of grass phytoliths are expected to be impacted only very slightly by the stem vs. leaf biomass ratio. Our experiment additionally shows that because a lot of silica polymerises in grasses when the leaf reaches senescence (58 % of leaf phytoliths in mass), RH prevailing during the start of senescence should be considered in addition to RH prevailing during leaf growth when interpreting the 17O-excess of grass bulk phytoliths. Although under the study conditions 17O-excessPhyto do not vary significantly from constant day to day–night conditions, additional monitoring at low RH conditions should be done before drawing any generalisable conclusions. Overall, this study strengthens the reliability of the 17O-excess of phytoliths to be used as a proxy of RH. If future studies show that the mean value of 0.521 used for the grass leaf water–phytolith fractionation exponent λPhyto-LW is not climate dependent, then grassland leaf water 17O-excess obtained from grassland phytolith 17O-excess would inform on isotope signals of several soil–plant-atmosphere processes.

scholarly journals Effects of grass leaf anatomy, development and light/dark alternation on the triple oxygen isotope signature of leaf water and phytoliths: insights for a new proxy of continental atmospheric humidity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Alexandre ◽  
Elizabeth Webb ◽  
Amaelle Landais ◽  
Clément Piel ◽  
Sébastien Devidal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Leaf Anatomy ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Development Stage ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Climate Conditions

Abstract. Continental relative humidity (RH) is a key-climate parameter. However, there is a lack of quantitative RH proxies suitable for climate model-data comparisons. Recently, a combination of climate chamber and natural transect calibrations laid the groundwork for examining the robustness of the triple oxygen isotope composition (δ18O, δ17O) of phytoliths as a new proxy for past changes in RH. However, it was recommended that besides RH, additional factors that may impact δ18O and δ17O of plant water and phytoliths be examined. Here, the effects of leaf anatomy, leaf development stage and day/night alternations are addressed from the growth of the grass species F. arundinacea in climate chambers. Plant water and phytoliths are analyzed in δ18O and δ17O. Silicification patterns are examined using light and scanning electron observation of phytoliths. The isotope data show the increasing contribution of evaporated epidermal water to the bulk leaf water, from sheath to proximal and apical leaf blade. However, despite this isotope heterogeneity, δ18O and δ17O of the bulk leaf water can be predicted by the Craig and Gordon model, in the given experimental conditions (high RH). Regarding phytoliths, their forming water (mainly epidermal) is, as expected, more impacted by evaporation than the bulk leaf water. This discrepancy increases from sheath to proximal and apical blade and can be explained by the steepening of the radial concentration gradient of evaporated water along the leaf. However, we show that because most of silica polymerizes in epidermal long cells of the apical blade of the leaves, the δ18O and δ17O of bulk grass phytoliths should not be impacted by the diversity in grass anatomy. The data additionally show that most of silica polymerizes at the end of the leaf elongation stage and at the transition towards leaf senescence. Thus, climate conditions at that time should be considered when interpreting δ18O and δ17O of phytoliths from the natural environment. At least, no light/dark effect was detected on the δ18O and δ17O signature of plant water and phytoliths of F. arundinacea. However, when day/night alternations are characterized by significant changes in RH, the lowest RH conditions favoring evaporation and silica polymerization should be considered when calibrating the phytolith proxy. This study contributes to the identification of the parameters driving the δ18O and δ17O of bulk grass phytoliths. It additionally brings elements to further understand and model the δ18O and δ17O of grass leaf water, which influences the isotope signal of several processes at the soil/plant/atmosphere interface.

scholarly journals IZOTOPOVÝ ZÁZNAM PRVNÍCH SPODNÍCH MOLÁRŮ DOMÁCÍHO SKOTU Z RANĚ STŘEDOVĚKÝCH LOKALIT POHANSKO-JIŽNÍ PŘEDHRADÍ A KOSTICE-ZADNÍ HRÚD (ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA)

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ivanov ◽  
Hana Nohálová ◽  
Miriam Nývltová Fišáková ◽  
Petr Dresler ◽  
Gabriela Dreslerová
Keyword(s):  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Compact Bone ◽  
Development Stage ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
C3 Plants ◽  
Cattle Breeding ◽  
Adult Individual ◽  
Small Admixture ◽  
Feeding Effect

In this essay, we focused on the evaluation of isotope analyses (δ13Ccoll and δ15Ncoll) of the first lower molars (m1) of domestic cattle (Bostaurus) from two early medieval Pohansko-Southern bailey (Pohansko-JP) and Kostice-”Zadní hrúd” (Kostice-ZH) sites. The aim of the study is the evidence of the breast-feeding effect of calves and subsequent weaning on the dentine average isotope  composition. Results from both sites are compared with the data obtained from recent experimental cattle breeding. Possible differences in the cattle breeding between both studied localities are evaluated. The first lower molars of the domestic cattle (n = 15) were selected for analyses from both sites supplemented by a sample of the compact bone of the shinbone of an adult individual from the Pohansko-JP site. The determination of the ontogenetic age of the analyzed individuals is based on the dentition development stage. For the purpose of isotope analyzes (δ13Ccoll and δ15Ncoll), dentine collagen was extracted from all tooth crowns. The δ13Ccoll dentine values of the m1 of cattle from the Pohansko-JP ranged from -17.75‰ to -21.8‰ (n = 11) with mean value of -19.81 ± 1.03‰. δ15Ncoll values for dentine of all m1 samples from Pohansko-JP range from 6.2‰ to 11.87‰ with mean value of 8.29 ± 1.71‰ (n = 11). The highest δ15Ncoll values were observed primarily in samples of juvenile individuals, with the exception of one adult specimen (10.90 ‰). δ13Ccoll values in m1 of adult individuals from the Kostice-ZH site range from -19.30‰ to -20.91‰ (n = 4). The mean value -19.83 ± 1.01‰ is lower if compared to results from recent experimental breedings. The volume of 15N isotope is significantly lower contrary to those in Pohansko-JP and aforementioned experimental study. It can be assumed that the diet of the cattle in both studied sites was primarily based on C3 plants; however, we cannot exclude a small admixture of C4 plants (millet) in the diet of some observed individuals. The cattle from the Pohansko-JP could be driven to graze from the open meadows up to the ecotones in the vicinity of the forest which is partly supported by the palaeobotanic record. In Kostice-ZH site, the grazing in open meadows was most prevalent. The volume of 15N from the Pohansko-JP site shows that in most cases, calves were not prematurely weaned. In samples from Kostice-ZH, the 15N content in adult individuals was significantly lower contrary to values from Pohansko-JP. A present stage of the knowledge indicates that the cattle (i. e., including mother cows) was probably fed plants characterized by low δ15N values; however, a premature weaning to increase the milk production cannot be excluded.

Oxygen isotope composition of phloem sap in relation to leaf water in Ricinus communis

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas A. Cernusak ◽  
S. Chin Wong ◽  
Graham D. Farquhar
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Organic Molecules ◽  
Ricinus Communis ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Oxygen Isotope Composition ◽  
Source Water ◽  
Phloem Sap ◽  
Site Water

We measured the oxygen isotope composition of both the water and dry matter components of phloem sap exported from photosynthesising Ricinus communis L. leaves. The 18O / 16O composition of exported dry matter matched almost exactly that expected for equilibrium with average lamina leaf water (leaf water exclusive of water associated with primary veins) with an isotope effect of αo=1.027, where αo=Ro / Rw , and Ro and Rw are 18O / 16O of organic molecules and water, respectively. Average lamina leaf water was enriched by 14–22‰ compared with source water under our experimental conditions, and depleted by 4–7‰, compared with evaporative site water. This showed that it is the average lamina leaf water 18O / 16O signal that is exported from photosynthesising leaves rather than a signal more closely related to that of evaporative site water or source water. Additionally, we found that water exported in phloem sap from photosynthesising leaves was enriched compared with source water; the mean phloem water enrichment observed for leaf petioles was 4.0 ± 1.5‰ (mean ± 1 s.d., n = 27). Phloem water collected from stem bases was also enriched compared with source water. However, the enrichment was approximately 0.8 times that observed for leaf petioles, suggesting some mixing between enriched phloem water and unenriched xylem water occurred during translocation. Results validated the assumption that organic molecules exported from photosynthesising leaves are enriched by 27‰ compared with average lamina leaf water. Furthermore, results suggest that the potential influence of enriched phloem water should be considered when interpreting the 18O / 16O signatures of plant organic material and plant cellulose.

Accuracy and reproducibility of the triple oxygen isotope measurement of silicate micro-samples by laser-fluorination-IRMS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martine Couapel ◽  
Corinne Sonzogni ◽  
Anne Alexandre ◽  
Florence Sylvestre
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Parent Body ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Oxygen Isotope Composition ◽  
High Time Resolution ◽  
Trace Back ◽  
San Carlos Olivine ◽  
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Laser Fluorination

<p>Recent studies showed that the <sup>17</sup>O-excess of plant leaf biogenic silicates (phytoliths) can be used to quantify the atmospheric relative humidity occurring during leaf water transpiration. The <sup>17</sup>O-excess vs ∂<sup>18</sup>O signature of phytoliths can also be used to trace back to the signature of leaf water. In a similar way, the signature of lacustrine diatoms is expected to record the signature of the lake water in which they formed. Therefore, the triple oxygen isotope composition of biogenic silicates extracted from well-dated sedimentary cores may bring new insights for past climate and hydrological reconstructions. However, for high time-resolution reconstructions, we need to be able to measure microsamples (300 to 800 µg) of biogenic silica. In another context, the triple oxygen isotope composition of micro-meteorites constitutes an efficient tool to determine their parent-body. In this case too, micro-samples need to be handled.</p><p>Here we report the results of new ∂<sup>18</sup>O and ∂<sup>17</sup>O measurements of macro- and micro-samples of international and laboratory silicate standards (e.g. NBS28 quartz, San Carlos Olivine, Boulangé quartz, MSG phytoliths and PS diatoms). Molecular O<sub>2</sub> is extracted from silica and purified in a laser-fluorination line, passed through a 114°C slush to condense potential interfering gasses and sent to the dual-inlet Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (IRMS) Thermo-Scientific Delta V. In order to get sufficient 34/32 and 33/32 signals for microsamples the O<sub>2</sub> gas is concentrated within the IRMS in an additional auto-cooled 800 ml microvolume tube filled with silica gel. Accuracy and reproducibility of the ∂<sup>18</sup>O, ∂<sup>17</sup>O and <sup>17</sup>O excess measurements are assessed. Attention is payed to determine the concentration from which O<sub>2</sub> gas yields offsets in ∂<sup>18</sup>O, ∂<sup>17</sup>O and <sup>17</sup>O-excess are measured and whether these offsets are reproducible and can be corrected for.</p>

Leaf growth and senescence rates of three pasture grasses and wheat

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (7) ◽  
pp. 660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen G. Daily ◽  
Peter A. Lane ◽  
Shaun N. Lisson ◽  
Kerry L. Bridle ◽  
Stuart A. J. Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Leaf Growth ◽  
Leaf Length ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Leaf Position ◽  
Turnover Rates ◽  
Leaf Turnover

A glasshouse study was conducted under ideal conditions to determine leaf appearance, elongation, and senescence rates along with life span and leaf length characteristics of four grass species: wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), brown back wallaby grass (Rytidosperma duttonianum (Cashmore) Connor and Edgar), phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.), and annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaud.). This study provided a comprehensive characterisation of leaf turnover rates for the entire life cycle of these grasses, some of which are poorly characterised. Importantly, leaf senescence rate has been captured in the same conditions as the other leaf rates of the life cycle. Leaf position proved to be a significant explanatory variable in each of the leaf turnover rates. The relationships between leaf position and the components of leaf turnover were most commonly represented by non-linear models. Further studies may be necessary to validate these statistical models to field situations. However, this information will be useful to calibrate the senescence algorithms of plant growth models in agricultural decision support tools, which may then be applied to simulation studies including the assessment of grass curing for planning activities such as resource allocation, wildfire suppression, and execution of prescribed burning programs by fire management agencies.

scholarly journals The triple oxygen isotope composition of phytoliths as a proxy of continental atmospheric humidity: insights from climate chamber and climate transect calibrations

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Alexandre ◽  
Amarelle Landais ◽  
Christine Vallet-Coulomb ◽  
Clément Piel ◽  
Sébastien Devidal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Growth Chamber ◽  
Water Evaporation ◽  
Atmospheric Humidity ◽  
Oxygen Isotope Fractionation

Abstract. Continental atmospheric relative humidity (RH) is a key climate-parameter. Combined with atmospheric temperature, it allows us to estimate the concentration of atmospheric water vapor which is one of the main components of the global water cycle and the most important gas contributing to the natural greenhouse effect. However, there is a lack of proxies suitable for reconstructing, in a quantitative way, past changes of continental atmospheric humidity. This reduces the possibility to make model-data comparisons necessary for the implementation of climate models. Over the past 10 years, analytical developments have enabled a few laboratories to reach sufficient precision for measuring the triple oxygen isotopes, expressed by the 17O-excess (17O-excess = ln (δ17O + 1) − 0.528 × ln (δ18O + 1)), in water, water vapor and minerals. The 17O-excess represents an alternative to deuterium-excess for investigating relative humidity conditions that prevail during water evaporation. Phytoliths are micrometric amorphous silica particles that form continuously in living plants. Phytolith morphological assemblages from soils and sediments are commonly used as past vegetation and hydrous stress indicators. In the present study, we examine whether changes in atmospheric RH imprint the 17O-excess of phytoliths in a measurable way and whether this imprint offers a potential for reconstructing past RH. For that purpose, we first monitored the 17O-excess evolution of soil water, grass leaf water and grass phytoliths in response to changes in RH (from 40 to 100 %) in a growth chamber experiment where transpiration reached a steady state. Decreasing RH decreases the 17O-excess of phytoliths by 4.1 per meg / % as a result of kinetic fractionation of the leaf water subject to evaporation. In order to model with accuracy the triple oxygen isotope fractionation in play in plant water and in phytoliths we recommend direct and continuous measurements of the triple isotope composition of water vapor. Then, we measured the 17O-excess of 57 phytolith assemblages collected from top soils along a RH and vegetation transect in inter-tropical West and Central Africa. Although scattered, the 17O-excess of phytoliths decreases with RH by 3.4 per meg / %. The similarity of the trends observed in the growth chamber and nature supports that RH is an important control of 17O-excess of phytoliths in the natural environment. However, other parameters such as changes in the triple isotope composition of the soil water or phytolith origin in the leaf tissue may come into play. Assessment of these parameters through additional growth chambers experiments and field campaigns will bring us closer to an accurate proxy of changes in relative humidity.

Factors controlling the triple oxygen isotope composition of grass leaf water and phytoliths: insights for paleo-environmental reconstructions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Alexandre ◽  
Clément Outrequin ◽  
Christine Vallet-Coulomb ◽  
Amaelle Landais ◽  
Clément Piel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Vapor Pressure ◽  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Meteoric Water ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Gross Primary Production ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Oxygen Isotope Composition ◽  
Phase Changes ◽  
Isotope Signature

<p>The oxygen isotope signature of leaf water is used to trace several processes at the soil-plant-atmosphere interface. During photosynthesis, it is transferred to the oxygen isotope signature of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> and O<sub>2</sub>, which can be used for reconstructing past changes in gross primary production. The oxygen isotope signature of leaf water additionally imprints leaf organic and mineral compounds, such as phytoliths, used as paleoclimate and paleovegetation proxies when extracted from sedimentary materials.</p><p>Numerous experimental and modelling studies were dedicated to constrain the main parameters responsible for changes in the δ<sup>18</sup>O of leaf water. Although these models usually correctly depict the main trends of <sup>18</sup>O-enrichment of the leaf water when relative humidity decreases, the calculated absolute values often depart from the observed ones by several ‰. Moreover, the δ<sup>18</sup>O of leaf water absorbed by plants is dependent on the δ<sup>18</sup>O value of meteoric and soil waters that can vary by several ‰ at different space and time scales. These added uncertainties make our knowledge of the parameters responsible for changes in the δ<sup>18</sup>O of leaf water and phytoliths flawed.</p><p>Changes in the triple oxygen isotope composition of leaf water, expressed by the <sup>17</sup>O-excess, are controlled by fewer variables than changes in δ<sup>18</sup>O. In meteoric water the <sup>17</sup>O-excess varies slightly as it is weakly affected by temperature or phase changes during air mass transport. This makes the soil water fed by meteoric water and the atmospheric vapour in equilibrium with meteoric water changing little from a place to another. Hence the <sup>17</sup>O-excess of leaf water is essentially controlled by the evaporative fractionation. The latest depends on the ratio of vapor pressure in the air to vapor pressure in the stomata intercellular space, close to relative humidity. Leaf water evaporative fractionation can lead to <sup>17</sup>O-excess negative values that can exceed most of surficial water ones.</p><p>Here we present the outcomes of several recent growth chamber and field studies, for the purpose of i) refining the grass leaf water and phytoliths δ<sup>18</sup>O and <sup>17</sup>O-excess modelling, ii) assessing whether the δ<sup>18</sup>O and <sup>17</sup>O-excess of grass leaf water can be reconstructed from phytoliths, and iii) examining the precision of the <sup>17</sup>O-excess of phytoliths as a new proxy for past changes in continental atmospheric relative humidity. Atmospheric continental relative humidity is an important climate parameter poorly constrained in global climate models. A model-data comparison approach, applicable beyond the instrumental period, is essential to progress on this issue. However, there is currently a lack of proxies allowing quantitative reconstruction of past continental relative humidity. The <sup>17</sup>O-excess signature of phytoliths could fill this gap.</p>

scholarly journals An Evaluation of Leaf Biomass : Length Ratio as a Tool for Nondestructive Assessment in Eelgrass (Zostera marinaL.)

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hector Echavarria-Heras ◽  
Elena Solana-Arellano ◽  
Kun-Seop Lee ◽  
Shinya Hosokawa ◽  
Ernesto Franco-Vizcaíno
Keyword(s):  
Allometric Scaling ◽  
Leaf Growth ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
Leaf Length ◽  
Length Ratio ◽  
Leaf Biomass ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Length Measurements ◽  
Using Data

The characterization of biomass and its dynamics provides valuable information for the assessment of natural and transplanted eelgrass populations. The need for simple, nondestructive assessments has led to the use of the leaf biomass-to-length ratio for converting leaf-length measurements, which can be easily obtained, to leaf growth rates through the plastochrone method. Using data on leaf biomass and length collected in three natural eelgrass populations and a mesocosm, we evaluated the suitability of a leaf weight-to-length ratio for nondestructive assessments. For the data sets considered, the isometric scaling that sustains the weight-to-length proxy always produced inconsistent fittings, and for leaf-lengths greater than a threshold value, the conversion of leaf length to biomass generated biased estimations. In contrast, an allometric scaling of leaf biomass and length was highly consistent in all the cases considered. And these nondestructive assessments generated reliable levels of reproducibility in leaf biomass for all the ranges of variability in leaf lengths. We argue that the use of allometric scaling for the representation of leaf biomass in terms of length provides a more reliable approach for estimating eelgrass biomass.

scholarly journals The triple oxygen isotope composition of phytoliths as a proxy of continental atmospheric humidity: insights from climate chamber and climate transect calibrations

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 3223-3241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Alexandre ◽  
Amarelle Landais ◽  
Christine Vallet-Coulomb ◽  
Clément Piel ◽  
Sébastien Devidal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Growth Chamber ◽  
Water Evaporation ◽  
Atmospheric Humidity ◽  
Oxygen Isotope Fractionation

Abstract. Continental atmospheric relative humidity (RH) is a key climate parameter. Combined with atmospheric temperature, it allows us to estimate the concentration of atmospheric water vapor, which is one of the main components of the global water cycle and the most important gas contributing to the natural greenhouse effect. However, there is a lack of proxies suitable for reconstructing, in a quantitative way, past changes of continental atmospheric humidity. This reduces the possibility of making model–data comparisons necessary for the implementation of climate models. Over the past 10 years, analytical developments have enabled a few laboratories to reach sufficient precision for measuring the triple oxygen isotopes, expressed by the 17O-excess (17O-excess = ln (δ17O + 1) – 0.528 × ln (δ18O + 1)), in water, water vapor and minerals. The 17O-excess represents an alternative to deuterium-excess for investigating relative humidity conditions that prevail during water evaporation. Phytoliths are micrometric amorphous silica particles that form continuously in living plants. Phytolith morphological assemblages from soils and sediments are commonly used as past vegetation and hydrous stress indicators. In the present study, we examine whether changes in atmospheric RH imprint the 17O-excess of phytoliths in a measurable way and whether this imprint offers a potential for reconstructing past RH. For that purpose, we first monitored the 17O-excess evolution of soil water, grass leaf water and grass phytoliths in response to changes in RH (from 40 to 100 %) in a growth chamber experiment where transpiration reached a steady state. Decreasing RH from 80 to 40 % decreases the 17O-excess of phytoliths by 4.1 per meg/% as a result of kinetic fractionation of the leaf water subject to evaporation. In order to model with accuracy the triple oxygen isotope fractionation in play in plant water and in phytoliths we recommend direct and continuous measurements of the triple isotope composition of water vapor. Then, we measured the 17O-excess of 57 phytolith assemblages collected from top soils along a RH and vegetation transect in inter-tropical West and Central Africa. Although scattered, the 17O-excess of phytoliths decreases with RH by 3.4 per meg/%. The similarity of the trends observed in the growth chamber and nature supports that RH is an important control of 17O-excess of phytoliths in the natural environment. However, other parameters such as changes in the triple isotope composition of the soil water or phytolith origin in the plant may come into play. Assessment of these parameters through additional growth chambers experiments and field campaigns will bring us closer to an accurate proxy of changes in relative humidity.

scholarly journals Leaf-scale quantification of the effect of photosynthetic gas exchange on Δ<sup>17</sup>O of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub>

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Getachew Agmuas Adnew ◽  
Thijs L. Pons ◽  
Gerbrand Koren ◽  
Wouter Peters ◽  
Thomas Röckmann
Keyword(s):  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Mole Fraction ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Oxygen Isotope Composition ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 ◽  
C3 Plants ◽  
Back Diffusion ◽  
Photosynthetic Gas Exchange

Abstract. Understanding the processes that affect the triple oxygen isotope composition of atmospheric CO2 during gas exchange can help constrain the interaction and fluxes between the atmosphere and the biosphere. We conducted leaf cuvette experiments under controlled conditions, using three plant species. The experiments were conducted at two different light intensities and using CO2 with different 17O-excess. The oxygen isotope composition of CO2 was used to estimate cm, the mole fraction of CO2 at the CO2-H2O exchange site. Our results demonstrate that two key factors determine the effect of gas exchange on the Δ17O of atmospheric CO2. The relative difference between Δ17O of the CO2 entering the leaf and the CO2 in equilibrium with leaf water, and the back-diffusion flux of CO2 from the leaf to the atmosphere, which can be quantified by the cm/ca ratio where ca is the CO2 mole fraction in the surrounding air. At low cm/ca ratio the discrimination is governed mainly by diffusion into the leaf, and at high cm/ca ratio by back-diffusion of CO2 that has equilibrated with the leaf water. Plants with a higher cm/ca ratio modify the Δ17O of atmospheric CO2 more strongly than plants with a lower cm/ca ratio. Based on the leaf cuvette experiments, the global value for discrimination against Δ17O of atmospheric CO2 during the photosynthetic gas exchange is estimated to be −0.57+/−0.14 ‰ using cm/ca values of 0.3 and 0.7 for C4 and C3 plants, respectively. The main uncertainties in this global estimate arise from variation in cm/ca ratios among plants and growth conditions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document