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Expressing leaf water and cellulose oxygen isotope ratios as enrichment above source water reveals evidence of a Péclet effect

  • Ecosystem Ecology
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Abstract

There is an increasing ecological interest in understanding the gradients in H2 18O enrichment in leaf water (i.e. a Péclet effect), because an appreciation of the significance of the Péclet effect is important for improving our understanding of the mechanistic processes affecting the 18O composition of leaf water and plant organic material. In data sets where both source water and leaf water 18O data are available, we can evaluate the potential contribution of a Péclet effect. As an example, we recalculate data published earlier by Roden and Ehleringer (1999, Oecologia 121:467–477) as enrichments in leaf water (ΔL) and cellulose (Δcell) above source water. Based on these recalculations, we present support for the relevance of a Péclet effect in leaves. Further, we demonstrate that the subtle variations in ΔL and Δcell caused by a Péclet effect may be masked in experimental systems in which variation in the source water oxygen isotope ratio is considerable.

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Acknowledgements

M.M.B. thanks J.E. Hunt for comments on the manuscript and D. Whitehead for support and encouragement for the work. The original Roden and Ehleringer study was supported by funds from the US National Science Foundation.

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Author notes

  1. John S. Roden

    Present address: Department of Biology, Southern Oregon University, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520–5071, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Landcare Research, P.O. Box 69, 8152, Lincoln, New Zealand

    Margaret M. Barbour

  2. Stable Isotope Facility for Environmental Research, Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA

    John S. Roden & James R. Ehleringer

  3. Environmental Biology, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, GPO Box 475, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia

    Graham D. Farquhar

Authors
  1. Margaret M. Barbour
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  2. John S. Roden
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  3. Graham D. Farquhar
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  4. James R. Ehleringer
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Correspondence to Margaret M. Barbour.

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Barbour, M.M., Roden, J.S., Farquhar, G.D. et al. Expressing leaf water and cellulose oxygen isotope ratios as enrichment above source water reveals evidence of a Péclet effect. Oecologia 138, 426–435 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1449-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1449-3

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