Abstract
Leaf carbonisotope discrimination (Δ) was measured for three dominant, semi-arid woodland species along a summer monsoon gradient inthe southwestern United States over a 2-year period. We tested the hypothesis that decreased humidity levels during the growing season along this gradient resulted in lower leaf Δ values. Sites of similar elevation along the transect were selected and the range in monsoon contribution to overall annual precipitation varied from 18 to 58%, while total annual precipitation differed by a maximum of only 25% across this gradient. Leaf Δ values in Quercus gambelii were negatively correlated with ϖ, a seasonally-weighted estimate of the evaporative humidity gradient, suggesting that stomatal conductance declined as transpiration potential increased. For two other trees that co-occurred along this gradient, Pinus edulis and Juniperus osteosperma, Δ remained relatively constant despite large variation in ϖ. These woodland species represent the full spectrum of responses of carbon isotope discrimination to increases in evaporative potential; that of decline where c i /c a (ratio of internal to ambient CO2 concentration) and presumably stomatal conductance decrease, and that of constancy where whole plant internal adjustments allow c i /c a to remain stable.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aphalo PJ, Jarvis PG (1991) Do stomata respond to relative humidity? Plant Cell Environ 14:127–132
Comstock JP, Ehleringer JR (1992) Correlating genetic variation in carbon isotopic composition with complex climatic gradients. Proc Natl Acad Sci 89:7747–7751
Ehleringer JR (1993) Carbon and water relations in desert plants: an isotopic perspective. In: Ehleringer JR, Hall AE, Farquhar GD (eds) Stable isotopes and plant carbon-water relations. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 155–172
Ehleringer JR, Osmond CB (1989) Stable isotopes. In: Pearcy RW, Ehleringer J, Mooney HA, Rundel PW (eds) Plant physiological ecology. Field methods and instrumentation. Chapman and Hall, London, pp 281–300
Farquhar GD, Ehleringer JR,Hubick KT (1989). Carbon isotope discrimination and photosynthesis. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 40:503–537
Grantz DA (1990) Plant response to atmospheric humidity. Plant Cell Environ 13:667–679
Grier CC, Elliott KJ, McCullagh DG (1992) Biomass distribution and productivity of Pinus edulis-Juniperus monosperma woodlands of north-central Arizona. For Ecol Manage 50:331–350
Hales JE (1974) Southwestern United States monsoon source—Gulf of Mexico or Pacific Ocean. J Appl Meteorol 13:331–342
Madhavan S, Treichel I, O'Leary MH (1991) Effects of relative humidity on carbon isotope fractionation in plants. Bot Acta 104:292–294
MacMahon JA, Schimpf DJ (1981) Water as a factor in the biology of North American desert plants. In: Evans DD, ThamesJL (eds) Water in desert ecosystems(US/IBP 12).Dowden Hutchinson and Ross, Stroudburg, pp 119–171
Meeuwig RO (1979) Growth characteristics of pinyon-juniper stands in the western Great Basin (Forest Service Research Paper INT-238). United States Department of Agriculture, Washington
Meinzer FC, Goldstein G, Grantz DA (1993) Carbon isotope discrimination and gas exchange in coffee during adjustment to different soil moisture regimes. In: Ehleringer JR, Hall AE, Farquhar GD (eds) Stable isotopes and plant-carbon water relations. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 327–345
Monteith JL (1995) A reinterpretation of stomatal responses to humidity: theoretical paper. Plant Cell Environ 18:357–364
Mott KA, Parkhurst DF (1991) Stomatal response to humidity in air and helox. Plant Cell Environ 14:509–515
Read J, Farquhar G (1991) Comparative studies in Nothofagus (Fagaceae). I. Leaf carbon isotope discrimination. Funct Ecol 5:684–695
Rundel PW, Sharifi MR (1993) Carbon isotope discrimination and resource availability in the desert shrub Larrea tridentata. In: Ehleringer JR, Hall AE, Farquhar GD (eds) Stable isotopes and plant-carbon water relations. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 173–185
SAS Institute (1994) JMP user's guide, version 3 JMP. SAS Institute, Cary
Sharifi MR, Rundel PW (1993)The effect of atmospheric saturation deficit on carbon isotope discrimination in the desert shrub Larrea tridentata (creosote bush). J Exp Bot 44:481–487
Schuler TM, Smith FW (1988) Effect of species mix on size/density and leaf area relations in Southwest pinyon-juniper woodlands. For Ecol Manage 25:211–220
Schulze E-D (1986) Carbon dioxide and water vapour exchange in response to drought in the atmosphere and in the soil. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 37:247–274
Smith SD, Nowak RS (1990) Ecophysiology of plants in the intermountain lowlands. In: Pitelka LF, Osmond CB, Hudy GM (eds) Plant biology of the Basin and Range. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 179–241
Thornthwaite CW (1948) An approach toward a rational classification to climate. Geogr Rev 38:55–94
Winter K, Holtum JAM,Edwards GE, O'Leary MH (1982) Effect of low relative humidity on δ13C value in two C3 grasses and in Panicum milioides, a C3−C4 intermediate species. J Exp Bot 33:88–91
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Williams, D.G., Ehleringer, J.R. Carbon isotope discrimination in three semi-arid woodland species along a monsoon gradient. Oecologia 106, 455–460 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00329701
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00329701