Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Variation of δ13C of wood and foliage with canopy height differs between evergreen and deciduous species in a temperate forest

  • Published:
Plant Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We investigated post-photosynthetic fractionation and carbon transfer mechanisms of different plant functional types growing under the same climatic conditions in North-eastern China. The variations in δ13C of trunk and branches were compared with leaf δ13C at different canopy heights of Pinus koraiensis (evergreen coniferous species), Larix gmelinii (deciduous coniferous species) and Quercus mongolica (deciduous broad-leaved species). Results showed that δ13C of leaves increased (became more enriched) with increasing canopy height for both coniferous species (P. koraiensis, L. gmelinii) but not for Q. mongolica (a deciduous broad-leaved species). δ13C of both trunk and branches also increased with sampling height for the evergreen conifer P. koraiensis but did not significantly vary for either of the deciduous species (L. gmelinii or Q. mongolica), except a significant increase in branch δ13C for L. gmelinii. Similarly, δ13C of trunk and branches were strongly correlated with leaf δ13C only in the evergreen conifer, P. koraiensis. 13C was consistently more enriched in trunk, branches, and roots compared to leaves in all three species. Our findings suggest that, even under the same climatic conditions, different plant functional types may exhibit different carbon transfer mechanisms. This is contrary to the previous hypothesis that different carbon transfer mechanisms operate in forests of different climatic zones, especially in tropical and temperate forests. Particularly, the differences occur predominantly between evergreen and deciduous trees rather than between coniferous and broad-leaved trees. The significant difference in δ13C between leaves and wood tissues confirms a previous post-photosynthetic isotope fractionation in temperate forests.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aranibar JN, Berry JA, Riley WJ, Pataki DE, Law BE, Ehleringer JR (2006) Combining meteorology, eddy fluxes, isotope measurements, and modeling to understand environmental controls of carbon isotope discrimination at the canopy scale. Glob Change Biol 12:710–730

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Badech FW, Tcherkez G, Nogués S, Piel C, Ghashghaie J (2005) Post-photosynthetic fractionation of stable carbon isotopes between plant organs-a widespread phenomenon. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 19:1381–1391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cernusak LA, Tcherkez G, Keitel C, Cornwell WK, Santiago LS, Knohl A, Barbour MM, Williams DG, Reich PB, Ellsworth DS, Dawson TE, Griffiths HG, Farquhar GD, Wright IJ (2009) Why are non-photosynthetic tissues generally 13C enriched compared with leave in C3 plants? Review and synthesis of current hypothesis. Funct Plant Biol 36:199–213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chevillat VS, Siegwolf RTW, Pepin S, Körner C (2005) Tissue-specific variation of δ13C in mature canopy trees in a temperate forest in central Europe. Basic Appl Ecol 6:519–534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Damesin C, Lelarge C (2003) Carbon isotope composition of current-year shoots from Fagus sylvatica in relation to growth, respiration and use of reserves. Plant Cell Environ 26:207–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duranceau M, Ghashghaie J, Badeck F, Dellens E, Cornic G (1999) δ13C of CO2 respired in the dark in relation to δ13C of leaf carbohydrates in Phaseolus vulgaris L. under progressive drought. Plant Cell Environ 22:515–523

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duursma RA, Marshall JD (2006) Vertical canopy gradients in δ13C correspond with leaf nitrogen content in a mixed-species conifer forest. Trees 20:496–506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar GD, Ehleringer JR, Hubick KT (1989) Carbon isotope discrimination and photosynthesis. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 40:503–537

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gessler A, Keitel C, Kodama N, Weston C, Winters AJ, Keith H, Grice K, Leuning R, Farquhar GD (2007) δ13C of organic matter transported from the leaves to the roots in Eucalyptus delegatensis: short-term variations and relation to respired CO2. Funct Plant Biol 34:692–706

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holtum JAM, Winter K (2005) Carbon isotope composition of canopy leaves in a tropical forest in Panama throughout a seasonal cycle. Trees 19:545–551

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu LL, Zhu JJ (2009) Determination of canopy gap tridimensional profiles using two hemispherical photographs. Agric For Meteorol 149:862–872

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu LL, Gong ZW, Li JS, Zhu JJ (2009) Estimation of canopy gap size and gap shape using a hemispherical photograph. Trees 23:101–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Keitel C, Matzarakis A, Rennenberg H, Gessler A (2006) Carbon isotope composition and oxygen isotopic enrichment in phloem and total leaf organic matter of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) along a climate gradient. Plant Cell Environ 29:1492–1507

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klein T, Hemming D, Lin T, Grünzweig JM, Maseyk K, Rotenberg E, Yakir D (2005) Association between tree-ring and needle δ13C and leaf gas exchange in Pinus halepensis under semi-arid conditions. Oecologia 144:45–54

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kodama N, Barnard RL, Salmon Y, Weston C, Ferrio JP, Holst J, Werner RA, Saurer M, Rennenberg H, Buchmann N, Gessler A (2008) Temporal dynamics of the carbon isotope composition in a Pinus sylvestris stand: from newly assimilated organic carbon to respired carbon dioxide. Oecologia 156:737–750

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Le Roux X, Bariac T, Sinoquet H, Genty B, Piel C, Mariotti A, Girardin C, Richard P (2001) Spatial distribution of leaf water-use efficiency and carbon isotope discrimination within an isolated tree crown. Plant Cell Environ 24:1021–1032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li MC, Luo TX, Liu XS, Kong GQ (2007) Distribution characteristics of δ13C values in different organs of Abies georgei growing at alpine timberline. Chin J Appl Ecol 18:2654–2660 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martinelli LA, Almeida S, Brown IF, Moreira MZ, Victoria RL, Sternberg LSL, Ferreia CAC, Thomas WW (1998) Stable carbon isotope ratio of tree leaves, boles and fine litter in a tropical forest in Rondõnia, Brazil. Oecologia 114:170–179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen-Queyrens A, Ferhi A, Loustau D, Guehi JM (1998) Within-ring δ13C spatial variability and interannual variations in wood cellulose of two contrasting provenances of Pinus pinaster. Can J For Res 28:766–773

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niinemets Ü, Tenhunen JD (1997) A model separating leaf structural and physiological effects on carbon gain along light gradients for the shade-tolerant species Acer saccharum. Plant Cell Environ 20:845–866

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niinemets Ü, Tenhunen JD, Beyschlag W (2004) Spatial and age-dependent modifications of photosynthetic capacity in four Mediterranean oak species. Funct Plant Biol 31:1179–1193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pate J, Arthur D (1998) δ13C analysis of phloem sap carbon: novel means of evaluation seasonal water stress and interpreting carbon isotope signatures of foliage and trunk wood of Eucalyptus globules. Oecologia 117:301–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prasolova NV, Xu ZH, Lundkvist K, Farquhar GD, Dieters MJ, Walker S, Saffigna PG (2003) Genetic variation in foliar carbon isotope composition in relation to tree growth and foliar nitrogen concentration in clones of the F1 hybrid between slash pine and Caribbean pine. For Ecol Manag 172:145–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Risk D, Kellman L, Moroni M (2009) Characterization of spatial variability and patterns in tree and soil δ13C at forested sites in eastern Canada. Isot Environ Health Stud 45:220–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan M, Phillips N, Bond BJ (2006) The hydraulic limitation hypothesis revisited. Plant Cell Environ 29:367–381

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scartazza A, Mata C, Matteucci G, Yakir D, Moscatello S, Brugnoli E (2004) Comparisons of δ13C of photosynthetic products and ecosystem respiratory CO2 and their responses to seasonal climate variability. Oecologia 140:340–351

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schleser GH (1992) δ13C pattern in a forest tree as an indicator of carbon transfer in trees. Ecology 73:1922–1925

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simard SW, Durall DM, Jones MD (1997) Carbon allocation and carbon transfer between Betula papyrifera and Pseudotsuga menziesii seedlings using a 13C pulse-labeling method. Plant Soil 191:41–55

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tateno R, Kawaguchi H (2002) Differences in nitrogen use efficiency between leaves from canopy and subcanopy trees. Ecol Res 17:695–704

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tcherkez G, Nogue’s S, Bleton J, Cornic G, Badeck F, Ghashghaie J (2003) Metabolic origin of carbon isotope composition of leaf dark-respired CO2 in French bean. Plant Physiol 131:237–244

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wieser G, Bahn M (2004) Seasonal and spatial variation of woody tissue respiration in a Pinus cembra tree at the alpine timberline in the central Austrian Alps. Trees 18:576–580

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu JJ, Li XF, Liu ZG, Cao W, Gonda Y, Matsuzaki T (2006) Factors affecting the snow/wind induced damage of a Montane secondary forest in northeastern China. Silva Fenn 40:37–51

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30830085, 40901283). We thank all the members of the Research Group of Ecology and Management for Secondary Forests for their help in the fieldwork and excellent suggestions, and Prof. Osbert Sun for his help with the language editing of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Qingyuan Experimental Station of Forest Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110016, People’s Republic of China

    Mingcai Li & Jiaojun Zhu

Authors
  1. Mingcai Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jiaojun Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jiaojun Zhu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, M., Zhu, J. Variation of δ13C of wood and foliage with canopy height differs between evergreen and deciduous species in a temperate forest. Plant Ecol 212, 543–551 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-010-9843-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-010-9843-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation