Spatial distribution of leaf water‐use efficiency and carbon isotope discrimination within an isolated tree crown

Roux, Xavier Le; Bariac, Thierry; Sinoquet, Hervé; Genty, Bernard; Piel, Clément; Mariotti, André; Girardin, Cyril; Richard, Paul

doi:10.1046/j.0016-8025.2001.00756.x

Cited by 100 publications

(119 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…In contrast, studies on particularly tall trees often find that leaf nitrogen per unit mass and photosynthetic capacity do not vary or even decline with h (McDowell et al 2002a;Ambrose et al 2009;Woodruff et al 2009, Nothofagus data from this study). Internal conductance has been shown to increase with light or height (Le Roux et al 2001;Warren et al 2003). In two tall species, however, g i and g s declined linearly with increased h (Ambrose et al 2009;Mullin et al 2009;Woodruff et al 2009).…”

Section: Why Does D Decline Linearly With Increasing H?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…D of sunlit foliage was (Fig. 10.1, Silvester 1994, also Livingston et al 1998;Warren and Adams 2000;Le Roux et al 2001;Geßler et al 2001;Samuelson et al 2003;Koch et al 2004). There was no consistent difference in the D-h relationship between sunlit and shaded samples ( Fig.…”

Section: Irradiance and Heightmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lower A at the same g s for tall versus short trees could also result from reduced g i . Thus, while hydraulics per se appear to play a direct role in driving diel gas exchange patterns, longer term impacts of hydraulics on g i or leaf [N] appear to also be critical (see also Le Roux et al 2001;Woodruff et al 2004;Lloyd et al 2009). Foliar D and p a − p c results for all seven Nothofagus sites showed evidence of lower p c as h increased (Table 10.1, Fig.…”

Section: The Response Of Leaf-level Gas Exchange and D To H In Nothofmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is important to note that studies in which the trees did not approach their maximum height had relatively high slopes (mean −0.59‰ m −1 ) and were thus excluded from averages calculated across biomes, vegetation type, tissue type, etc. (Table 10.1, Zhang et al 1994;Heaton and Crossley 1995;Buchmann et al 1997a;Xu et al 2000;Le Roux et al 2001;Grulke and Retzlaff 2001;Barnard and Ryan 2003;Major et al 2007). D declined with increasing height for all wood datasets (Table 10.1, Fig.…”

Section: Global Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Relationships Between Tree Height and Carbon Isotope Discrimination

et al. 2011

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Understanding how tree size impacts leaf-and crown-level gas exchange is essential to predicting forest yields and carbon and water budgets. The stable carbon isotope ratio (d 13 C) of organic matter has been used to examine the relationship of gas exchange to tree size for a host of species because it carries a temporally integrated signature of foliar photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. The carbon isotope composition of leaves reflects discrimination against 13 C relative to 12 C during photosynthesis and is the net result of the balance of change in CO 2 supply and demand at the sites of photosynthesis within the leaf mesophyll. Interpreting the patterns of changes in d 13 C with tree size are not always clear, however, because multiple factors that regulate gas exchange and carbon isotope discrimination (D) co-vary with height, such as solar irradiance and hydraulic conductance. Here we review 36 carbon isotope datasets from 38 tree species and conclude that there is a consistent, linear decline of D with height. The most parsimonious explanation of this result is that gravitational constraints on maximum leaf water potential set an ultimate boundary on the shape and sign of the relationship. These hydraulic constraints are manifest both over the long term through impacts on leaf structure, and over diel periods via impacts on stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and leaf hydraulic conductance. Shading induces a positive offset to the linear decline, consistent with light limitations reducing carbon fixation and increasing partial pressures of CO 2 inside of the leaf, p c at a given height. Biome differences between tropical and temperate forests were more important in predicting D and its relationship to height than wood type associated with being an angiosperm or gymnosperm. It is not yet clear how leaf internal conductance varies with leaf mass area, but some data in particularly tall, temperate conifers suggest that photosynthetic capacity may not vary dramatically with height when compared between tree-tops, while stomatal and leaf internal conductances do decline in unison with height within canopy gradients. It is also clear that light is a critical variable low in the canopy, whereas hydrostatic constraints dominate the relationship between D and height in the upper canopy. The trend of increasing maximum height with decreasing minimum D suggests that trees that become particularly tall may be adapted to tolerate particularly low values of p c .

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Section: Why Does D Decline Linearly With Increasing H?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Irradiance and Heightmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Response Of Leaf-level Gas Exchange and D To H In Nothofmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Global Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Relationships Between Tree Height and Carbon Isotope Discrimination

et al. 2011

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“…ı 13 C reflects the ratio of internal to ambient CO 2 concentration (C i /C a ) in leaves and is an integrated, long-term measure of the effects of factors affecting inward CO 2 diffusion and CO 2 consumption (photosynthetic rate) (Farquhar et al, 1989). Recently, it has been reported that differences in ı 13 C correlate more precisely with chloroplastic to ambient CO 2 concentration (C c /C a ) than with C i /C a (Le Roux et al, 2001). Yet, there is still uncertainty of the implications of g m for ı 13 C.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term acclimation of mesophyll conductance, carbon isotope discrimination and growth in two contrasting Picea asperata populations exposed to drought and enhanced UV-B radiation for three years

Duan

Fei

Zhang

et al. 2011

Agricultural and Forest Meteorology

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Quantifying the effect of shade on cuticle morphology and carbon isotopes of sycamores: present and past

Milligan

Flynn

Wagner

et al. 2021

American J of Botany

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Premise Reconstructing the light environment and architecture of the plant canopy from the fossil record requires the use of proxies, such as those derived from cell wall undulation, cell size, and carbon isotopes. All approaches assume that plant taxa will respond predictably to changes in light environments. However, most species‐level studies looking at cell wall undulation only consider “sun” or “shade” leaves; therefore, we need a fully quantitative taxon‐specific method. Methods We quantified the response of cell wall undulation, cell size, and carbon isotopes of Platanus occidentalis using two experimental setups: (1) two growth chambers at low and high light and (2) a series of outdoor growth experiments using green and black shade cloth at different densities. We then developed and applied a proxy for daily light integral (DLI) to fossil Platanites leaves from two early Paleocene floras from the San Juan Basin in New Mexico. Results All traits responded to light environment. Cell wall undulation was the most useful trait for reconstructing DLI in the geological record. Median reconstructed DLI from early Paleocene leaves was ~44 mol m−2 d−1, with values from 28 to 54 mol m−2 d−1. Conclusions Cell wall undulation of P. occidentalis is a robust, quantifiable measurement of light environment that can be used to reconstruct the paleo‐light environment from fossil leaves. The distribution of high DLI values from fossil leaves may provide information on canopy architecture; indicating that either (1) most of the canopy mass is within the upper portion of the crown or (2) leaves exposed to more sunlight are preferentially preserved.

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Spatial distribution of leaf water‐use efficiency and carbon isotope discrimination within an isolated tree crown

Cited by 100 publications

References 70 publications

Relationships Between Tree Height and Carbon Isotope Discrimination

Relationships Between Tree Height and Carbon Isotope Discrimination

Long-term acclimation of mesophyll conductance, carbon isotope discrimination and growth in two contrasting Picea asperata populations exposed to drought and enhanced UV-B radiation for three years

Quantifying the effect of shade on cuticle morphology and carbon isotopes of sycamores: present and past

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