Variation in the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of plants and soil along a precipitation gradient in northern China.

ABSTRACT: Water availability is the most influential factor affecting plant carbon (δ(13)C) and nitrogen (δ(15)N) isotope composition in arid and semi-arid environments. However, there are potential differences among locations and/or species in the sensitivity of plant δ(13)C and δ(15)N to variation in precipitation, which are important for using stable isotope signatures to extract paleo-vegetation and paleo-climate information. We measured δ(13)C and δ(15)N of plant and soil organic matter (SOM) samples collected from 64 locations across a precipitation gradient with an isotherm in northern China. δ(13)C and δ(15)N for both C(3) and C(4) plants decreased significantly with increasing mean annual precipitation (MAP). The sensitivity of δ(13)C to MAP in C(3) plants (-0.6 ± 0.07‰/100 mm) was twice as

SUBMITTER: Ma JY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3525597 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature