Intramolecular ¹³C analysis of tree rings provides multiple plant ecophysiology signals covering decades.

ABSTRACT: Measurements of carbon isotope contents of plant organic matter provide important information in diverse fields such as plant breeding, ecophysiology, biogeochemistry and paleoclimatology. They are currently based on ¹³C/¹²C ratios of specific, whole metabolites, but we show here that intramolecular ratios provide higher resolution information. In the glucose units of tree-ring cellulose of 12 tree species, we detected large differences in ¹³C/¹²C ratios (>10‰) among carbon atoms, which provide isotopically distinct inputs to major global C pools, including wood and soil organic matter. Thus, considering position-specific differences can improve characterisation of soil-to-atmosphere carbon fluxes and soil metabolism. In a Pinus nigra tree-ring a

SUBMITTER: Wieloch T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5864875 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature