不同基因型冬小麦旗叶的稳定碳同位素比值及其与产量和水分利用效率的关系

以我国北方12个冬小麦(Triticum aestivum)品种(系)和美国德克萨斯州3个冬小麦品种(系)为供试材料, 在甘肃陇东黄土高原旱作和拔节期有限补灌条件下, 比较研究了不同基因型冬小麦之间产量、水分利用效率(WUE)和灌浆期旗叶稳定碳同位素比值(δ¹³C)的差异, 以及δ¹³C值与产量和WUE的关系。旨在通过分析δ¹³C值与产量和WUE的关系, 明确δ¹³C值在评价植物WUE方面的可靠性, 为抗旱节水品种的筛选提供理论依据。结果表明: 不论旱作还是有限补灌, 不同基因型冬小麦之间产量、WUE、旗叶δ¹³C值存在显著差异, 随着灌浆过程的进行, 旗叶δ¹³C值呈缓慢增大的趋势, 而且旗叶δ¹³C值旱作高于有限补灌。不论旱作还是补灌条件, 旗叶δ¹³C值在4个测定时期的平均值与籽粒产量、WUE呈显著正相关关系(R²= 0.527 3-0.691 3)。小麦拔节期补灌100 mm水分后, 不同基因型小麦表现出明显的水分超补偿效应。说明冬小麦灌浆期旗叶δ¹³C值在旱作条件下和在补灌条件下均可较好地评价WUE, 可将冬小麦灌浆期旗叶δ¹³C值作为筛选高效用水品种的参考指标之一。     

西北油松叶片δ13C特征与环境因子和叶片矿质元素的关系

选取甘肃、宁夏及内蒙古油松(Pinus tabulaeformis)10个天然种群, 通过测定油松叶片稳定碳同位素组成(δ¹³C)和元素含量等特征, 分析了油松叶片δ¹³C特征及其与环境气候因子和叶片矿质元素含量之间的关系。研究结果表明, 油松叶片δ¹³C的变化范围在-28.68‰ - -25.02‰之间, 平均值为-26.82‰; 油松叶片δ¹³C值与海拔、经度之间相关性不显著, 与纬度之间呈显著正相关, 与年降水量、年平均温度之间均呈显著负相关, 说明年平均温度和年降水量是决定油松¹³C分馏能力差别及生长的主要限制因子; 叶片元素N、P、K、Si、Ca、Fe含量与δ¹³C值有明显的相关性, 其中叶片N、P、K含量与δ¹³C值显著负相关, Si、Ca、Fe含量与δ¹³C值显著正相关, 可见不同种群间δ¹³C组成差异可反映植物营养元素含量的变化状况。不同生境条件下环境气候因子和矿质元素含量的这种响应模式在一定程度上反映和影响了以油松为建群种和优势种的生态系统的δ¹³C变化特性。     

四川巴郎山齿果酸模叶片氮素及其分配的海拔响应

在卧龙自然保护区, 按海拔梯度选择了齿果酸模(Rumex dentatus)的4个分布地点(2350、2700、3150和3530 m), 对各研究地点的齿果酸模进行了叶片光合、扩散导度、叶片碳稳定同位素组成(δ¹³C)、氮素含量、光合氮利用效率(PNUE)、比叶面积(SLA))等参数的测量, 以期揭示该植物叶片氮素、氮素分配情况及其他生理生态参数随海拔的响应趋势, 进而明确氮素及其分配在齿果酸模响应和适应海拔梯度环境的生物学过程中的作用。结果表明: 随着海拔的升高, 齿果酸模的叶片单位面积氮含量(N_area)随之增加, 进而光合能力随之增加。随着海拔升高而增加的扩散导度也在一定程度上促进了这一趋势, 这可能是落叶草本植物对于高海拔低温所导致的叶寿命缩短的适应结果。沿着海拔梯度, 植物叶片氮素和扩散导度均通过羧化位点与外界CO₂分压比(P_c/P_a)而间接影响叶片δ¹³C值, 且相比之下, 以氮素为基础的羧化能力对于P_c/P_a的作用更大些, 进而导致齿果酸模叶片δ¹³C随海拔增加; 随着海拔的升高, 齿果酸模叶片将更多的氮素用于防御性结构组织的建设, 这也是SLA和PNUE降低的主要原因; 在光合系统内部, 随着海拔的升高, 植物光合组织增加了用于捕光系统氮素的比例, 使得植物可以更好地利用随海拔升高而增强的光照资源, 进而促进了光合能力的增加。可见, 氮素及其在叶片各系统间(尤其是在光合系统与非光合系统间)的分配方式是齿果酸模适应和响应海拔梯度环境的关键。     

沙棘属植物叶片碳稳定同位素含量与气候的关系

本试验以131个沙棘属植物种群为研究对象,通过测定其叶片碳稳定同位素(δ¹³C)值,分析了碳稳定同位素特征与环境因子之间的关系。结果表明: 沙棘属植物叶片的δ¹³C值介于-24.65‰～-29.11‰,平均值为-26.97‰,属于C3植物,叶片δ¹³C值变异系数为种内大于种间,表明环境因子是影响沙棘属植物叶片δ¹³C含量变化的主导因素。沙棘属植物叶片的δ¹³C值与经纬度的变化无显著相关,与海拔呈显著负相关。通过建立回归方程: δ¹³C(‰)=0.118VAP-0.007GST-0.000028RDA-20.721(R²=0.212,P<0.0001),说明影响沙棘属叶片δ¹³C值最主要的因素是水蒸气压(VAP)、生长季温度(GST)和太阳辐射(RDA)。研究结果可为沙棘属植物对全球气候变化的响应提供理论依据。     

A review of the calibration methods for measuring the carbon and oxygen isotopes in CO2 based on isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy

稳定同位素红外光谱(IRIS)技术克服了传统的大气CO₂气瓶采样-同位素质谱(IRMS)技术时间分辨率低且耗时费力的缺点, 可以实现高时间分辨率和高精度的大气CO₂碳同位素组成(δ ¹³C)和氧同位素组成(δ ¹⁸O)的原位连续测定。基于IRIS技术测量CO₂ δ ¹³C和δ ¹⁸O的误差来源主要包括δ ¹³C和δ ¹⁸O测量值对CO₂浓度变化的非线性响应(浓度依赖性)以及对环境条件变化的敏感性导致的漂移(时间漂移)。如何有效地校正浓度依赖性和时间漂移导致的误差是IRIS仪器应用的前提。该综述阐述了δ ¹³C和δ ¹⁸O测量值的浓度依赖性产生的理论基础, 回顾了浓度依赖性的理论校正和经验方程校正方法和应用; 回顾了时间漂移的校正原理、方法和应用; 概述了数据溯源至国际标准的原理、方法与应用现状。结合实际情况推荐利用3个或3个以上已知CO₂浓度和δ ¹³C、δ ¹⁸O真值的CO₂标准气体涵盖待测气体CO₂浓度的浓度依赖性校正, 设置适当的校正频率校正时间漂移并进行数据溯源。指出应该加强不同仪器和校正方法的比对研究; 采用IRIS技术测定CH₄、N₂O和H₂O同位素组成也可以采取类似的校正方法。     

晋西黄土区典型乔灌木短期水分利用效率对环境因子的响应

为明确晋西黄土区植物的水分利用规律及对半干旱区的适应策略, 提高黄土地区植被建设效益, 该研究对该地区典型乔灌木短期水分利用效率随环境因子的变化进行了探究。以典型乔木油松(Pinus tabuliformis)、刺槐(Robinia pseudoacacia)及其林下灌木黄刺玫(Rosa xanthina)、杠柳(Periploca sepium)为研究对象, 测定叶片可溶性糖稳定碳同位素比值(δ¹³C_leaf)与枝条渗出液稳定碳同位素比值(δ¹³C_branch), 使用δ¹³C_leaf推导计算7-10月叶片尺度下植物短期水分利用效率(WUE_leaf)变化趋势, 使用δ¹³C_branch明确植物光合作用后分馏情况, 确定半干旱区植物在生长季的水分变化规律对环境因子变化的响应。结果表明: (1) 7-10月4种植物δ¹³C_leaf总体呈现降低趋势, δ¹³C_branch呈现先升高后降低趋势。δ¹³C_leaf在种间和生活型中均存在差异。具体表现为: 灌木>乔木, 常绿乔木(油松) >落叶乔木(刺槐)。研究过程中未发现明显的碳同位素在光合作用后发生分馏的情况。(2) 4种植物WUE_leaf在7-8月保持稳定, 9-10月逐渐升高。21.5 ℃、0.9 kPa、52.4%分别为WUE_leaf随温度(T_a)、饱和水汽压差(VPD)、相对湿度(RH)变化的突变点, 突变点之后4种植物WUE_leaf均表现出稳定的变化趋势, 不再随T_a、VPD、RH升高而降低。(3) WUE_leaf与T_a、RH、VPD之间存在显著负相关关系, T_a通过非气孔因素, 即酶的作用改变光合速率, 引起WUE_leaf变化。RH、VPD等水分因子则通过改变气孔开度, 影响蒸腾, 进而改变WUE_leaf。随着土壤含水量(SWC)的升高, WUE_leaf呈现先升高后降低的趋势。油松林和刺槐林在SWC分别达到15%-18%、13%-14%时, WUE_leaf达到最高值。经过混合线性模型(LMM)分析得到, 油松和刺槐WUE_leaf主导环境因子分别为RH和VPD, 黄刺玫和杠柳WUE_leaf主导环境因子均为T_a。该研究得到了黄土地区典型乔灌木生长季水分利用效率变化的规律和主要环境影响因子, 明确了黄土地区植物对气候因子变化的适应机制。     

亚热带地区常绿阔叶林SPAC系统水分的氢氧稳定同位素特征

森林的土壤-植物-大气连续体(SPAC)是陆地重要的水循环连续界面过程。本研究通过分析亚热带常绿阔叶林的降水、大气水汽、土壤水、叶片水的同位素组成,探讨森林SPAC系统水分的氢氧同位素组成特征以及植物蒸腾与叶片性状和环境因子的关系。结果表明: 研究区大气降水、土壤水、竹柏枝条水、竹柏叶片水和大气水汽的δD-δ¹⁸O线性回归方程分别为: δD_P=7.97δ¹⁸O_P+12.68(R²=0.97)、δD_S=4.29δ¹⁸O_S-18.62(R²=0.81)、δD_B=3.31δ¹⁸O_B-29.73(R²=0.49)、δD_L=1.49δ¹⁸O_L-10.09(R²=0.81)、δD_V=3.89δ¹⁸O_V-51.29(R²=0.46)。在降水→土壤水→植物水的界面水输送过程中,氢氧同位素逐渐富集,而从土壤蒸发和从植物蒸腾的水汽同位素贫化。在降水和蒸发作用的影响下,土壤水同位素随深度增加有贫化的趋势,而且整体上旱季土壤水同位素比雨季富集。观测期间,枝条水同位素比土壤水略微富集,说明水分在植物体内运输过程中存在受到蒸腾富集作用的可能性。旱季,乔木的枝条水同位素比灌木贫化,说明根系分布更深的乔木植物更倾向于利用深层土壤水。由于在叶片性状、蒸腾速率以及对环境因子的响应程度等方面存在差异,不同植物的叶片水同位素组成随叶龄增长的变化特征有所不同。雨季的环境条件更有利于叶片蒸腾,使雨季的叶片水同位素比旱季富集。叶片水同位素组成与植物叶片含水量呈正相关关系,与相对湿度呈负相关关系,综合反映了植物应对环境变化的水分调控功能。     

鬼箭锦鸡儿叶片和土壤碳稳定同位素特征及其影响因素

为探究高海拔地区的植物碳(C)循环过程与其生境的关系,以生长在高山地区的豆科灌木鬼箭锦鸡儿为研究对象,沿着横跨我国东西部山区的样带采集35个样点的鬼箭锦鸡儿叶片和土壤样品,分析了鬼箭锦鸡儿叶片碳稳定同位素组成(δ¹³C)、土壤δ¹³C、叶片和土壤δ¹³C差值(Δδ¹³C)在不同采样点的特征及其与气候因子、叶片和土壤元素的关系。结果表明:鬼箭锦鸡儿叶片δ¹³C的变化范围为-30.9‰～-27.1‰,平均值为-28.4‰,土壤δ¹³C的变化范围为-26.2‰～-23.2‰,平均值为-25.3‰,Δδ¹³C的变化范围为2.0‰～7.7‰,平均值为3.1‰;叶片δ¹³C显著低于土壤δ¹³C,且随着叶片δ¹³C增加,土壤δ¹³C先降低后升高;叶片δ¹³C与生长季均温和叶片C含量呈显著负相关,土壤δ¹³C与相对湿度和最暖月均温呈显著负相关,与土壤碳∶氮(C∶N)呈显著正相关,随土壤C含量的增加土壤δ¹³C先降低后升高,Δδ¹³C与叶片C含量、土壤C含量和土壤C∶N呈显著正相关;气候因子对叶片δ¹³C和Δδ¹³C具有直接影响,同时也通过对叶片和土壤元素的影响,间接导致叶片δ¹³C、土壤δ¹³C和Δδ¹³C的改变。高海拔地区的气候因子、叶片和土壤元素共同影响鬼箭锦鸡儿的C循环过程。     

Water sources of Medicago sativa grown in different slope positions in Yanchi County of Ningxia

紫苜蓿(Medicago sativa)是一种经济和生态价值较高的优良牧草, 但其耗水量大, 在西北半干旱地区仅靠天然降水难以满足紫苜蓿的正常生长发育。宁夏盐池北部地处毛乌素沙地南缘, 地下水埋深较浅, 地下水有可能成为紫苜蓿的潜在水源, 弥补天然降水的不足。本试验在地势平坦的缓坡丘陵梁地和丘间低地, 选择8年生旱地紫苜蓿试验地作为研究对象, 采用稳定同位素技术, 研究了不同海拔的4个坡位(海拔自低到高分别为: 坡1、坡2、坡3和坡4)紫苜蓿的水分来源及其生长生理表现。结果表明: 坡位对0-300 cm土壤剖面含水量有显著影响, 海拔最低的坡1土壤含水量最高。土壤水和植物茎秆水δ ¹⁸O-δD坐标点大部分位于中国西北地区地方大气降水线(LMWL)的右侧, 说明植物利用的水源氢氧同位素组成受到蒸发的影响而发生了富集作用。0-450 cm土壤剖面水δ ¹⁸O值随着海拔高度的增加而增大。同一坡位土壤水δ ¹⁸O值随着土壤深度的增加逐渐下降。深层土壤水δ ¹⁸O值与地下水δ ¹⁸O相近, 说明地下水通过土壤毛细管上升而补充其上层土壤水分。0-40 cm土壤水δ ¹⁸O值随季节波动较大, 270 cm以下土壤水δ ¹⁸O值较为稳定。4、7、8月份坡1紫苜蓿茎秆水δ ¹⁸O值显著低于其他3个坡位(p < 0.001)。在4、6、7三个月, 坡位1紫苜蓿对深层土壤水(270 cm以下)的利用率最高。而在8月份, 坡1、坡3、坡4紫苜蓿主要利用150-270 cm、270-450 cm土层土壤水以及地下水, 坡2对表层(0-20 cm)土壤水利用率最高。坡1紫苜蓿的产量、整株Δ ¹³C值及气孔导度显著高于其他3个坡位。本研究表明: 在平均年降水量只有280 mm的西北半干旱地区种植旱地紫苜蓿要尽量选择地势较低的滩地, 使其能够利用到埋深较浅地下水, 以满足植物生长发育的需要并取得较好的生态和经济效益。     

黄土高原马栏林区基于不同植被组织尺度的群落物种多样性

物种多样性格局随着时空尺度的变化而变化, 同时也与植被组织尺度的变化密切相关, 基于多组织尺度的研究能更好地揭示一个地区的物种多样性规律。在应用数量分类(TWINSPAN)和主成分分析法(PCA)确定黄土高原马栏林区不同组织尺度的群落类型及其相互关系的基础上, 采用加性分配法分析该区域物种多样性与植被型、群系和群丛3种植被组织尺度之间的关系, 结果表明: (1) 区域物种多样性(γ)可加性分配分为群丛内(α₁)、群丛间(β₁)、群系间(β₂)和植被型间(β₃) 4个多样性成分, 无论用物种丰富度指数还是Shannon-Wiener多样性或Simpson多样性指数, 乔木、灌木和草本植物的最大物种多样性都存在于群丛内(草本层的物种丰富度除外), 说明群丛尺度是度量该区物种多样性的最佳尺度。(2)植被型、群系和群丛3种组织尺度的Shannon-Wiener多样性百分比均大于Simpson多样性百分比, 说明稀有种的分布对马栏林区各植被组织尺度的物种多样性格局起主要作用。(3)各尺度间的β多样性大小顺序在乔木、灌木、草本植物3层以不同多样性指数表示时各不相同, 这与乔木、灌木、草本植物3层的物种组成和分布, 以及主导不同植被组织尺度的物种多样性的因素差异有密切联系。     

Carbon isotope compositions (δ13C) of leaf,wood and holocellulose differ among genotypes of poplar and between previous land uses in a short‐rotation biomass plantation

The efficiency of water use to produce biomass is a key trait in designing sustainable bioenergy‐devoted systems. We characterized variations in the carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C) of leaves, current year wood and holocellulose (as proxies for water use efficiency, WUE) among six poplar genotypes in a short‐rotation plantation. Values of δ¹³C_wood and δ¹³C_{holocellulose} were tightly and positively correlated, but the offset varied significantly among genotypes (0.79–1.01‰). Leaf phenology was strongly correlated with δ¹³C, and genotypes with a longer growing season showed a higher WUE. In contrast, traits related to growth and carbon uptake were poorly linked to δ¹³C. Trees growing on former pasture with higher N‐availability displayed higher δ¹³C as compared with trees growing on former cropland. The positive relationships between δ¹³C_leaf and leaf N suggested that spatial variations in WUE over the plantation were mainly driven by an N‐related effect on photosynthetic capacities. The very coherent genotype ranking obtained with δ¹³C in the different tree compartments has some practical outreach. Because WUE remains largely uncoupled from growth in poplar plantations, there is potential to identify genotypes with satisfactory growth and higher WUE.     

δ 13C variation of C3 and C4 plants across an Asian monsoon rainfall gradient in arid northwestern China

We have investigated carbon isotopic compositions of four plant genus/species, Bothriochloa ischaemum (C₄), Stipa bungeana (C₃), Lespedeza sp. (C₃) and Heteropappus less (C₃), along a precipitation gradient in northwest China in order to assess the impact of water availability on the carbon isotopic discrimination against ¹³C during carbon assimilation in this area. This information is necessary for reconstruction of paleovegetation, particularly paleo‐C₃/C₄ plant ratios using δ¹³C value of organic matter in loess and paleosols in the Chinese Loess Plateau. The δ¹³C of C₃ plants, as a group, exhibits a negative correlation with the annual precipitation amount with a total change and sensitivity of 5‰ and ?1.1‰/100 mm, respectively, for the precipitation range from 200 to 700 mm. The C₄ grass, B. ischaemum responds to aridity by decreasing 1.7‰ for over the precipitation range from 350 to 700 mm; the plant δ¹³C is significantly correlated with annual precipitation with a slope ?0.61‰/100 mm. This result implies that without considering the effect of water availability on the plant δ¹³C values, reconstruction of percent C₄ vegetation during the last glaciation can be overestimated by about a factor of two.     

Leaf carbon isotope ratio and water use efficiency of urban roadside trees in summer in Kyoto city

The effect of summer climate on leaf carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C) of the major roadside tree species Prunus × yedoensis (P. yedoensis) was investigated in Kyoto city, Japan, to explore the implications for alterations in urban environments. Temperature and the vapor pressure deficit were higher at sites of higher traffic volumes, possibly affected by a heat island effect. The leaf δ¹³C of P. yedoensis trees was affected strongly by leaf carbon isotope discrimination (Δ), with much less effect of δ¹³C on atmospheric CO₂. Leaf Δ values in the summer were smaller at sites of higher traffic volumes with high atmospheric temperatures, suggesting a higher long-term water use efficiency (WUE) at these sites. Gas exchange measurements of P. yedoensis leaves indeed suggested a higher intrinsic WUE at sites of higher traffic volumes with high atmospheric temperatures. These results suggest that leaf Δ is related to the response of WUE to summer climates, and that leaf δ¹³C in urban areas is a useful tracer for understanding the influences of urban environments on plant photosynthetic processes.     

Trait differences between grass species along a climatic gradient in South and North America

Question: Are trait differences between grasses along a gradient related to climatic variables and/or photosynthetic pathway? Location: Temperate grassland areas of South and North America. Methods: In a common garden experiment, we cultivated C₃ and C₄ grasses from grasslands under different climatic conditions, and we measured a set of 12 plant traits related to size and resource capture and utilization. We described (1) interspecific plant trait differences along a climatic gradient defined by the precipitation and temperature at the location where each species is dominant and (2) the association between those plant trait differences and the photosynthetic pathway of the species. Results: Trait differences between grasses were related to the precipitation at the area where each species is dominant, and to the photosynthetic pathway of the species. Leaf length, leaf width, plant height, leaf area per tiller, specific leaf area, leaf δ¹³C ratio, and nitrogen resorption efficiency increased while leaf dry matter content and nitrogen concentration in senesced leaves decreased as precipitation increased. A proportion of these changes along the gradient was related to the photosynthetic pathway because dominant grass species in cold areas with low precipitation are mainly C₃ and those from warm and wet areas are C₄. Conclusions: A previous worldwide analysis showed that traits of graminoid species measured in situ changed slightly along climatic gradients (< 10% variance explained). In contrast, under a common environment we observed that (1) grass traits changed strongly along a climatic gradient (30‐85% variance explained) and, (2) a proportion of those changes were related to the association between photosynthetic pathway of the species and precipitation.     

Can the restoration of natural vegetation be accelerated on the Chinese Loess Plateau? A study of the response of the leaf carbon isotope ratio of dominant species to changing soil carbon and nitrogen levels

For the heavily degraded ecosystem on the Chinese Loess Plateau, it would be of great significance if vegetation restoration could be accelerated anthropogenically. However, one major concern is that if the late successional species were planted or sown in degraded habitats, would they still be competitive in terms of some critical plant traits associated with specific habitats? Water use efficiency (WUE) is a major plant trait shaping the pattern of species turnover in vegetation secondary succession on the Loess Plateau. We hypothesized that if late successional stage plants could still hold a competitive advantage in terms of WUE, the prospects for an acceleration of succession by sowing these species in newly abandoned fields would be good. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the leaf C isotope ratio (δ¹³C) value (a surrogate of WUE) of dominant species from different successional stages at given soil C and N levels. Results indicated that leaf δ¹³C of the two dominant species that co-dominated in the second and third stages were significantly more positive than that of the dominant species from the first stage regardless of changing soil C and N. Yet the dominant species from the climax stage is a C₄ grass assumed to have the highest WUE. In addition, increasing soil nutrition had no effects on leaf δ¹³C of two dominant species in the late successional stage, indicating that dominant species from the late successional stages could still have a competitive advantage in terms of WUE in soil C- and N-poor habitats. Therefore, from the perspective of plant WUE, there are great opportunities for ecosystem restoration by sowing both dominant species and other species that co-occur in late successional stages in newly abandoned fields, for the purpose of enhancing species diversity and optimising species composition.     

Ecosystem Water-Use Efficiency of Annual Corn and Perennial Grasslands: Contributions from Land-Use History and Species Composition

Carbon and water exchanges between vegetated land surfaces and the atmosphere reveal the ecosystem-scale water-use efficiency (WUE) of primary production. We examined the interacting influence of dominant plant functional groups (C₃ and C₄) and land-use history on WUEs of annual corn and perennial (restored prairie, switchgrass and smooth brome grass) grasslands in the US Midwest from 2010 through 2013. To this end, we determined ecosystem-level (eWUE) and intrinsic (iWUE) WUEs using eddy covariance and plant carbon isotope ratios, respectively. Corn, switchgrass, and restored prairie were each planted on lands previously managed as grasslands under the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), or as corn/soybean rotation under conventional agriculture (AGR), while a field of smooth brome grass remained in CRP management. The iWUEs of individual C₃ plant species varied little across years. Corn had the highest (4.1) and smooth brome grass the lowest (2.3) overall eWUEs (g C kg^?1 H₂O) over the 4 years. Corn and switchgrass did not consistently show a significant difference in seasonal eWUE between former CRP and AGR lands, whereas restored prairie had significantly higher seasonal eWUE on former AGR than on former CRP land due to a greater shift from C₃ to C₄ species on the former AGR land following a drought in 2012. Thus, differences in grassland eWUE were largely determined by the relative dominance of C₃ and C₄ species within the plant communities. In this humid temperate climate with common short-term and occasional long-term droughts, it is likely that mixed grasslands will become increasingly dominated by C₄ grasses over time, with higher yields and eWUE than C₃ plants. These results inform models of the interaction between carbon and water cycles in grassland ecosystems under current and future climate and management scenarios.     

Comparative water-use efficiency of Sporobolus arabicus and Leptochloa fusca and its relation with carbon-isotope discrimination under semi-arid conditions

Water-use efficiency (WUE) of Leptochloa fusca (L.) Kunth (Kallar grass) and Sporobolus arabicus Boiss. was determined under different soil moisture regimes. Plants grown in lysimeters were subjected to three soil moisture regimes, viz. well-watered (100%), medium-watered (75%), and low-watered (50%) of total available water (TAW). The soil moisture was restored on alternate days by adding the required volume of water on the basis of neutron moisture meter readings taken from neutron access tubes installed in each lysimeter. The grasses were harvested after suitable intervals (4 months) to obtain maximum biomass. Leaf samples collected at each harvest were analyzed for carbon-isotope discrimination (¹³C) with an isotope ratio (¹³C/¹²C) mass spectrometer. Results indicated significant differences in WUE of both grasses subjected to different water regimes. Sporobolus arabicus showed higher WUE than Kallar grass. However, Kallar grass showed better value of yield response factor (k _y = 0.649) compared with Sporobolus (k _y = 1.06) over the entire season. The data confirm that these grasses can be grown successfully in water-limited environments by selecting an optimum soil moisture level for maximum biomass production. The mean carbon-isotope discrimination (¹³C) of Kallar grass (–14.4) and Sporobolus (–12.8) confirm that both are C₄ plants. The carbon-isotope discrimination () was significantly and negatively correlated with WUE of the two species studied. The results of the present study confirm that ¹³C or of leaves can be used as good predictor of WUE in some C₄ plants.     

Characterization of photosynthetic pathway of plant species growing in the eastern Tibetan plateau using stable carbon isotope composition

The photosynthetic pathway of plant species collected at Menyuan, Henan, and Maduo sites, east of Tibetan Plateau, China, during the growing season were studied using stable carbon isotopes in leaves. The 232 samples leaves analyzed belonged to 161 species, 30 families, and 94 genera. The δ¹³C values (from −24.6 to − 29.2 ‰) indicated that all the considered species had a photosynthetic C₃ pathway. The absence of plant species with C₄ photosynthetic pathway might be due to the extremely low air temperature characterizing the Tibetan Plateau. The average δ¹³C value was significantly (p<0.05) different between annuals and perennials at the three considered study sites. Hence the longer-lived species had greater water-use efficiency (WUE) than shorter-lived species, that is, longer-lived species are better adapted to the extreme environmental conditions of the Tibetan Plateau.