Interspecific variation in bulk tissue, fatty acid and monosaccharide delta(13)C values of leaves from a mesotrophic grassland plant community

The leaves of 37 grass, herb, shrub and tree species were collected from a mesotrophic grassland to assess natural variability in bulk, fatty acid and monosaccharide delta(13)C values of leaves from one plant community. The leaf tissue mean bulk delta(13)C value was -29.3 per thousand. No significant differences between tissue bulk delta(13)C values with life form were determined (P=0.40). On average, C(16:0), C(18:2) and C(18:3) constituted 89% of leaf tissue total fatty acids, whose delta(13)C values were depleted compared to whole leaf tissues. A general interspecific (between different species) trend for fatty acids delta(13)C values was observed, i.e. delta(13)C(16:0)delta(13)C(xylose)>delta(13)C(glucose)>delta(13)C(galactose), was consistently observed. Therefore, we have shown (i) diversity in compound-specific delta(13)C values contributing to leaf bulk delta(13)C values; (ii) interspecific variability between bulk and compound-specific delta(13)C values of leaves of individual grassland species, and (iii) trends between individual fatty acid and monosaccharide delta(13)C values common to leaves of all species within one plant community.