Am. J. Bot. Join the BSA
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (4)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nilsen, E. T.
Right arrow Articles by Sharifi, M. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Nilsen, E. T.
Right arrow Articles by Sharifi, M. R.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Nilsen, E. T.
Right arrow Articles by Sharifi, M. R.

American Journal of Botany, Vol 84, 1707, Copyright © 1997 by Botanical Society of America, Inc.

ECOLOGY

Carbon isotopic composition of legumes with photosynthetic stems from mediterranean and desert habitats

ET Nilsen and MR Sharifi

The carbon isotopic compositions of leaves and stems of woody legumes growing in coastal mediterranean and inland desert sites in California were compared. The overall goal was to determine what factors were most associated with the carbon isotope composition of photosynthetic stems in these habitats. The carbon isotope signature (d13C) of photosynthetic stems was less negative than that of leaves on the same plants by an average of 1.51 ± 0.42 ;pp. The d13C of bark (cortical chlorenchyma and epidermis) was more negative than that of wood (vascular tissue and pith) from the same plant for all species studied on all dates. Desert woody legumes had a higher d13C (less negative) and a lower intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci ) (for both photosynthetic tissues) than that of woody legumes from mediterranean climate sites. Differences in the d13C of stems among sites could be entirely accounted for by differences among site air temperatures. Thus, the d13C composition of stems did not indicate a difference in whole-plant integrated water use efficiency (WUE) among sites. In contrast, stems on all plants had a lower stem Ci and a higher d13C than leaves on the same plant, indicating that photosynthetic stems improve long-term, whole-plant water use efficiency in a diversity of species.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 ANN BOT (LOND)Home page
F. VALLADARES, L. G. HERNANDEZ, I. DOBARRO, C. GARCIA-PEREZ, R. SANZ, and F. I. PUGNAIRE
The Ratio of Leaf to Total Photosynthetic Area Influences Shade Survival and Plastic Response to Light of Green-stemmed Leguminous Shrub Seedlings
Ann. Bot., April 1, 2003; 91(5): 577 - 584.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1997 by the Botanical Society of America, Inc.