Quantifying isotope parameters associated with carbonyl-water oxygen exchange during sucrose translocation in tree phloem

Stable oxygen isotope ratio of tree-ring α-cellulose (δ18Ocel) yields valuable information on many aspects of tree-climate interactions. However, our current understanding of the mechanistic controls on δ18Ocel is incomplete, with a knowledge gap existent regarding the fractionation effect characterizing carbonyl-water oxygen exchange during sucrose translocation from leaf to phloem. To address this insufficiency, we set up an experimental system integrating a vapor 18O-labeling feature to manipulate leaf-level isotopic signatures in tree saplings enclosed within whole-canopy gas-exchange cuvettes. We applied this experimental system to three different tree species to determine their respective relationships between 18O enrichment of sucrose in leaf lamina (Δ18Ol_suc) and petiole phloem (Δ18Ophl_suc) under environmentally/physiologically stable conditions. Based on the determined Δ18Ophl_suc-Δ18Ol_suc relationships, we estimated that on average, at least 25% of the oxygen atoms in sucrose undergo isotopic exchange with water along the leaf-to-phloem translocation path and that the biochemical fractionation factor accounting for such exchange is c. 34‰, markedly higher than the conventionally assumed value of 27‰. Our study represents a significant step toward quantitative elucidation of the oxygen isotope dynamics during sucrose translocation in trees. This has important implications with respect to improving the δ18Ocel model and its related applications in paleoclimatic and ecophysiological contexts.

Quantifying the Nitrogen Sources and Secondary Formation of Ambient HONO with a Stable Isotopic Method

Nitrous acid (HONO) is a reactive gas that plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry. However, accurately quantifying its direct emissions and secondary formation in the atmosphere as well as attributing it to specific nitrogen sources remains a significant challenge. In this study, we developed a novel method using stable nitrogen and oxygen isotopes (δ15N; δ18O) for apportioning ambient HONO in an urban area in North China. The results show that secondary formation was the dominant HONO formation processes during both day and night, with the NO2 heterogeneous reaction contributing 59.0 ± 14.6% in daytime and 64.4 ± 10.8% at nighttime. A Bayesian simulation demonstrated that the average contributions of coal combustion, biomass burning, vehicle exhaust, and soil emissions to HONO were 22.2 ± 13.1, 26.0 ± 5.7, 28.6 ± 6.7, and 23.2 ± 8.1%, respectively. We propose that the isotopic method presents a promising approach for identifying nitrogen sources and the secondary formation of HONO, which could contribute to mitigating HONO and its adverse effects on air quality.

Explicitly accounting for needle sugar pool size crucial for predicting intra-seasonal dynamics of needle carbohydrates δ18 O and δ13 C

We explore needle sugar isotopic compositions (δ¹⁸ O and δ¹³ C) in boreal Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) over two growing seasons. A leaf-level dynamic model driven by environmental conditions and based on current understanding of isotope fractionation processes was built to predict δ¹⁸ O and δ¹³ C of two hierarchical needle carbohydrate pools, accounting for the needle sugar pool size and the presence of an invariant pinitol pool. Model results agreed well with observed needle water δ¹⁸ O, δ¹⁸ O and δ¹³ C of needle water-soluble carbohydrates (sugars + pinitol), and needle sugar δ¹³ C (R²  = 0.95, 0.84, 0.60, 0.73, respectively). Relative humidity (RH) and intercellular to ambient CO₂ concentration ratio (C_i /C_a ) were the dominant drivers of δ¹⁸ O and δ¹³ C variability, respectively. However, the variability of needle sugar δ¹⁸ O and δ¹³ C was reduced on diel and intra-seasonal timescales, compared to predictions based on instantaneous RH and C_i /C_a , due to the large needle sugar pool, which caused the signal formation period to vary seasonally from 2 d to more than 5 d. Furthermore, accounting for a temperature-sensitive biochemical ¹⁸ O-fractionation factor and mesophyll resistance in ¹³ C-discrimination were critical. Interpreting leaf-level isotopic signals requires understanding on time integration caused by mixing in the needle sugar pool.

Selectivity in Enzymatic Phosphorus Recycling from Biopolymers: Isotope Effect, Reactivity Kinetics, and Molecular Docking with Fungal and Plant Phosphatases

Among ubiquitous phosphorus (P) reserves in environmental matrices are ribonucleic acid (RNA) and polyphosphate (polyP), which are, respectively, organic and inorganic P-containing biopolymers. Relevant to P recycling from these biopolymers, much remains unknown about the kinetics and mechanisms of different acid phosphatases (APs) secreted by plants and soil microorganisms. Here we investigated RNA and polyP dephosphorylation by two common APs, a plant purple AP (PAP) from sweet potato and a fungal phytase from Aspergillus niger. Trends of δ¹⁸O values in released orthophosphate during each enzyme-catalyzed reaction in ¹⁸O-water implied a different extent of reactivity. Subsequent enzyme kinetics experiments revealed that A. niger phytase had 10-fold higher maximum rate for polyP dephosphorylation than the sweet potato PAP, whereas the sweet potato PAP dephosphorylated RNA at a 6-fold faster rate than A. niger phytase. Both enzymes had up to 3 orders of magnitude lower reactivity for RNA than for polyP. We determined a combined phosphodiesterase-monoesterase mechanism for RNA and terminal phosphatase mechanism for polyP using high-resolution mass spectrometry and ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance, respectively. Molecular modeling with eight plant and fungal AP structures predicted substrate binding interactions consistent with the relative reactivity kinetics. Our findings implied a hierarchy in enzymatic P recycling from P-polymers by phosphatases from different biological origins, thereby influencing the relatively longer residence time of RNA versus polyP in environmental matrices. This research further sheds light on engineering strategies to enhance enzymatic recycling of biopolymer-derived P, in addition to advancing environmental predictions of this P recycling by plants and microorganisms.

The lifestyle of Tuyuhun royal descendants: Identification and chemical analysis of buried plants in the Chashancun cemetery, northwest China

The Tuyuhun Kingdom (AD 313-663) was one of the most famous regimes in northwest China during the early medieval period. However, the lifestyle and spiritual pursuit of their descendants who became allied with the Tang Dynasty remain enigmatic. The excavation of the Chashancun cemetery, a Tuyuhun royal descendant (AD 691) cemetery in the Qilian Mountains in northwest China, reveals a large amount of uncharred plant remains. These remains provided a rare opportunity to explore the geographical origin of the buried crops and their social implications. In total, 253,647 crops and 12,071 weeds were identified. Foxtail millet and broomcorn millet represent 61.99 and 30.83% of the total plant remains, with the rest being barley, buckwheat, beans, and hemp. The oxygen isotope and trace elements of the crop and weed remains suggest that broomcorn millet, foxtail millet, barley, buckwheat, and hemp were sourced from different regions. The assemblage of plant remains in the Chashancun cemetery suggests that millet cultivation played an important role in the livelihoods of Tuyuhun descendants, and the location of the elite Tuyuhun cemetery and multisources of different buried crops may reflect their memory of ancestors and homelands. This case study provides a unique perspective to understand the interactions among human subsistence strategy, geopolitical patterns, and local natural environments in northwest China during the late 7th century.

Garnet secondary ion mass spectrometry oxygen isotopes reveal crucial roles of pulsed magmatic fluid and its mixing with meteoric water in lode gold genesis

SignificanceThere is a common consensus that lode gold deposits mostly precipitated from metamorphic fluids via fluid boiling and/or fluid-rock interaction, but whether magmatic hydrothermal fluids and the mixing of such fluids with an external component have played a vital role in the formation of lode gold deposits remains elusive. We use garnet secondary ion mass spectrometry oxygen isotope analysis to demonstrate that the world-class Dongping lode gold deposit has been formed by multiple pulses of magmatic hydrothermal fluids and their mixing with large volumes of meteoric water. This study opens an opportunity to tightly constrain the origin of lode gold deposits worldwide and other hydrothermal systems that may have generated giant ore deposits in the Earth's crust.

The effects on isotopic composition of leaf water and transpiration of adding a gas-exchange cuvette

An expression was earlier derived for the non-steady state isotopic composition of a leaf when the composition of the water entering the leaf was not necessarily the same as that of the water being transpired (Farquhar and Cernusak 2005). This was relevant to natural conditions because the associated time constant is typically sufficiently long to ensure that the leaf water composition and fluxes of the isotopologues are rarely steady. With the advent of laser-based measurements of isotopologues, leaves have been enclosed in cuvettes and time courses of fluxes recorded. The enclosure modifies the time constant by effectively increasing the resistance to the one-way gross flux out of the stomata because transpiration increases the vapour concentration within the chamber. The resistance is increased from stomatal and boundary layer in series, to stomata, boundary layer and chamber resistance, where the latter is given by the ratio of leaf area to the flow rate out of the chamber. An apparent change in concept from one-way to net flux, introduced by Song, Simonin, Loucos and Barbour (2015) is resolved, and shown to be unnecessary, but the value of their data is reinforced.

A high-resolution record of early Paleozoic climate

The spatial coverage and temporal resolution of the Early Paleozoic paleoclimate record are limited, primarily due to the paucity of well-preserved skeletal material commonly used for oxygen-isotope paleothermometry. Bulk-rock [Formula: see text] datasets can provide broader coverage and higher resolution, but are prone to burial alteration. We assess the diagenetic character of two thick Cambro-Ordovician carbonate platforms with minimal to moderate burial by pairing clumped and bulk isotope analyses of micritic carbonates. Despite resetting of the clumped-isotope thermometer at both sites, our samples indicate relatively little change to their bulk [Formula: see text] due to low fluid exchange. Consequently, both sequences preserve temporal trends in [Formula: see text] Motivated by this result, we compile a global suite of bulk rock [Formula: see text] data, stacking overlapping regional records to minimize diagenetic influences on overall trends. We find good agreement of bulk rock [Formula: see text] with brachiopod and conodont [Formula: see text] trends through time. Given evidence that the [Formula: see text] value of seawater has not evolved substantially through the Phanerozoic, we interpret this record as primarily reflecting changes in tropical, nearshore seawater temperatures and only moderately modified by diagenesis. Focusing on the samples with the most enriched, and thus likely least-altered, [Formula: see text] values, we reconstruct Late Cambrian warming, Early Ordovician extreme warmth, and cooling around the Early-Middle Ordovician boundary. Our record is consistent with models linking the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event to cooling of previously very warm tropical oceans. In addition, our high-temporal-resolution record suggests previously unresolved transient warming and climate instability potentially associated with Late Ordovician tectonic events.

[Analysis of Nitrogen Pollution and Its Pollution Sources in the Muli River Basin]

To identify the sources of nitrogen pollutants in the Muli River basin in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, ammonium salt isotope tracer technology, nitrate isotope tracer technology, and a multiple linear mixing model were applied in this study to effectively identify the changes of nitrogen sources in the basin. The results showed that nitrogen pollution in the Muli River basin was serious, and the concentrations of NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^--N in the confluence were higher than in the two tributaries. In addition, although there was no obvious population residence at the upstream or downstream of the Muli River basin, higher nitrogen pollution still occurred at some sites (Dakengshan tributary and aquiculture area). Qualitative analysis of ammonium salt and nitrate isotopes showed that nitrogen pollution in the Muli River basin mainly came from soil, fertilizer, atmospheric particles, and animal and human excreta. The results of the multiple linear mixing model showed that the main source of nitrogen in the upper reaches of the Dakengshan tributary is atmospheric subsidence, with a contribution rate of about 80%. The average contribution rate of soil organic nitrogen in the upper reaches of the Jilongkeng tributary was 33%, higher than those of the Dakengshan tributary (9%) and Muli River (24%). The contribution rate of sewage and manure to nitrogen pollution was up to 70% in the lower reaches of the Dakengshan tributary, the lower reaches of the Jilongkeng tributary, and the middle and upper reaches of the Muli River. In addition, while all forms of livestock and poultry farming and aquiculture activity were stopped, the contribution rate of sewage and manure in Yangzhiqu was found to be still as high as 56%, which is much higher than that at the Danshui River Dam section in the lower part of the Muli River (3%); this may be due to residual livestock waste in the sediment. This study qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed the nitrogen sources of the Muli River basin, which provids a theoretical basis for pollution source management in the Greater Bay Area.

The effect of temperature on sulfur and oxygen isotope fractionation by sulfate reducing bacteria (Desulfococcus multivorans)

Temperature influences microbiological growth and catabolic rates. Between 15 and 35 °C the growth rate and cell specific sulfate reduction rate of the sulfate reducing bacterium Desulfococcus multivorans increased with temperature. Sulfur isotope fractionation during sulfate reduction decreased with increasing temperature from 27.2 ‰ at 15 °C to 18.8 ‰ at 35 °C which is consistent with a decreasing reversibility of the metabolic pathway as the catabolic rate increases. Oxygen isotope fractionation, in contrast, decreased between 15 and 25 °C and then increased again between 25 and 35 °C, suggesting increasing reversibility in the first steps of the sulfate reducing pathway at higher temperatures. This points to a decoupling in the reversibility of sulfate reduction between the steps from the uptake of sulfate into the cell to the formation of sulfite, relative to the whole pathway from sulfate to sulfide. This observation is consistent with observations of increasing sulfur isotope fractionation when sulfate reducing bacteria are living near their upper temperature limit. The oxygen isotope decoupling may be a first signal of changing physiology as the bacteria cope with higher temperatures.

Stable H-O Isotopic Composition and Water Quality Assessment of Surface Water and Groundwater: A Case Study in the Dabie Mountains, Central China

In order to understand the water cycle and assess the water quality for irrigation purposes in the Upper Pi River Basin (UPRB), which is the northern slope of the Dabie Mountains, 68 surface water and groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for H-O isotopes and hydrochemistry during the high-flow season in 2017 and 2018. The results show that ranges of hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition (δ²H: −68.8‰ to −40.8‰, δ¹⁸O: −10.05‰ to −5.05‰) are controlled by the medium latitude and high altitude of the UPRB. Among different types of water, the δ²H and δ¹⁸O values can be ordered as follows: reservoir water < spring water ≈ river water < pond water. The water of the upstream medium and small reservoir is enriched with lighter isotopes that is likely related to more exchange with rainwater and less residence time; however, large reservoirs are similar to the upstream river and spring in terms of the H-O isotopic composition. Hydro-chemical facies are dominated by the Ca-HCO₃ type in the UPRB, which reflects fresh recharged water from rainfall, and few samples are of the Ca-Cl type that is caused by intensive evaporation. The water quality for irrigation purposes was also evaluated. According to the Wilcox diagram, United States Salinity Laboratory (USSL) diagram, magnesium hazard, and Kelly’s ratio, all water samples have been considered suitable for irrigation water.

[Response characteristics of soil water use patterns by different plants to precipitation in rocky mountainou areas.]

Water-use characteristics of plants are important for vegetation restoration in shallow earth-rock mountain area. In this study, soil and plant samples of Platycladus orientalis and corn were collected after rainfall events in Yingwugou watershed of Dan River to analyze the signatures of oxygen isotopes and the response of water use patterns to precipitation using stable isotope technology. The results showed that there were different response characteristics of the soil water utilization to precipitation between P. orientalis and corn. The root of P. orientalis mainly used the soil moisture from 10-30 cm layer, while corn mainly used that in the depth of 0-20 cm. The water absorption depth (WAP) of P. orientalis root decreased from 20-30 cm to 10-20 cm, while that of corn altered from 10-20 cm to 0-20 cm, when precipitation decreased from 29 mm to 8 mm. The WAP of P. orientalis gradually changed from deep to shallow soil, while the main WAP of corn increased from 10-20 cm to 0-20 cm, whenprecipitation decreased. The response of P. orientalis and corn to precipitation was very obvious.

Oxygen isotope analysis of bacterial and fungal manganese oxidation

The ability of micro-organisms to oxidize manganese (Mn) from Mn(II) to Mn(III/IV) oxides transcends boundaries of biological clade or domain. Many bacteria and fungi oxidize Mn(II) to Mn(III/IV) oxides directly through enzymatic activity or indirectly through the production of reactive oxygen species. Here, we determine the oxygen isotope fractionation factors associated with Mn(II) oxidation via various biotic (bacteria and fungi) and abiotic Mn(II) reaction pathways. As oxygen in Mn(III/IV) oxides may be derived from precursor water and molecular oxygen, we use a twofold approach to determine the isotope fractionation with respect to each oxygen source. Using both ¹⁸ O-labeled water and closed-system Rayleigh distillation approaches, we constrain the kinetic isotope fractionation factors associated with O atom incorporation during Mn(II) oxidation to -17.3‰ to -25.9‰ for O₂ and -1.9‰ to +1.8‰ for water. Results demonstrate that stable oxygen isotopes of Mn(III/IV) oxides have potential to distinguish between two main classes of biotic Mn(II) oxidation: direct enzymatic oxidation in which O₂ is the oxidant and indirect enzymatic oxidation in which superoxide is the oxidant. The fraction of Mn(III/IV) oxide-associated oxygen derived from water varies significantly (38%-62%) among these bio-oxides with only weak relationship to Mn oxidation state, suggesting Mn(III) disproportionation may account for differences in the fraction of mineral-bound oxygen from water and O₂ . Additionally, direct incorporation of molecular O₂ suggests that Mn(III/IV) oxides contain a yet untapped proxy of δ18OO2 of environmental O₂ , a parameter reflecting the integrated influence of global respiration, photorespiration, and several other biogeochemical reactions of global significance.

Oxygen isotope composition of the Phanerozoic ocean and a possible solution to the dolomite problem

The ¹⁸O/¹⁶O of calcite fossils increased by ∼8‰ between the Cambrian and present. It has long been controversial whether this change reflects evolution in the δ¹⁸O of seawater, or a decrease in ocean temperatures, or greater extents of diagenesis of older strata. Here, we present measurements of the oxygen and ‟clumped" isotope compositions of Phanerozoic dolomites and compare these data with published oxygen isotope studies of carbonate rocks. We show that the δ¹⁸O values of dolomites and calcite fossils of similar age overlap one another, suggesting they are controlled by similar processes. Clumped isotope measurements of Cambrian to Pleistocene dolomites imply crystallization temperatures of 15-158 °C and parent waters having δ¹⁸O_VSMOW values from -2 to +12‰. These data are consistent with dolomitization through sediment/rock reaction with seawater and diagenetically modified seawater, over timescales of 100 My, and suggest that, like dolomite, temporal variations of the calcite fossil δ¹⁸O record are largely driven by diagenetic alteration. We find no evidence that Phanerozoic seawater was significantly lower in δ¹⁸O than preglacial Cenozoic seawater. Thus, the fluxes of oxygen-isotope exchange associated with weathering and hydrothermal alteration reactions have remained stable throughout the Phanerozoic, despite major tectonic, climatic and biologic perturbations. This stability implies that a long-term feedback exists between the global rates of seafloor spreading and weathering. We note that massive dolomites have crystallized in pre-Cenozoic units at temperatures >40 °C. Since Cenozoic platforms generally have not reached such conditions, their thermal immaturity could explain their paucity of dolomites.

Validation of the doubly labeled water method using off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy and isotope ratio mass spectrometry

When the doubly labeled water (DLW) method is used to measure total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), isotope measurements are typically performed using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). New technologies, such as off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) provide comparable isotopic measurements of standard waters and human urine samples, but the accuracy of carbon dioxide production (V̇co₂) determined with OA-ICOS has not been demonstrated. We compared simultaneous measurement V̇co₂ obtained using whole-room indirect calorimetry (IC) with DLW-based measurements from IRMS and OA-ICOS. Seventeen subjects (10 female; 22 to 63 yr) were studied for 7 consecutive days in the IC. Subjects consumed a dose of 0.25 g H₂¹⁸O (98% APE) and 0.14 g ²H₂O (99.8% APE) per kilogram of total body water, and urine samples were obtained on days 1 and 8 to measure average daily V̇co₂ using OA-ICOS and IRMS. V̇co₂ was calculated using both the plateau and intercept methods. There were no differences in V̇co₂ measured by OA-ICOS or IRMS compared with IC when the plateau method was used. When the intercept method was used, V̇co₂ using OA-ICOS did not differ from IC, but V̇co₂ measured using IRMS was significantly lower than IC. Accuracy (~1-5%), precision (~8%), intraclass correlation coefficients ( R = 0.87-90), and root mean squared error (30-40 liters/day) of V̇co₂ measured by OA-ICOS and IRMS were similar. Both OA-ICOS and IRMS produced measurements of V̇co₂ with comparable accuracy and precision compared with IC.

Collagen proteins exchange O with demineralisation and gelatinisation reagents and also with atmospheric moisture

RATIONALE

The oxygen isotope composition of collagen proteins is a potential indicator of adult residential location, useful for provenancing in ecology, archaeology and forensics. In acidic solution, proteins can exchange O from carboxylic acid moieties with reagent O. This study investigated whether this exchange occurs during demineralisation and gelatinisation preparation of bone/ivory collagen.

METHODS

EDTA and HCl demineralisation or gelatinisation reagents were made up in waters with different δ¹⁸ O values, and were used to extract collagen from four skeletal tissue samples. Aliquots of extracted collagen were exposed to two different atmospheric waters, at 120°C and ambient temperature, and subsequently dried in a vacuum oven at 40°C or by freeze drying. Sample δ¹⁸ O values were measured by HT/EA pyrolysis-IRMS using a zero-blank autosampler.

RESULTS

Collagen samples exchanged O with both reagent waters and atmospheric water, which altered sample δ¹⁸ O values. Exchange with reagent waters occurred in all extraction methods, but was greater at lower pH. Damage to the collagen samples during extraction increased O exchange. The nature of exchange of O with atmospheric water depended on the temperature of exposure: kinetic fractionation of O was identified at 120°C but not at ambient temperature. Exchange was difficult to quantify due to high variability of δ¹⁸ O value between experimental replicates.

CONCLUSION

Studies of δ¹⁸ O values in collagen proteins should avoid extraction methods using acid solutions.

The δ18 O and δ2 H of water in the leaf growth-and-differentiation zone of grasses is close to source water in both humid and dry atmospheres

The oxygen and hydrogen isotope composition of water in the leaf growth-and-differentiation zone, LGDZ, (δ¹⁸ O_LGDZ , δ² H_LGDZ ) of grasses influences the isotopic composition of leaf cellulose (oxygen) and wax (hydrogen) - important for understanding (paleo)environmental and physiological information contained in these biological archives - but is presently unknown. This work determined δ¹⁸ O_LGDZ and δ² H_LGDZ , ¹⁸ O- and ² H-enrichment of LGDZ (∆¹⁸ O_LGDZ and ∆² H_LGDZ ), and the ¹⁸ O- and ² H-enrichment of leaf blade water (∆¹⁸ O_LW, ∆² H_LW ) in two C₃ and three C₄ grasses grown at high and low vapor pressure deficit (VPD). The proportion of unenriched water (p_x ) in the LGDZ ranged from 0.9 to 1.0 for ¹⁸ O and 1.0 to 1.2 for ² H. VPD had no effect on the proportion of ¹⁸ O- and ² H-enriched water in the LGDZ, and species effects were small or nonsignificant. Deuterium discrimination caused depletion of ² H in LGDZ water, increasing (apparent) p_x -values > 1.0 in some cases. The isotopic composition of water in the LGDZ was close to that of source water, independent of VPD and much less enriched than previously supposed, but similar to reported xylem water in trees. The well-constrained p_x will be useful in future investigations of oxygen and hydrogen isotopic fractionation during cellulose and wax synthesis, respectively.

Isotope signals and anatomical features in tree rings suggest a role for hydraulic strategies in diffuse drought-induced die-back of Pinus nigra

The 2003 and 2012 summer seasons were among the warmest and driest of the last 200 years over southeastern Europe, and in particular in the Karst region (northeastern Italy). Starting from winter-spring 2013, several black pines (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold) suffered crown die-back. Declining trees occurred nearby individuals with no signs of die-back, raising hypotheses about the occurrence of individual-specific hydraulic strategies underlying different responses to extreme drought. We investigated possible processes driving black pine decline by dendrochronological and wood anatomical measurements, coupled with analysis of tree-ring carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic composition in healthy trees (H) and trees suffering die-back (D). Die-back trees showed higher growth rates than H trees at the beginning of the last century, but suffered important growth reduction following the dry summers in 2003 and 2012. After the 2012 drought, D trees produced tracheids with larger diameter and greater vulnerability to implosion than H ones. Healthy trees had significantly higher wood δ13C than D trees, reflecting higher water-use efficiency for the surviving trees, i.e., less water transpired per unit carbon gain, which could be related to lower stomatal conductance and a more conservative use of water. Relatively high δ18O for D trees indicates that they were strongly dependent on shallow water sources, or that they sustained higher transpiration rates than H trees. Our results suggest that H trees adopted a more conservative water-use strategy under drought stress compared with D trees. We speculate that this diversity might have a genotypic basis, but other possible explanations, like different rooting depth, cannot be ruled out.

Significant Difference in Hydrogen Isotope Composition Between Xylem and Tissue Water in Populus Euphratica

Deuterium depletions between stem water and source water have been observed in coastal halophyte plants and in multiple species under greenhouse conditions. However, the location(s) of the isotope fractionation is not clear yet and it is uncertain whether deuterium fractionation appears in other natural environments. In this study, through two extensive field campaigns utilizing a common dryland riparian tree species Populus euphratica Oliv., we showed that no significant δ(18) O differences were found between water source and various plant components, in accord with previous studies. We also found that no deuterium fractionation occurred during P. euphratica water uptake by comparing the deuterium composition (δD) of groundwater and xylem sap. However, remarkable δD differences (up to 26.4‰) between xylem sap and twig water, root water and core water provided direct evidence that deuterium fractionation occurred between xylem sap and root or stem tissue water. This study indicates that deuterium fractionation could be a common phenomenon in drylands, which has important implications in plant water source identification, palaeoclimate reconstruction based on wood cellulose and evapotranspiration partitioning using δD of stem water.

Effects of prescribed burning on ecophysiological, anatomical and stem hydraulic properties in Pinus pinea L

Prescribed burning (PB) is a widespread management technique for wildfire hazard abatement. Understanding PB effects on tree ecophysiology is key to defining burn prescriptions aimed at reducing fire hazard in Mediterranean pine plantations, such as Pinus pinea L. stands. We assessed physiological responses of adult P. pinea trees to PB using a combination of dendroecological, anatomical, hydraulic and isotopic analyses. Tree-ring widths, xylem cell wall thickness, lumen area, hydraulic diameter and tree-ring δ(13)C and δ(18)O were measured in trees on burned and control sites. Vulnerability curves were elaborated to assess tree hydraulic efficiency or safety. Despite the relatively intense thermal treatment (the residence time of temperatures above 50 °C at the stem surface ranged between 242 and 2239 s), burned trees did not suffer mechanical damage to stems, nor significant reduction in radial growth. Moreover, the PB did not affect xylem structure and tree hydraulics. No variations in (13)C-derived water use efficiency were recorded. This confirmed the high resistance of P. pinea to surface fire at the stem base. However, burned trees showed consistently lower δ(18)O values in the PB year, as a likely consequence of reduced competition for water and nutrients due to the understory burning, which increased both photosynthetic activity and stomatal conductance. Our multi-approach analysis offers new perspectives on post-fire survival strategies of P. pinea in an environment where fires are predicted to increase in frequency and severity during the 21st century.

Leaf water oxygen isotope measurement by direct equilibration

The oxygen isotope composition of leaf water imparts a signal to a range of molecules in the atmosphere and biosphere, but has been notoriously difficult to measure in studies requiring a large number of samples as a consequence of the labour-intensive extraction step. We tested a method of direct equilibration of water in fresh leaf samples with CO2 , and subsequent oxygen isotope analysis on an optical spectrometer. The oxygen isotope composition of leaf water measured by the direct equilibration technique was strongly linearly related to that of cryogenically extracted leaf water in paired samples for a wide range of species with differing anatomy, with an R(2) of 0.95. The somewhat more enriched values produced by the direct equilibration method may reflect lack of full equilibration with unenriched water in the vascular bundles, but the strong relationship across a wide range of species suggests that this difference can be adequately corrected for using a simple linear relationship.

Online CO2 and H2 O oxygen isotope fractionation allows estimation of mesophyll conductance in C4 plants, and reveals that mesophyll conductance decreases as leaves age in both C4 and C3 plants

Mesophyll conductance significantly, and variably, limits photosynthesis but we currently have no reliable method of measurement for C4 plants. An online oxygen isotope technique was developed to allow quantification of mesophyll conductance in C4 plants and to provide an alternative estimate in C3 plants. The technique is compared to an established carbon isotope method in three C3 species. Mesophyll conductance of C4 species was similar to that in the C3 species measured, and declined in both C4 and C3 species as leaves aged from fully expanded to senescing. In cotton leaves, simultaneous measurement of carbon and oxygen isotope discrimination allowed the partitioning of total conductance to the chloroplasts into cell wall and plasma membrane versus chloroplast membrane components, if CO2 was assumed to be isotopically equilibrated with cytosolic water, and the partitioning remained stable with leaf age. The oxygen isotope technique allowed estimation of mesophyll conductance in C4 plants and, when combined with well-established carbon isotope techniques, may provide additional information on mesophyll conductance in C3 plants.

Response of Quercus velutina growth and water use efficiency to climate variability and nitrogen fertilization in a temperate deciduous forest in the northeastern USA

Nitrogen (N) deposition and changing climate patterns in the northeastern USA can influence forest productivity through effects on plant nutrient relations and water use. This study evaluates the combined effects of N fertilization, climate and rising atmospheric CO2on tree growth and ecophysiology in a temperate deciduous forest. Tree ring widths and stable carbon (δ(13)C) and oxygen (δ(18)O) isotopes were used to assess tree growth (basal area increment, BAI) and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) ofQuercus velutinaLamb., the dominant tree species in a 20+ year N fertilization experiment at Harvard Forest (MA, USA). We found that fertilized trees exhibited a pronounced and sustained growth enhancement relative to control trees, with the low- and high-N treatments responding similarly. All treatments exhibited improved iWUE over the study period (1984-2011). Intrinsic water use efficiency trends in the control trees were primarily driven by changes in stomatal conductance, while a stimulation in photosynthesis, supported by an increase in foliar %N, contributed to enhancing iWUE in fertilized trees. All treatments were predominantly influenced by growing season vapor pressure deficit (VPD), with BAI responding most strongly to early season VPD and iWUE responding most strongly to late season VPD. Nitrogen fertilization increasedQ. velutinasensitivity to July temperature and precipitation. Combined, these results suggest that ambient N deposition in N-limited northeastern US forests has enhanced tree growth over the past 30 years, while rising ambient CO2has improved iWUE, with N fertilization and CO2having synergistic effects on iWUE.

The impact of an inverse climate-isotope relationship in soil water on the oxygen-isotope composition of Larix gmelinii in Siberia

Stable oxygen isotope ratios (δ(18) O) in trees from high latitude ecosystems are valuable sources of information for recent and past environmental changes, but the interpretation is hampered by the complex hydrology of forests growing under permafrost conditions, where only a shallow layer of soil thaws in summer. We investigated larch trees (Larix gmelinii) at two sites with contrasting soil conditions in Siberia and determined δ(18) O of water from different soil depths, roots, twigs, and needles as well as δ(18) O of soluble carbohydrates regularly over two growing seasons. A comparison of results from the 2 yrs revealed an unexpected 'inverse' climate-isotope relationship, as dry and warm summer conditions resulted in lower soil and root δ(18) O values. This was due to a stronger uptake of isotopically depleted water pools originating from melted permafrost or previous winter snow. We developed a conceptual framework that considers the dependence of soil water profiles on climatic conditions for explaining δ(18) O in needle water, needle soluble carbohydrates and stem cellulose. The negative feedback of drought conditions on the source isotope value could explain decreasing tree-ring δ(18) O trends in a warming climate and is likely relevant in many ecosystems, where a soil isotope gradient with depth is observed.

Modelling non-steady-state isotope enrichment of leaf water in a gas-exchange cuvette environment

The combined use of a gas-exchange system and laser-based isotope measurement is a tool of growing interest in plant ecophysiological studies, owing to its relevance for assessing isotopic variability in leaf water and/or transpiration under non-steady-state (NSS) conditions. However, the current Farquhar & Cernusak (F&C) NSS leaf water model, originally developed for open-field scenarios, is unsuited for use in a gas-exchange cuvette environment where isotope composition of water vapour (δv ) is intrinsically linked to that of transpiration (δE ). Here, we modified the F&C model to make it directly compatible with the δv -δE dynamic characteristic of a typical cuvette setting. The resultant new model suggests a role of 'net-flux' (rather than 'gross-flux' as suggested by the original F&C model)-based leaf water turnover rate in controlling the time constant (τ) for the approach to steady sate. The validity of the new model was subsequently confirmed in a cuvette experiment involving cotton leaves, for which we demonstrated close agreement between τ values predicted from the model and those measured from NSS variations in isotope enrichment of transpiration. Hence, we recommend that our new model be incorporated into future isotope studies involving a cuvette condition where the transpiration flux directly influences δv . There is an increasing popularity among plant ecophysiologists to use a gas-exchange system coupled to laser-based isotope measurement for investigating non-steady state (NSS) isotopic variability in leaf water (and/or transpiration); however, the current Farquhar & Cernusak (F&C) NSS leaf water model is unsuited for use in a gas-exchange cuvette environment due to its implicit assumption of isotope composition of water vapor (δv ) being constant and independent of that of transpiration (δE ). In the present study, we modified the F&C model to make it compatible with the dynamic relationship between δv and δE as is typically associated with a cuvette setting. Using an experiment conducted on cotton leaves, we show that the modified NSS model performed well in predicting the time constant for the exponential approach of leaf water toward steady state under cuvette conditions. Such a result demonstrates the applicability of this new model to gas-exchange cuvette conditions where the transpiration flux directly influences δv , and therefore suggests the need to incorporate this model into future isotope studies that employ a laser-cuvette coupled system.

Effects of GC temperature and carrier gas flow rate on on-line oxygen isotope measurement as studied by on-column CO injection

Although deemed important to δ¹⁸ O measurement by on-line high-temperature conversion techniques, how the GC conditions affect δ¹⁸ O measurement is rarely examined adequately. We therefore directly injected different volumes of CO or CO-N₂ mix onto the GC column by a six-port valve and examined the CO yield, CO peak shape, CO-N₂ separation, and δ¹⁸ O value under different GC temperatures and carrier gas flow rates. The results show the CO peak area decreases when the carrier gas flow rate increases. The GC temperature has no effect on peak area. The peak width increases with the increase of CO injection volume but decreases with the increase of GC temperature and carrier gas flow rate. The peak intensity increases with the increase of GC temperature and CO injection volume but decreases with the increase of carrier gas flow rate. The peak separation time between N₂ and CO decreases with an increase of GC temperature and carrier gas flow rate. δ¹⁸ O value decreases with the increase of CO injection volume (when half m/z 28 intensity is <3 V) and GC temperature but is insensitive to carrier gas flow rate. On average, the δ¹⁸ O value of the injected CO is about 1‰ higher than that of identical reference CO. The δ¹⁸ O distribution pattern of the injected CO is probably a combined result of ion source nonlinearity and preferential loss of C¹⁶ O or oxygen isotopic exchange between zeolite and CO. For practical application, a lower carrier gas flow rate is therefore recommended as it has the combined advantages of higher CO yield, better N₂ -CO separation, lower He consumption, and insignificant effect on δ¹⁸ O value, while a higher-than-60 °C GC temperature and a larger-than-100 µl CO volume is also recommended. When no N₂ peak is expected, a higher GC temperature is recommended, and vice versa. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Measurements of transpiration isotopologues and leaf water to assess enrichment models in cotton

The two-pool and Péclet effect models represent two theories describing mechanistic controls underlying leaf water oxygen isotope composition at the whole-leaf level (δ(18) OL ). To test these models, we used a laser spectrometer coupled to a gas-exchange cuvette to make online measurements of δ(18) O of transpiration (δ(18) Otrans ) and transpiration rate (E) in 61 cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) leaves. δ(18) Otrans measurements permitted direct calculation of δ(18) O at the sites of evaporation (δ(18) Oe ) which, combined with values of δ(18) OL from the same leaves, allowed unbiased estimation of the proportional deviation of enrichment of δ(18) OL from that of δ(18) Oe (f) under both steady-state (SS) and non-steady-state (NSS) conditions. Among all leaves measured, f expressed relative to both δ(18) O of transpired water (ftrans ) and source water (fsw ) remained relatively constant with a mean ± SD of 0.11 ± 0.05 and 0.13 ± 0.05, respectively, regardless of variation in E spanning 0.8-9.1 mmol m(-2)  s(-1) . Neither ftrans nor fsw exhibited a significant difference between the SS and NSS leaves at the P < 0.05 level. Our results suggest that the simpler two-pool model is adequate for predicting cotton leaf water enrichment at the whole-leaf level. We discuss the implications of adopting a two-pool concept for isotopic applications in ecological studies.

Vertical habitat shift of viviparous and oviparous deep-sea cusk eels revealed by otolith microstructure and stable-isotope composition

Otolith stable-oxygen-isotope composition and microstructure were analysed in order to investigate the vertical habitat shift of deep-sea cusk eels (Ophidiiformes). Otolith δ¹⁸ O profiles suggested that both viviparous blind cusk eels and oviparous cusk eels experienced a pelagic larval stage and then settled to the deep-sea floor over a vertical distance that ranged among individuals from 200 to >1000 m. This result shows that the larvae of viviparous Barathronus maculatus undertake an ontogenetic vertical migration after a period of larval drift that may facilitate their wide distribution on the sea floor.

Turnover time of the non-structural carbohydrate pool influences δ18O of leaf cellulose

Certainty regarding the degree to which organic molecules exchange oxygen with local water during plant cellulose synthesis (p(ex)) is necessary for cellulose oxygen isotope (δ(18)O(cell))-based applications in environmental and ecological studies. However, the currently accepted notion that p(ex) is a constant of ca. 0.42 appears inconsistent with biochemical theory, which predicts that marked variation may be present in p(ex), in relation to variation in the turnover time (τ) of the carbohydrate pool available for cellulose synthesis. The above prediction was tested in the present study with the analysis of data collected from leaves of Ricinus communis grown in controlled environmental conditions that varied in light intensity and vapour pressure deficit. The results revealed the existence of considerable variation in both p(ex) and τ across plants in the various growth environments. Moreover, despite uncertainties in estimates of the proportion of source water in the synthesis water (p(x)) and of the biochemical fractionation factor (ε(o)), our experiment yielded strong evidence that p(ex) exhibits a significant, positive relationship with τ, consistent with biochemical theory. The observed variation in p(ex) in association with τ has important implications for the interpretation of δ(18)O(cell) data in environmental/ecological studies.

Nitrate dynamics in natural plants: insights based on the concentration and natural isotope abundances of tissue nitrate

The dynamics of nitrate (NO(-) 3), a major nitrogen (N) source for natural plants, has been studied mostly through experimental N addition, enzymatic assay, isotope labeling, and genetic expression. However, artificial N supply may not reasonably reflect the N strategies in natural plants because NO(-) 3 uptake and reduction may vary with external N availability. Due to abrupt application and short operation time, field N addition, and isotopic labeling hinder the elucidation of in situ NO(-) 3-use mechanisms. The concentration and natural isotopes of tissue NO(-) 3 can offer insights into the plant NO(-) 3 sources and dynamics in a natural context. Furthermore, they facilitate the exploration of plant NO(-) 3 utilization and its interaction with N pollution and ecosystem N cycles without disturbing the N pools. The present study was conducted to review the application of the denitrifier method for concentration and isotope analyses of NO(-) 3 in plants. Moreover, this study highlights the utility and advantages of these parameters in interpreting NO(-) 3 sources and dynamics in natural plants. We summarize the major sources and reduction processes of NO(-) 3 in plants, and discuss the implications of NO(-) 3 concentration in plant tissues based on existing data. Particular emphasis was laid on the regulation of soil NO(-) 3 and plant ecophysiological functions in interspecific and intra-plant NO(-) 3 variations. We introduce N and O isotope systematics of NO(-) 3 in plants and discuss the principles and feasibilities of using isotopic enrichment and fractionation factors; the correlation between concentration and isotopes (N and O isotopes: δ(18)O and Δ(17)O); and isotope mass-balance calculations to constrain sources and reduction of NO(-) 3 in possible scenarios for natural plants are deliberated. Finally, we offer a preliminary framework of intraplant δ(18)O-NO(-) 3 variation, and summarize the uncertainties in using tissue NO(-) 3 parameters to interpret plant NO(-) 3 utilization.

Freshwater fluxes in the Weddell Gyre: results from δ18O

Full-depth measurements of δ(18)O from 2008 to 2010 enclosing the Weddell Gyre in the Southern Ocean are used to investigate the regional freshwater budget. Using complementary salinity, nutrients and oxygen data, a four-component mass balance was applied to quantify the relative contributions of meteoric water (precipitation/glacial input), sea-ice melt and saline (oceanic) sources. Combination of freshwater fractions with velocity fields derived from a box inverse analysis enabled the estimation of gyre-scale budgets of both freshwater types, with deep water exports found to dominate the budget. Surface net sea-ice melt and meteoric contributions reach 1.8% and 3.2%, respectively, influenced by the summer sampling period, and -1.7% and +1.7% at depth, indicative of a dominance of sea-ice production over melt and a sizable contribution of shelf waters to deep water mass formation. A net meteoric water export of approximately 37 mSv is determined, commensurate with local estimates of ice sheet outflow and precipitation, and the Weddell Gyre is estimated to be a region of net sea-ice production. These results constitute the first synoptic benchmarking of sea-ice and meteoric exports from the Weddell Gyre, against which future change associated with an accelerating hydrological cycle, ocean climate change and evolving Antarctic glacial mass balance can be determined.

Increased water-use efficiency does not lead to enhanced tree growth under xeric and mesic conditions

Higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations (c(a)) can under certain conditions increase tree growth by enhancing photosynthesis, resulting in an increase of intrinsic water-use efficiency (i WUE) in trees. However, the magnitude of these effects and their interactions with changing climatic conditions are still poorly understood under xeric and mesic conditions. We combined radial growth analysis with intra- and interannual δ(13)C and δ(18)O measurements to investigate growth and physiological responses of Larix decidua, Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra and Pseudotsuga menziesii in relation to rising c(a) and changing climate at a xeric site in the dry inner Alps and at a mesic site in the Swiss lowlands. (i)WUE increased significantly over the last 50 yr by 8-29% and varied depending on species, site water availability, and seasons. Regardless of species and increased (i)WUE, radial growth has significantly declined under xeric conditions, whereas growth has not increased as expected under mesic conditions. Overall, drought-induced stomatal closure has reduced transpiration at the cost of reduced carbon uptake and growth. Our results indicate that, even under mesic conditions, the temperature-induced drought stress has overridden the potential CO2 'fertilization' on tree growth, hence challenging today's predictions of improved forest productivity of temperate forests.

Drought response of five conifer species under contrasting water availability suggests high vulnerability of Norway spruce and European larch

The ability of tree species to cope with anticipated decrease in water availability is still poorly understood. We evaluated the potential of Norway spruce, Scots pine, European larch, black pine, and Douglas-fir to withstand drought in a drier future climate by analyzing their past growth and physiological responses at a xeric and a mesic site in Central Europe using dendroecological methods. Earlywood, latewood, and total ring width, as well as the δ(13) C and δ(18) O in early- and latewood were measured and statistically related to a multiscalar soil water deficit index from 1961 to 2009. At the xeric site, δ(13) C values of all species were strongly linked to water deficits that lasted longer than 11 months, indicating a long-term cumulative effect on the carbon pool. Trees at the xeric site were particularly sensitive to soil water recharge in the preceding autumn and early spring. The native species European larch and Norway spruce, growing close to their dry distribution limit at the xeric site, were found to be the most vulnerable species to soil water deficits. At the mesic site, summer water availability was critical for all species, whereas water availability prior to the growing season was less important. Trees at the mesic were more vulnerable to water deficits of shorter duration than the xeric site. We conclude that if summers become drier, trees growing on mesic sites will undergo significant growth reductions, whereas at their dry distribution limit in the Alps, tree growth of the highly sensitive spruce and larch may collapse, likely inducing dieback and compromising the provision of ecosystem services. However, the magnitude of these changes will be mediated strongly by soil water recharge in winter and thus water availability at the beginning of the growing season.

Identification of disulfide-linked peptides by isotope profiles produced by peptic digestion of proteins in 50% (18)O water

Determination of the disulfide-bond arrangement of a protein by characterization of disulfide-linked peptides in proteolytic digests may be complicated by resistance of the protein to specific proteases, disulfide interchange, and/or production of extremely complex mixtures by less specific proteolysis. In this study, mass spectrometry has been used to show that incorporation of (18)O into peptides during peptic digestion of disulfide-linked proteins in 50% (18)O water resulted in isotope patterns and increases in average masses that facilitated identification and characterization of disulfide-linked peptides even in complex mixtures, without the need for reference digests in 100% (16)O water. This is exemplified by analysis of peptic digests of model proteins lysozyme and ribonuclease A (RNaseA) by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS). Distinct isotope profiles were evident when two peptide chains were linked by disulfide bonds, provided one of the chains did not contain the C terminus of the protein. This latter class of peptide, and single-chain peptides containing an intrachain disulfide bond, could be identified and characterized by mass shifts produced by reduction. Reduction also served to confirm other assignments. Isotope profiling of peptic digests showed that disulfide-linked peptides were often enriched in the high molecular weight fractions produced by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) of the digests. Applicability of these procedures to analysis of a more complex disulfide-bond arrangement was shown with the hemagglutinin/neuraminidase of Newcastle disease virus.