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Altitudinal trends of leaf δ 13 C follow different patterns across a mountainous terrain in north China characterized by a temperate semi‐humid climate
Author(s) -
Wang Guoan,
Zhou Liping,
Liu Min,
Han Jiamao,
Guo Jingheng,
Faiia Anthony,
Su Fang
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.4543
Subject(s) - temperate climate , chemistry , terrain , physical geography , atmospheric sciences , forestry , geology , geography , botany , cartography , biology
Many studies have documented that the δ 13 C values of plants increase with altitude both on a global scale and locally in humid climates, while in semi‐arid areas the opposite trend has been found. The study reported herein was conducted in a mountainous area of China characterized by a temperate semi‐humid climate. The δ 13 C values of C 3 species do not exhibit a consistent variation along an altitudinal gradient and the observations suggest that the pattern of increasing δ 13 C with altitude cannot be generalized. In the study area, in addition to environmental factors such as changing air pressure and light, the interaction between temperature and plant water balance determines the δ 13 C‐altitude variations in C 3 plants. The δ 13 C of the leaves of C 4 plants is found to increase with altitude with a mean gradient of 0.9‰/km. The altitudinal trend of C 4 plants is attributed to the combined influences of water availability and other factors rather than temperature. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.