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Examining the response of needle carbohydrates from S iberian larch trees to climate using compound‐specific δ 13 C and concentration analyses
Author(s) -
Rinne K. T.,
Saurer M.,
Kirdyanov A. V.,
Bryukhanova M. V.,
Prokushkin A. S.,
Churakova Sidorova O. V.,
Siegwolf R. T. W.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/pce.12554
Subject(s) - larch , larix gmelinii , isotopes of carbon , δ13c , isotope , isotope analysis , growing season , carbon 13 , chemistry , stable isotope ratio , fructose , permafrost , phenology , sucrose , botany , environmental chemistry , biology , ecology , total organic carbon , food science , physics , quantum mechanics
Little is known about the dynamics of concentrations and carbon isotope ratios of individual carbohydrates in leaves in response to climatic and physiological factors. Improved knowledge of the isotopic ratio in sugars will enhance our understanding of the tree ring isotope ratio and will help to decipher environmental conditions in retrospect more reliably. Carbohydrate samples from larch ( L arix gmelinii ) needles of two sites in the continuous permafrost zone of Siberia with differing growth conditions were analysed with the C ompound‐ S pecific I sotope A nalysis ( CSIA ). We compared concentrations and carbon isotope values (δ 13 C ) of sucrose, fructose, glucose and pinitol combined with phenological data. The results for the variability of the needle carbohydrates show high dynamics with distinct seasonal characteristics between and within the studied years with a clear link to the climatic conditions, particularly vapour pressure deficit. Compound‐specific differences in δ 13 C values as a response to climate were detected. The δ 13 C of pinitol, which contributes up to 50% of total soluble carbohydrates, was almost invariant during the whole growing season. Our study provides the first in‐depth characterization of compound‐specific needle carbohydrate isotope variability, identifies involved mechanisms and shows the potential of such results for linking tree physiological responses to different climatic conditions.