Gregory R. Goldsmith

Discrepancies between isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy and isotope ratio mass spectrometry for the stable isotope analysis of plant and soil waters.

The use of isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy (IRIS) for the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope analysis of water is increasing. While IRIS has many advantages over traditional isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), it may also be prone to errors that do not impact upon IRMS analyses. Of particular concern is the potential for contaminants in the water sample to interfere with the spectroscopy, thus leading to erroneous stable isotope data. Water extracted from plant and soil samples may often contain organic contaminants. The extent to which contaminants may interfere with IRIS and thus impact upon data quality is presently unknown. We tested the performance of IRIS relative to IRMS for water extracted from 11 plant species and one organic soil horizon. IRIS deviated considerably from IRMS for over half of the samples tested, with deviations as large as 46 per thousand (delta(2)H) and 15.4 per thousand (delta(18)O) being measured. This effect was reduced somewhat by using activated charcoal to remove organics from the water; however, deviations as large as 35 per thousand (delta(2)H) and 11.8 per thousand (delta(18)O) were still measured for these cleaned samples. Interestingly, the use of activated charcoal to clean water samples had less effect than previously thought for IRMS analyses. Our data show that extreme caution is required when using IRIS to analyse water samples that may contain organic contaminants. We suggest that the development of new cleaning techniques for removing organic contaminants together with instrument-based software to flag potentially problematic samples are necessary to ensure accurate plant and soil water analyses using IRIS.

Plant functional types do not predict biomass responses to removal and fertilization in Alaskan tussock tundra

Plant communities in natural ecosystems are changing and species are being lost due to anthropogenic impacts including global warming and increasing nitrogen (N) deposition. We removed dominant species, combinations of species and entire functional types from Alaskan tussock tundra, in the presence and absence of fertilization, to examine the effects of non-random species loss on plant interactions and ecosystem functioning. After 6 years, growth of remaining species had compensated for biomass loss due to removal in all treatments except the combined removal of moss, Betula nana and Ledum palustre (MBL), which removed the most biomass. Total vascular plant production returned to control levels in all removal treatments, including MBL. Inorganic soil nutrient availability, as indexed by resins, returned to control levels in all unfertilized removal treatments, except MBL. Although biomass compensation occurred, the species that provided most of the compensating biomass in any given treatment were not from the same functional type (growth form) as the removed species. This provides empirical evidence that functional types based on effect traits are not the same as functional types based on response to perturbation. Calculations based on redistributing N from the removed species to the remaining species suggested that dominant species from other functional types contributed most of the compensatory biomass. Fertilization did not increase total plant community biomass, because increases in graminoid and deciduous shrub biomass were offset by decreases in evergreen shrub, moss and lichen biomass. Fertilization greatly increased inorganic soil nutrient availability. In fertilized removal treatments, deciduous shrubs and graminoids grew more than expected based on their performance in the fertilized intact community, while evergreen shrubs, mosses and lichens all grew less than expected. Deciduous shrubs performed better than graminoids when B. nana was present, but not when it had been removed. Synthesis. Terrestrial ecosystem response to warmer temperatures and greater nutrient availability in the Arctic may result in vegetative stable-states dominated by either deciduous shrubs or graminoids. The current relative abundance of these dominant growth forms may serve as a predictor for future vegetation composition.

The incidence and implications of clouds for cloud forest plant water relations

Although clouds are the most recognisable and defining feature of tropical montane cloud forests, little research has focussed on how clouds affect plant functioning. We used satellite and ground-based observations to study cloud and leaf wetting patterns in contrasting tropical montane and pre-montane cloud forests. We then studied the consequences of leaf wetting for the direct uptake of water accumulated on leaf surfaces into the leaves themselves. During the dry season, the montane forest experienced higher precipitation, cloud cover and leaf wetting events of longer duration than the pre-montane forest. Leaf wetting events resulted in foliar water uptake in all species studied. The capacity for foliar water uptake differed significantly between the montane and pre-montane forest plant communities, as well as among species within a forest. Our results indicate that foliar water uptake is common in these forest plants and improves plant water status during the dry season.

Foggy days and dry nights determine crown‐level water balance in a seasonal tropical montane cloud forest

The ecophysiology of tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) trees is influenced by crown-level microclimate factors including regular mist/fog water inputs, and large variations in evaporative demand, which in turn can significantly impact water balance. We investigated the effect of such microclimatic factors on canopy ecophysiology and branch-level water balance in the dry season of a seasonal TMCF in Veracruz, Mexico, by quantifying both water inputs (via foliar uptake, FU) and outputs (day- and night-time transpiration, NT). Measurements of sap flow, stomatal conductance, leaf water potential and pressure-volume relations were obtained in Quercus lanceifolia, a canopy-dominant tree species. Our results indicate that FU occurred 34% of the time and led to the recovery of 9% (24 ± 9.1 L) of all the dry-season water transpired from individual branches. Capacity for FU was independently verified for seven additional common tree species. NT accounted for approximately 17% (46 L) of dry-season water loss. There was a strong correlation between FU and the duration of leaf wetness events (fog and/or rain), as well as between NT and the night-time vapour pressure deficit. Our results show the clear importance of fog and NT for the canopy water relations of Q. lanceifolia.

Spectral analysis software improves confidence in plant and soil water stable isotope analyses performed by isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy (IRIS)

Previous studies have demonstrated the potential for large errors to occur when analyzing waters containing organic contaminants using isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy (IRIS). In an attempt to address this problem, IRIS manufacturers now provide post-processing spectral analysis software capable of identifying samples with the types of spectral interference that compromises their stable isotope analysis. Here we report two independent tests of this post-processing spectral analysis software on two IRIS systems, OA-ICOS (Los Gatos Research Inc.) and WS-CRDS (Picarro Inc.). Following a similar methodology to a previous study, we cryogenically extracted plant leaf water and soil water and measured the δ(2)H and δ(18)O values of identical samples by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and IRIS. As an additional test, we analyzed plant stem waters and tap waters by IRMS and IRIS in an independent laboratory. For all tests we assumed that the IRMS value represented the true value against which we could compare the stable isotope results from the IRIS methods. Samples showing significant deviations from the IRMS value (>2σ) were considered to be contaminated and representative of spectral interference in the IRIS measurement. Over the two studies, 83% of plant species were considered contaminated on OA-ICOS and 58% on WS-CRDS. Post-analysis, spectra were analyzed using the manufacturers spectral analysis software, in order to see if the software correctly identified contaminated samples. In our tests the software performed well, identifying all the samples with major errors. However, some false negatives indicate that user evaluation and testing of the software are necessary. Repeat sampling of plants showed considerable variation in the discrepancies between IRIS and IRMS. As such, we recommend that spectral analysis of IRIS data must be incorporated into standard post-processing routines. Furthermore, we suggest that the results from spectral analysis be included when reporting stable isotope data from IRIS.

The influence of species and growing conditions on the 18‐O enrichment of leaf water and its impact on ‘effective path length’

The stable oxygen isotope ratio (delta(18)O) of plant material has been shown to contain essential information on water and carbon fluxes at the plant and ecosystem scales. However, the effective path length (L(m)), a parameter introduced to leaf-water models still requires a comprehensive biological characterization to allow interpretation of delta(18)O values in plant material with confidence. Here, we tested the variability of L(m) across and within three species that developed leaves in environments with different relative humidity. We also tested whether the L(m) of fully developed leaves is affected by short-term fluctuations in relative humidity. We determined that significant differences in L(m) exist among Phaseolus vulgaris, Rizinus communis and Helianthus annuus. Within a given species, however, L(m) values did not differ significantly among individuals. These findings indicate that L(m) is species specific and a relatively constant parameter and that L(m) will not obscure the interpretation of delta(18)O values in plant material of a given species. We urge caution, however, because values for L(m) are derived from fitting leaf-water models to measured values of delta(18)O, so care must be taken in assigning a cause to values of L(m) as they likely capture a combination of different biological leaf properties.

Evidence for arrested succession within a tropical forest fragment in Singapore

∗ Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA †National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State St., Suite 300, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA ‡ Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama §Center for Tropical Forest Science – Arnold Arboretum, Asia Programme/Natural Sciences and Science Education, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616, Singapore (Accepted 3 January 2011)

Clonal Diversity in an Expanding Community of Arctic Salix spp. and a Model for Recruitment Modes of Arctic Plants

Abstract Rapid climate change in arctic environments is leading to a widespread expansion in woody deciduous shrub populations. However, little is known about the reproductive, dispersal, and establishment mechanisms associated with shrub expansion. It is assumed that harsh environmental conditions impose limitations on plant sexual reproduction in the Arctic, such that population survival and expansion is predominately a function of clonal recruitment. We present contrary evidence from microsatellite genetic data suggesting the prevalence of recruitment by seed. Further, we present a conceptual model describing modes of recruitment in relation to the abiotic environment. Climate change may be alleviating abiotic stress so that resources are available for more frequent recruitment by seed. Such changes have widespread implications for ecosystem structure and functioning, including species composition, wildlife habitat, biogeochemical cycling, and surface energy balance.

Intensive research activity alters short-term seedling dynamics in a tropical forest

Researchers can have unintentional, yet significant effects on their study systems. We tested for the effects of an intensive tree census on seedling dynamics in a 50-ha permanent forest plot on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. At the community level, and for different shade-tolerance guilds, we found no significant differences in seedling recruitment or survival inside compared to controls outside the plot. However, among growth forms, canopy trees and lianas exhibited significantly lower seedling survival inside the plot. Results suggest that intense researcher activity impacts short-term vegetation dynamics, but effects do not accumulate over time.