loading page

Updating the dual C and O isotope – gas exchange model: A concept to understand plant responses to the environment and its implications for tree rings
  • +5
  • Rolf Siegwolf,
  • Marco Lehmann,
  • Gregory Goldsmith,
  • Olga Churakova (Sidorova),
  • Cathleen Mirande-Ney,
  • Galina Timofeeva,
  • Rosemarie Weigt,
  • Matthias Saurer
Rolf Siegwolf
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Marco Lehmann
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL
Author Profile
Gregory Goldsmith
Chapman University Schmid College of Science and Technology
Author Profile
Olga Churakova (Sidorova)
Siberian Federal University
Author Profile
Cathleen Mirande-Ney
Paul Scherrer Institute Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry
Author Profile
Galina Timofeeva
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Author Profile
Rosemarie Weigt
Paul Scherrer Institute Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry
Author Profile
Matthias Saurer
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL
Author Profile

Abstract

The combined study of C and O isotopes in plant organic matter has emerged as a powerful tool for understanding plant functional responses to environmental change. The approach relies on established relationships between leaf gas exchange and isotopic fractionation to derive a series of model scenarios that can be used to infer changes in photosynthetic assimilation and stomatal conductance driven by changes in environmental parameters (CO2, water availability, air humid-ity, temperature, nutrients). We review the mechanistic basis for a conceptual model, in light of recently published research, and discuss where isotopic observations don’t match our current understanding of plant physiological response to environment. We demonstrate that 1) the mod-el was applied successfully in many, but not all studies, 2), while originally conceived for leaf isotopes, the model has been applied extensively to tree ring isotopes in the context of tree physiology and dendrochronology. Where isotopic observations deviate from physiologically plau-sible conclusions, this mismatch between gas-exchange and isotope response provides valuable insights on underlying physiological processes. Overall, we found that isotope responses can be grouped into situations of increasing resource limitation versus higher resource availability. The dual isotope model helps to interpret plant responses to a multitude of environmental factors.
15 Nov 2022Submitted to Plant, Cell & Environment
16 Nov 2022Submission Checks Completed
16 Nov 2022Assigned to Editor
16 Nov 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
28 Nov 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
04 Feb 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
10 Mar 20231st Revision Received
11 Mar 2023Submission Checks Completed
11 Mar 2023Assigned to Editor
19 Mar 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
20 Mar 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
17 Apr 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
07 May 20232nd Revision Received
08 May 2023Submission Checks Completed
08 May 2023Assigned to Editor
12 May 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 May 2023Editorial Decision: Accept