Stable isotope views on ecosystem function: challenging or challenged?
Stable isotopes and their potential for detecting various and complex ecosystem processes are attracting an increasing number of scientists. Progress is challenging, particularly under global change scenarios, but some established views have been challenged. The IX meeting of the Spanish Association of Terrestrial Ecology (AAET, Ubeda, 18-22 October 2009) hosted a symposium on the ecology of stable isotopes where the linear mixing model approach of partitioning sinks and sources of carbon and water fluxes within an ecosystem was challenged, and new applications of stable isotopes for the study of plant interactions were evaluated. Discussion was also centred on the need for networks that monitor ecological processes using stable isotopes and key ideas for fostering future research with isotopes.
Resco
Víctor
V
Centro de Investigación del Fuego, Fundación General del Medio Ambiente de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain. victor.resco@uclm.es
Querejeta
José I
JI
Ogle
Kiona
K
Voltas
Jordi
J
Sebastià
Maria-Teresa
MT
Serrano-Ortiz
Penélope
P
Linares
Juan C
JC
Moreno-Gutiérrez
Cristina
C
Herrero
Asier
A
Carreira
José A
JA
Torres-Cañabate
Patricia
P
Valladares
Fernando
F
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D007554:Isotopes; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water
D007554:Isotopes; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D014867:Water; D002245:Carbon Dioxide