title: Stable isotope views on ecosystem function: challenging or challenged?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación del Fuego, Fundación General del Medio Ambiente de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain. victor.resco@uclm.es
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Resco
authors.forename: José I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Querejeta
authors.forename: Kiona
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogle
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Voltas
authors.forename: Maria-Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Sebastià
authors.forename: Penélope
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Serrano-Ortiz
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Linares
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moreno-Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Asier
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herrero
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Carreira
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Torres-Cañabate
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valladares
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D007554:Isotopes; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D007554:Isotopes; D010103:Oxygen Isotopes; D014867:Water; D002245:Carbon Dioxide