Intra-specific association between carbon isotope composition and productivity in woody plants: A meta-analysis.
The study of intra-specific variations in growth and plant physiological response to drought is crucial to understand the potential for plant adaptation to global change. Carbon isotope composition (δ(13)C) in plant tissues offers an integrated measure of intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi). The intra-specific association between δ(13)C and productivity has been extensively studied in herbaceous crops, but species-specific information on woody plants is still limited and has so far provided contradictory results. In this work we explored the general patterns of the relationship between δ(13)C and growth traits (height, diameter and biomass) using a meta-analysis. We compiled information from 49 articles, including 176 studies performed on 34 species from 16 genera. We found a positive global intra-specific correlation between δ(13)C and growth (Gr=0.28, P<0.0001), stronger for biomass than for height, and non-significant for diameter. The extent of this intra-specific association increased from Mediterranean to subtropical, temperate and boreal biomes, i.e. from water-limited to energy-limited environments. Conifers and shrubs, but not broadleaves, showed consistent positive intra-specific correlations. The meta-analysis also revealed that the relationship between δ(13)C and growth is better characterized at juvenile stages, under near-optimal and controlled conditions, and by analyzing δ(13)C in leaves rather than in wood.
Department of Crop and Forest Sciences-AGROTECNIO Center, University of Lleida, E-25198 Lleida, Spain.
Most Jannatul
MJ
Fardusi
Department of Crop and Forest Sciences-AGROTECNIO Center, University of Lleida, E-25198 Lleida, Spain. Electronic address: pitter.ferrio@pvcf.udl.es.
Juan Pedro
JP
Ferrio
Department of Mathematics-AGROTECNIO Center, University of Lleida, E-25198 Lleida, Spain.
Carles
C
Comas
Department of Crop and Forest Sciences-AGROTECNIO Center, University of Lleida, E-25198 Lleida, Spain.
Jordi
J
Voltas
Department of Crop and Forest Sciences-AGROTECNIO Center, University of Lleida, E-25198 Lleida, Spain.
Víctor
V
Resco de Dios
Department of Crop and Forest Sciences-AGROTECNIO Center, University of Lleida, E-25198 Lleida, Spain.
Luis
L
Serrano
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D002980:Climate; D057231:Climate Change; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D055864:Droughts; D004777:Environment; D014644:Genetic Variation; D063245:Plant Development; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
D002244:Carbon
Biomass; Diameter; Genetic variation; Growth; Height; Water-use efficiency