A new stable isotope approach identifies the fate of ozone in plant-soil systems

Sylvia Toet, Jens-Arne Subke, David D'Haese, Mike R. Ashmore, Lisa D. Emberson, Zoe Crossman, Richard P. Evershed, Jeremy D. Barnes, Phil Ineson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We show that the stable isotope O-18 can be used to trace ozone into different components of the plant-soil system at environmentally relevant concentrations.

We exposed plants and soils to O-18-labelled ozone and used isotopic enrichment in plant dry matter, leaf water and leaf apoplast, as well as in soil dry matter and soil water, to identify sites of ozone-derived O-18 accumulation.

It was shown that isotopic accumulation rates in plants can be used to infer the location of primary ozone-reaction sites, and that those in bare soils are dependent on water content. However, the isotopic accumulation rates measured in leaf tissue were much lower than the modelled stomatal flux of ozone.

Our new approach has considerable potential to elucidate the fate and reactions of ozone within both plants and soils, at scales ranging from plant communities to cellular defence mechanisms.

New Phytologist (2009) 182: 85-90doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02780.x.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)85-90
Number of pages6
JournalNew Phytologist
Volume182
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2009

Keywords

  • O-18
  • apoplast
  • deposition
  • flux
  • ozone
  • stable isotope
  • TRIFOLIUM-REPENS
  • ASCORBIC-ACID
  • VEGETATION
  • CONDUCTANCE
  • CLIMATE
  • FLUXES
  • LEVEL
  • TREES
  • WATER

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