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Can variation in canopy \(\delta\)13C be attributed to changes in tree height? An investigation of three conifer species

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Evidence supporting hydraulic limitation hypothesis was found using foliar δ13C in combination with nitrogen content per unit leaf area and statistical partitioning for three conifer species.

Abstract

One theory behind the productivity decline of mature forests is the hydraulic limitation hypothesis (HLH); leaf-level gas exchange is reduced with increasing forest canopy height via increased hydraulic resistance in the xylem pathway, which in turn limits photosynthesis via stomatal regulation. Foliar \(\delta\)13C can be used to assess the HLH as it reflects the history of leaf-level gas exchange. However, this method should be used with caution as co-varying factors, including light levels and foliar nutrient status, can also influence foliar \(\delta\)13C. We explore the potential use of foliar \(\delta\)13C to assess leaf-level hydraulic limitation using three coniferous species across three height classes (short, intermediate and tall) in northern Idaho, USA. Foliar samples were collected from multiple canopy locations varying in height from each height class to measure \(\delta\)13C of bulk foliar materials as well as sugar and starch extracted from the samples. We also quantified nitrogen content per unit leaf area (Narea) as an integrated measure of nutrient status and light environment of a given foliar sample, which can partly account for various non-stomatal limitations for photosynthesis, and thus affect foliar \(\delta\)13C. Using sequential ANOVAs, we tested the hypothesis that foliar \(\delta\)13C variation was attributable to foliar sample height changes after accounting for Narea. The hypothesis was supported by analyses using foliage samples from the top canopy location across the three height classes for each conifer species, especially for bulk foliage and extracted sugar. In conclusion, we found evidence supporting the HLH using foliar \(\delta\)13C from three conifer species.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Priest River Experimental Forest for allowing us to establish our research sites and for use of their facilities. We are indebted to our sawyer Dana Townsend and to Benjamin Miller for assistance in processing foliar samples. We also thank Bob Brander and Idaho Stable Isotopes Laboratory, as well as Dr. Ray Lee and his lab at Washington State University for isotopic sample analysis. Thanks to John Marshall, Jodi Johnson-Maynard, and Alan Black for providing thoughtful comments on this manuscript, and three anonymous reviewers whose suggestions greatly improved the article.

Funding

This research was funded with a grant from McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program (Grant number: 0199175: Seasonal changes in water use across forest stands of differing age and height at the Priest River Experimental Forest) awarded to KLK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83871, USA

    Akihiro Koyama, Alisa D. Schotzko, Jessica L. Schedlbauer, Robert Pangle & Kathleen L. Kavanagh

  2. Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, Natural Resources Building, 480 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824-6402, USA

    Akihiro Koyama

  3. Idaho Department of Land, Troy, ID, 83823, USA

    Alisa D. Schotzko

  4. Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA, 19383, USA

    Jessica L. Schedlbauer

  5. Rubisco Research and Consulting, Boulder, CO, 80305, USA

    Robert Pangle

  6. College of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331-5704, USA

    Kathleen L. Kavanagh

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  1. Akihiro Koyama
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  2. Alisa D. Schotzko
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  3. Jessica L. Schedlbauer
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  4. Robert Pangle
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  5. Kathleen L. Kavanagh
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Correspondence to Akihiro Koyama.

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Koyama, A., Schotzko, A.D., Schedlbauer, J.L. et al. Can variation in canopy \(\delta\)13C be attributed to changes in tree height? An investigation of three conifer species. Trees 35, 731–748 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-020-02069-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-020-02069-5

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