Effects of environmental parameters, leaf physiological properties and leaf water relations on leaf water delta O-18 enrichment in different Eucalyptus species

Abstract

Stable oxygen isotope ratios (delta18O) have become a valuable tool in the plant and ecosystem sciences. The interpretation of delta18O values in plant material is, however, still complicated owing to the complex interactions among factors that influence leaf water enrichment. This study investigated the interplay among environmental parameters, leaf physiological properties and leaf water relations as drivers of the isotopic enrichment of leaf water across 17 Eucalyptus species growing in a common garden. We observed large differences in maximum daily leaf water delta18O across the 17 species. By fitting different leaf water models to these empirical data, we determined that differences in ..