Stable Isotope Techniques in the Study of Biological Processes and Functioning of Ecosystems

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

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2. Fundamentals of Stable Isotope Chemistry and Measurement

   • Todd E. Dawson, Paul D. Brooks

   Pages 1-18

3. Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Plant Water-Use Efficiency

   • John S. Pate

   Pages 19-36

4. Extraction and Analysis of Plant Water for Deuterium Isotope Measurement and Application to Field Experiments

   • J. V. Turner, P. Farrington, V. Gailitis

   Pages 37-55

5. The Use of Stable Isotopes of Water for Determining Sources of Water for Plant Transpiration

   • Glen Walker, Jean-Pierre Brunel, John Dighton, Kate Holland, Fred Leaney, Kerryn McEwan et al.

   Pages 57-89

6. What do δ15N Signatures tell Us about Nitrogen Relations in Natural Ecosystems?

   • George R. Stewart

   Pages 91-101

7. Assessing N2 Fixation in Annual Legumes using 15N Natural Abundance

   • Murray Unkovich, John S. Pate

   Pages 103-118

8. The Use of 15N to study Biological Nitrogen Fixation by Perennial Legumes

   • Mark B. Peoples, Brian Palmer, Robert M. Boddey

   Pages 119-144

9. Source/Sink Interactions in Crop Plants

   • Jairo A. Palta

   Pages 145-165

10. Use of Enriched 15N Sources to study Soil N Transformations

    • Ian R. P. Fillery, Sylvie Recous

    Pages 167-194

11. Stable Isotope Techniques using Enriched 15N and 13C for Studies of Soil Organic Matter Accumulation and Decomposition in Agricultural Systems

    • Ann McNeill

    Pages 195-218

12. Source Identification in Marine Ecosystems

    • Albertus J. Smit

    Pages 219-245

13. δ13C as an Indicator of Palaeoenvironments

    • Kliti Grice

    Pages 247-279

14. Back Matter

    Pages 281-293

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In the last two decades technological advances in isotope ratio mass spectrometry have been very rapid, opening up new possibilities for analysis of biological and environmental materials. The new instrumentation has facilitated faster analysis of samples via automated sample preparation and multi-isotope analysis of single samples, resulting in considerable cost savings, and enabling access to isotope analysis for many more researchers. These changes are reflected in the rapidly growing international literature on stable isotopes. While there have been some excellent books and review papers aimed at interpreting isotope signals in biology and environmental science, there have been fewer attempts to provide practical tools for researchers making forays into this exciting new arena. This book aims to address this inadequacy by providing a set of practical guidelines for the application of a range of novel and well proven stable isotope techniques to the fields of plant physiological ecology, agriculture, marine ecology and palaeoecology. The book is the outcome of a weeklong workshop held under the auspices of the Cooperative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA 1992 - 2000) at The University of Western Australia and the CSIRO Floreat Laboratories, Perth, Western Australia, in February 1999. The workshop was designed to provide practical tools and experiences for researchers and students concerned with how one goes about using stable isotopes in field investigations.

• Transpiration
• ecosystem
• ecosystems
• environment
• nitrogen
• physiology
• soil

• Department of Botany, The University of Western Australia, Australia

  Murray Unkovich, John Pate

• Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Australia

  Murray Unkovich, John Pate, Ann McNeill, D. Jane Gibbs

• Victorian Institute for Dryland, Agriculture, Mallee Research Station, Walpeup, Australia

  Murray Unkovich

• Roseworthy Campus — Agronomy and Farming Systems, The University of Adelaide, Australia

  Ann McNeill

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