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Published November 1970 | Published
Journal Article Open

Biogeochemistry of the Stable Isotopes of Hydrogen and Carbon in Salt Marsh Biota

Abstract

Deuterium to hydrogen ratios of 14 plant species from a salt marsh and lagoon were 55‰ depleted in deuterium relative to the environmental water. Carbon tetrachloride-extractable material from these plants was another 92‰ depleted in deuterium. This gave a fractionation factor from water to CCl_4, extract of 1.147. This over-all fractionation was remarkably constant for all species analyzed. Plants also discriminate against ^(13)C, particularly in the lipid fraction. Data suggest that different mechanisms for carbon fixation result in different fractionations of the carbon isotopes. Herbivore tissues reflected the isotopic ratios of plants ingested. Apparently different metabolic processes are responsible for the different degrees of fractionation observed for hydrogen and carbon isotopes.

Additional Information

© 1970 American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB). This work was generously supported by the National Science Foundation, Grant BG 7517. We wish to thank Dr. Ian Kaplan and Dr. John Warme of the Geology Department, University of California, Los Angeles, for assistance in making collections at Point Mugu. Discussions of our data with Dr. Kaplan have also been most helpful. The technical assistance of Mr. Joop Goris and Mrs. Jane Young is gratefully acknowledged.

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