Nitrogen isotope composition of soils, C3 and C4 plants along land use gradients in southern Africa

Ecosystem-scale spatial heterogeneity of stable isotopes of soil nitrogen in African savannas

“…These results are in agreement with previous findings from this region (Swap et al 2004;Aranibar et al 2008;Wang et al 2009d;Wang et al 2010a). and 61% at Tshane and Mongu, respectively (Table 1); these results are similar to those reported for soil %C in an earlier study (Wang et al 2009c).…”

The effects of short-term rainfall variability on leaf isotopic traits of desert plants in sand-binding ecosystems

“…Analyses of δ 13 C have greatly increased our understanding of the relationships between water and carbon use by desert plants (Ehleringer, 1993). Nitrogen isotope ratio (δ 15 N) provides information on ecosystem nitrogen cycling (Högberg et al, 1995;Roggy et al, 1999;Ometto et al, 2006;Bai et al, 2009) and plant nitrogen isotope discrimination is related to the availability of nutrients and water (Högberg, 1997;Swap et al, 2004;Aranibar et al, 2008;Wang et al, 2010b). Previous studies showed that succession affected N cycling and it was reflected in foliar δ 15 N (Davidson et al, 2007;Wang et al, 2007), and foliar δ 15 N signatures decreased as successional age increased at both the plant community and species levels (Wang et al, 2007).…”

15N isoscapes in a subtropical savanna parkland: spatial‐temporal perspectives

“…Spatial patterns along transects originating from the centers of woody clusters and groves (Aranibar et al 2008). However, some studies showed a different direction of change in soil d 15 N after woody proliferation.…”