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Characterizing carbon isotopic variability in Sphagnum

To understand more fully the nature of isotopic fractionation in mosses and to explore the potential of stable isotope analyses of selected peat constituents for palaeoenvironmental research, we present results from a study of inter- and intra-plant δ13C variability in Sphagnum spp. Subdivisions of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Holocene (Sevenoaks) 2007-04, Vol.17 (3), p.403-410
Main Authors: Loader, N.J., McCarroll, D., van der Knaap, W.O., Robertson, I., Gagen, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:To understand more fully the nature of isotopic fractionation in mosses and to explore the potential of stable isotope analyses of selected peat constituents for palaeoenvironmental research, we present results from a study of inter- and intra-plant δ13C variability in Sphagnum spp. Subdivisions of stem, pendant and horizontal branch elements of modern Sphagnum capillifolium plants revealed consistent and statistically significant differences in their isotopic composition. Sequential (downstem) analysis of a further cohort of four modern Sphagnum capillifolium plants also reveals evidence of common forcing on the isotopic composition of sequentially formed stem and branch increments. This relationship was tested further by analysis of a series of branch and stem samples manually recovered from Sphagnum fuscum preserved within a late Holocene (AD 2003—1970) peat monolith from a European mire. The high degree of isotopic coherence observed between plants supports the analysis of Sphagnum in palaeoecological investigations. However inter- and intra-plant variability between both branch and stem sections emphasize the need for representative sampling, replication and sample homogeneity when conducting palaeoecological studies.
ISSN:0959-6836
1477-0911
DOI:10.1177/0959683607076474