Carbon isotope ratios of Atacama Desert plants reflect hyperaridity of region in northern Chile

Update Item Information
Publication Type Journal Article
School or College College of Science
Department Biology
Creator Ehleringer, James R.
Other Author Rundel, Philip W.; Palma, Beatriz; Mooney, Harold A.
Title Carbon isotope ratios of Atacama Desert plants reflect hyperaridity of region in northern Chile
Date 1998
Description Leaf carbon isotope ratios were measured on plants from the coastal portions of the Atacama Desert at Pan de Azucar and Paposo, Chile. Most species possessed C3 photosynthesis, although there were several CAM species, indications of some facultative CAM species, and only one C4 species. The carbon isotope ratios of the C3 plants are unusually high, even for species from arid ecosystems. These observations indicated that C3 species of the Atacama Desert were characterized by very low intercellular C0 2 concentration that averaged between 159 and 190 ppm, depending on the severity of the drought.
Type Text
Publisher Sociedad de Biología de Chile
First Page 79
Last Page 86
Subject Atacama Desert; Carbon isotope ratio; Intercellular carbon dioxide concentration; Hyperaridity
Subject LCSH Desert ecology; Desert plants -- Ecophysiology
Language eng
Bibliographic Citation Ehleringer, J. R., Rundel, P. W., Palma, B., & Mooney, H. A. (1998). Carbon isotope ratios of Atacama Desert plants reflect hyperaridity of region in northern Chile. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 71, 79-86.
Rights Management (c)James R. Ehleringer, Philip W. Rundel, Beatriz Palma, and Harold A. Mooney
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 544,414 bytes
Identifier ir-main,7323
ARK ark:/87278/s6cg07rh
Setname ir_uspace
ID 707014
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6cg07rh
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