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Sammanfattning

The commencement of the Industrial Revolution has resulted in an unprecedented increase in the concentration of atmospheric CO2 (pCO(2)). It is, therefore, important to understand how plant communities respond to increased levels of CO2 levels in the environment. To this end, we examined the effects of spatial variation in pCO(2) on plant physiology using carbon isotope ratios (delta C-13 values) and stomatal index (SI) in C-3 plant leaves along a transect from the central Ganga Plain to the foothills of the Himalayas with industrial and non-industrial zones. Our study shows that the plants adjacent to the industrial areas have much lower delta C-13 values (avg. -31.8 parts per thousand) and absorbed more fossil fuel-derived carbon (ca. 18 %) than those growing in non-industrial areas (-28.3 parts per thousand). We also observed ca. 25 % lower SI values from the industrial area, suggesting that the increase in CO2 concentration (for a given water budget) led to high photosynthetic rates with low stomatal conductivity. Therefore, a long-term increase in pCO(2) would lead to higher water-use efficiency in C-3 plants, which would allow them to function better in low moisture conditions. We also suggest that the delta C-13 and SI values can be used for mapping carbon sequestration by plants growing in industrialized regions.

Nyckelord

Carbon isotope; stomatal index; C-3 plants; fossil fuel-CO2; Photosynthesis

Publicerad i

Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies
2025, volym: 61, nummer: 6, sidor: 600 - 616
Utgivare: TAYLOR AND FRANCIS LTD

SLU författare

UKÄ forskningsämne

Miljövetenskap

Publikationens identifierare

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2025.2536606

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/144667