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Indications of deep soil water usage by limber pine (Pinus flexilis) and skunkbush sumac (Rhus aromatica) in northeastern Colorado: An oxygen isotope study
Indy Burke, William Lauenroth and 2 other contributors
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Citation
Roberts, L. ., McCulley, R. ., Burke, I. ., & Lauenroth, W. . (2004). Indications of deep soil water usage by limber pine (Pinus flexilis) and skunkbush sumac (Rhus aromatica) in northeastern Colorado: An oxygen isotope study. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST, 152(1), 178-182. https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031(2004)152[0178:IODSWU]2.0.CO;2 (Original work published 2024)
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Abstract
We examined whether limber pine and skunkbush sumac individuals co-existing on the Pawnee Buttes of northeastern Colorado have the ability to access and utilize deep soil water resources. The delta(18)O signature Of Source water to the plants (deep soil water and precipitation) and plant cell water were measured in June 2000. The delta(18)O signatures of the two woody plant species were not significantly different front each other. However, the average delta(18)O signature of skunkbush sumac (-9.47parts per thousand) differed from the delta(18)O signature of deep soil water (-13.0parts per thousand), while the average delta(18)O signature of limber pine (-11.3parts per thousand) did not. Variability in the delta(18)O signature across plots and between individuals within a plot was relatively high for both species. These results suggest limber pine and some individuals of skunkbush sumac are able to access and utilize deep soil water resources at this site. This ability may confer an ecological advantage to these plants given the semi-arid climate of the site.