Comparison of measured and modeled variations in piñon pine leaf water isotopic enrichment across a summer moisture gradient

Stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition of bulk leaf water (δD_lw and δ¹⁸O_lw) in piñon pine (Pinus edulis and P. monophylla) and gas exchange parameters were measured under field conditions to examine the effects of seasonal moisture stress on leaf water isotopic enrichment. Study sites were located near the lower elevation limit for piñon in the southwestern USA. Leaf-level transpiration measurements were made four times daily in spring, summer and early autumn; simultaneously, leaf samples were collected for water extraction and stable isotope analysis. Diurnal variations in δD_lw and δ¹⁸O_lw values were small, especially when leaf water residence times (molar leaf water content divided by transpiration rate) were high. Stomatal conductance explained most of the variance (60%) in leaf water enrichment across the dataset. Observed leaf water enrichment was compared with predictions of steady-state and nonsteady-state models. Nonsteady-state predictions fit observations the best, although D enrichment was often lower than predicted by any model. Hydrogen isotope ratios of leaf water and cellulose nitrate were strongly correlated, demonstrating preservation of a leaf water signal in wood and leaf cellulose.