Leaf water δ18O, δ2H and d-excess isoscapes for Australia using region-specific plant parameters and non-equilibrium vapour

Oxygen (delta O-18) and hydrogen (delta H-2) isotope ratios, and their relationship to one another (d-excess) are altered as water travels from the atmosphere to the land surface, into soils and plants and back to the atmosphere. Plants return water to the atmosphere through transpiration (evaporation through the stomata), which causes isotopic fractionation concentrating the heavier isotopes (O-18 and H-2) in the water that remains behind in the leaves. The degree of isotopic fractionation during transpiration is controlled largely by climate, and as a result can be predicted using process-based models and climate data. The modelled transpirational isotopic fractionation can be applied to plant source water isotopic values to predict leaf water isotope ratios and generate maps of isotopic composition, or isoscapes. This approach of mechanistic modelling has been well demonstrated in the first generation of global leaf water isoscapes (PLoS One, 3(6), e2447, 2008). However, use of leaf water isoscapes in fields such as hydrology, ecology, and forensics requires a new generation of updated region-specific isoscapes. Here, we generate leaf water isoscapes of delta O-18, delta H-2 and d-excess for Australia, the driest vegetated continent on Earth, where leaf water represents a critical water resource for ecosystems. These isoscapes represent an improvement over previous global isoscapes due to their higher resolution, region-specific, empirically derived plant parameters, and non-equilibrium corrections for water vapour isotopic composition. The new isoscapes for leaf water are evaluated relative to observed isotope ratios of leaf cellulose and cherry juice. The model predictions for annual average leaf water isotope ratios showed strong correlations with these plant tissues that integrate over time. Moreover, inclusion of region-specific leaf temperature estimates and non-equilibirum vapour corrections improved prediction accuracy. Regionally based isoscapes provide improved characterisations of average leaf water isotope ratios needed to support research in hydrology, plant ecophysiology, atmospheric science, ecology, and geographic provenancing of biological materials.

Automated summary

The oxygen (delta O-18) and hydrogen (delta H-2) isotope ratios of water change as it moves from the atmosphere to the land surface, through soils and plants, and back to the atmosphere. This is due to isotopic fractionation during transpiration, which is influenced by climate. Predictions of isotopic fractionation during transpiration can be made using process-based models and climate data. These predictions can then be used to generate maps of leaf water isotope ratios, or isoscapes, which can be used in various fields including hydrology, ecology, and forensics. In this study, leaf water isoscapes for Australia, the driest vegetated continent on Earth, were generated with higher resolution and region-specific parameters, improving the accuracy of predictions.