skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Carbon fixed in leaves and twigs of field Larrea tridentata in two-hour exposure to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/

Journal Article · · Great Basin Nat.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6870240

Six Larrea tridentata (Sesse and Moc. ex DC) Cov. plants were exposed to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ in a field experiment for 2 h. Three of the plants had been irrigated regularly in the preceding year. Ten small twigs from each plant were removed and counted for /sup 14/C activity at the end of 2 h. The stem portion of the twigs was of equal dry weight for the two sets of plants, but those irrigated had a greater weight of leaves per twig. The activity of /sup 14/C in leaves was equal for the two groups, but was higher in stems for watered plants than for unwatered plants. The results were best expressed as ratios. Dry weight of leaves divided by dry weight of stems was high for watered plants; cpm/g dry weight of leaves divided by cpm/g dry weight of stems was higher for unwatered plants. In another experiment in which leaves were removed before exposing stem portions of twigs to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/, small green stems accounted for about 1/8 the total photosynthesis for a plant; the coefficient of variation was around 100%.

Research Organization:
Univ. of California, Los Angeles
OSTI ID:
6870240
Journal Information:
Great Basin Nat.; (United States), Vol. 4
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English