/sup 14/C distribution in roots following photosynthesis of the label in perennial plants in the northern Mojave Desert

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Great Basin Nat.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6597571

Wallace, A; Mueller, R T; Cha, J W; Romney, E M

In April and May of 1973, 24 individual plants were exposed to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ with techniques used in our other studies in the field. Seven to 8 months later, part of the plants were excavated and counted by plant part for /sup 14/C. The remainder of the plants were excavated at 13 months. The results indicated that from 3 to 20 percent of the carbon for leaves in the next year came from stems and roots of Grayia spinosa (Hook) Moq., Ceratoides lanata (Pursh) J. T. Howell, Atriplex confertifolia (Torr. and Frem.) S. Wats., Lycium pallidum Miers, Ambrosia dumosa (A. Gray) Payne, and Acamptopappus shockleyi A Gray. Nearly all of the root segments were labeled at sampling time; however, some of the roots were labeled at higher amounts than others. Some roots had very little /sup 14/C, and these are assumed to be very new roots rather than dead roots because of their small size. The roots with high levels of /sup 14/C are assumed to be formed near the time of labeling, and those with low levels to be formed after the time of labeling. From 17 to 65 percent of the /sup 14/C fixed was recovered after 7 to 13 months.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 6597571
• Journal Information: Great Basin Nat.; (United States), Journal Name: Great Basin Nat.; (United States) Vol. 4; ISSN GRBNA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510100 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560173* -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ARID LANDS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON CYCLE
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
DESERTS
DISTRIBUTION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NEVADA
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PLANT STEMS
PLANTS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
ROOTS
SHRUBS
SYNTHESIS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TRANSLOCATION
USA
WESTERN REGION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES