1. How beech provenance affects the structure of secondary xylem, leaf traits, and the ectomycorrhizal community under optimal growth conditionsTanja Mrak, Jožica Gričar, Tina Unuk Nahberger, Gregor Božič, Luka Krajnc, Peter Prislan, Domen Arnič, Tom Levanič, Hojka Kraigher, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Beyond growth parameters and drought tolerance, comparatively little is known about the functioning of different beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) provenances. We investigated properties of leaves, stem secondary xylem, and ectomycorrhiza (ECM), and explored their interdependencies to identify the best performing beech provenance in optimal growth conditions. The study was conducted on 23-year-old trees in a provenance trial. The investigated provenances originated from Atlantic (Belgium—BE), Alpine (Italy—IT, Slovenia—SI), and continental climates (the Czech Republic—CZ). A significant effect of provenance was observed for stem vessel diameters and conductive area, as well as for foliar %C, δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O. δ13C as a proxy of intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) showed that the highest iWUE was achieved in BE provenance. Individuals with a better iWUE had wider growth rings regardless of provenance. Better iWUE was associated with lower specific leaf area (SLA). ECM community composition and diversity indices did not differ significantly among the provenances. Specific ECM taxa were associated with individuals with high SLA, δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O. In optimal growth conditions with no stress events, BE is a promising provenance due to an efficient water conducting system with high vessel diameters and conductive area, and high iWUE, while Alpine provenances showed an adaptation of their water conducting system to freezing conditions at their original locations. Integrating findings from different compartments improves our understanding of functioning of different beech provenances.
Keywords: Fagus sylvatica, provenance trial, stable isotopes, specific leaf area, xylem vessels, ectomycorrhizal fungi
Published in DiRROS: 19.04.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 1
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2. Impact assessment of the Gajke and Brstje landfills on groundwater status using stable and radioactive isotopesSonja Cerar, Luka Serianz, Polona Vreča, Marko Štrok, Tjaša Kanduč, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Waste disposal in landfills represents a severe threat to aquatic environments on the local, regional, and global levels. In Slovenia, there are 69 registered landfills where groundwater is regularly monitored. However, isotope techniques are not regularly employed. Therefore, we employed isotope analysis of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen in combination with total alkalinity to assess the impact of the selected landfill on groundwater and to evaluate the biogeochemical processes at work. The δ18O, δ2H, δ13CDIC, 3H activity and total alkalinity were determined in October 2020 at 12 sampling points from the surrounding area of the Gajke and Brstje landfills and leachate from the Gajke landfill. The δ18O (-9.24 ± 0.3 ‰) and δ2H (-64.9 ± 2.7 ‰) in groundwater indicate that the main water source consists in direct infiltration of precipitation, with no significant isotopic fractionation. Total alkalinity in the investigated area ranges from 5.45 to 73 mM and δ13CDIC from –14.9 to +6.1 ‰, respectively. Higher values of total alkalinity (up to 73 mM), δ13CDIC (up to +6.1 ‰), δ18O (-7.64 ‰) and 3H (209.8 TU) are detected in the leachate, indicating biogeochemical process related to CO2 reduction or methanogenesis. Methanogenesis could be present at locations GAP-10/13 (Brstje landfill) and G-2 (Gajke landfill) with δ13CDIC values ranging from –8.2 to –7.6 ‰ and with dissolved oxygen values around 0 % and elevated 3H values (from 16 to 18 TU). This study demonstrates the effectiveness of isotopic analysis as a valuable tool for monitoring landfills, revealing shifts in biogeochemical processes within the groundwater there.
Keywords: groundwater, monitoring, landfill, stable isotopes, tritium, Gajke, Brstje
Published in DiRROS: 16.01.2024; Views: 168; Downloads: 60
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3. Differences in ratio of carbon stable Isotopes among barley grain milling fractions with various concentrations of beta-glucansTom Levanič, Blaž Cigić, Mateja Germ, Ivana Polišenská, Kateřina Vaculová, Igor Pravst, Darja Kocjan Ačko, Ivan Kreft, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: The grains of three barley varieties were milled and sieved to obtain respective milling fractions with a content of beta-glucans (b-G) from 1.4 to 10.7%. The enriched fraction obtained by the extraction and precipitation contained 24.7% of b-G. The differences between the ratio of stable C carbon isotopes were established. Milling fractions with coarse particles had more beta-glucans and a more negative ratio of δ 13C isotope in comparison to the respective intact barley grain. However, the enriched fraction had a less negative isotope ratio. So, it is not expected that the deviation from the stable isotope ratio of grain in milling fractions is the result of the content of b-G, but it depends on other barley grain constituents. In different parts of barley grain, there are substances with different stable isotope ratios, and by milling and sieving, they are assorted to the same milling fraction with most of the b-G. The method for determining the ratio of a stable carbon isotope in diverse barley grain fractions, applied in this investigation, is potentially opening the possibility for an additional method of screening the concentration of bioactive constituents in barley grain.
Keywords: beta-glucans, starch, barley, stable isotopes, nutrition, milling
Published in DiRROS: 02.08.2023; Views: 359; Downloads: 173
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4. Stable isotope composition in tree rings of Fagus sylvatica L. saplings reflects environmental variation induced by silviculture and microsite factorsJanez Kermavnar, Tom Levanič, Lado Kutnar, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Natural regeneration of tree species is sensitive to silvicultural interventions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different cutting intensities and local topographic and soil conditions on the composition of stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopes in wood of young beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees. Beech saplings in the regeneration layer were sampled in summer 2018 at three study sites in Dinaric fir-beech forests in the karst area of Slovenia. Three different cutting intensities were performed in 2012: i) no cutting (control), ii) 50% cutting of the stand’s growing stock creating thinned stands, and iii) 100% cutting of the stand’s growing stock creating 0.4 ha canopy gaps. We show that δ13C increased along the gradient of cutting intensity. On average, δ13C values in the tree rings were ∼ 2‰ increased in trees from canopy gaps than from closed control stands. Furthermore, δ13C was higher on south-facing slopes characterized by higher air temperatures and lower relative humidity compared to north-facing slopes of karst sinkholes. Additionally, the results suggest a dependence of δ18O on interannual and cross-site climatic variations, particularly in the case of summer precipitation amount. δ18O also responded to soil depth, with beech individuals exhibiting lower values on deeper soils, presumably characterized by higher soil water availability compared to shallow soils. The results are discussed in the context of future climate change, as many beech-dominated forests on karst terrain in the Dinaric Mountains are particularly affected by climate warming and drying due to prolonged and reoccurring summer droughts, intensified large-scale disturbances, and often shallow soils with low water storage capacity.
Keywords: stable carbon isotopes, stable oxygen isotopes, tree cutting, microclimate, drought stress, dinaric fir-beech forests
Published in DiRROS: 05.04.2023; Views: 832; Downloads: 242
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5. Characterizing the groundwater flow regime in a landslide recharge area using stable isotopes: a case study of the Urbas landslide area in NW SloveniaKatja Koren, Luka Serianz, Mitja Janža, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Slope stability strongly depends on the prevailing hydrological and hydrogeological conditions. The amount and intensity of precipitation and changing groundwater levels are important landslide triggering factors. Environmental tracers, including the chemical and stable isotope compositions of precipitation and groundwater, were used to gain insight into the groundwater dynamics of the Urbas landslide. The landslide is situated in a mountainous area with steep slopes and high precipitation amount and poses a high risk for the safety of the Koroška Bela settlement that lies downstream. The stable isotope analyses of oxygen-18 (18O) and deuterium (2H) in the precipitation and groundwater were used to estimate the groundwater mean residence time and the average altitude of the landslide recharge area. This information will help to plan and prioritize remedial landslide measures aiming to reduce the recharge of the landslide body and, thus, lower the risk of transformation of the sliding material into debris flow. The results of the chemical analysis of samples taken from springs and a piezometer show a Ca–HCO3 water type. This indicates low water–rock interaction in a landslide area composed of Upper Carboniferous and Permian clastic rocks and points to upper laying carbonate rocks and scree deposits as the main recharge area. Water samples for stable isotope analyses of δ18O and δ2H were collected from a rain gauge, springs, and a piezometer over a two-year period (2018–2020). The estimated mean recharge altitude of the groundwater at sampling points was from approximately 1700 to 1800 m a.s.l. with a mean residence time of 2–5 months.
Keywords: landslide, groundwater, stable isotopes, oxygen-18, deuterium, hydrogeology, recharge dynamic
Published in DiRROS: 16.03.2022; Views: 718; Downloads: 303
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6. Examination of stable carbon and oxygen isotopic variability in the cellulose and wholewood of Castanea sativa Mill., Fagus sylvatica L., Pinus sylvestris L. and Quercus robur L.B. Sladden, N.J. Loader, G.H.F. Young, D. McCarroll, 2018, original scientific article Abstract: This paper presents results from a comparison of wholewood and cellulose carbon and oxygen isotope ratios for four UK tree species. These species occur within the historic buildings archive as both primary and supplementary construction materials and have been used to reconstruct the climate of the past. New advances in the application of stable isotopes have widened the scope of the isotope approach, but require the time-consuming purification of cellulose. Comparison of the oxygen and carbon isotope signals preserved in the wood and cellulose components confirms and builds upon previous research in this field and provides additional insight into the covariance of these two sample types between species, an
Keywords: stable isotopes, tree ring, dendrochronology, dendroclimatology
Published in DiRROS: 04.02.2019; Views: 5133; Downloads: 3382
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