THE EFFECT OF CHEMICAL PROCESSING ON THE δ13C VALUE OF PLANT TISSUE

Abstract

The effect of standard processing techniques on the δ13C value of plant tissue was tested using species representing the three photosynthetic pathways, including angiosperms and gymnosperms within the C3 taxonomic division. The species include Cowania mexicana (C3 angiosperm), Juniperus osteosperma (C3 gymnosperm), Opuntia spp. (crassulacean acid metabolism [CAM] angiosperm), and Atriplex canescens (C4 angiosperm). Each species is represented by 5 plants collected at two different sites, for a total of 10 samples. The samples were processed to whole plant tissue, holocellulose, α-cellulose, and nitrocellulose. An additional process was added with the discovery of residual Ca-oxalate crystals in holocellulose samples. Both C3 species show δ13C values becoming 13C enriched with increased processing. The CAM representative shows the opposite trend, with 13C depletion during the progression of treatments. The greatest range of values and most inconsistent trends occur in the C4 representative. Removal of the Ca-oxalate fraction resulted in different mean weight percentages and δ13C values among the species. Calculated δ13C values of the Ca-oxalate crystals show depletion from the tissue values in the two C3 species and enrichment in the C4 and CAM representatives. The C. mexicana samples show the greatest change between the tissue and Ca-oxalates (7.3%%) but the least mean weight percentage (11%), whereas A. canescens shows the greatest overall change, with a -2.8%% isotopic shift and over 48% mean weight percentage. Variability within the samples undergoing each treatment remained relatively unchanged even with increased cellulose purity. This paper provides estimates of isotopic offsets necessary to correct from one treatment to another. Significant differences in δ13C among different treatments confirm the need to state the tissue fraction analyzed when reporting δ13C results.