Research Article

The Assimilation and Retention of Carbon in Upland Heath Plant Communities Typical of Contrasting Management Regimes: A 13C Tracer Study

Table 3

Change in 13C enrichment after 15 and 42 days (as % of initial enrichment, day 0), in photosynthetic (white) and nonphotosynthetic (bold) plant fractions within Calluna- and Nardus-dominated communities. Mean ( ) ± 1 S.E.

Days after labelling
Tissue1542
% change±S.E.% change±S.E.

Calluna-dominated community
Calluna leaf−53.73.0 1.9
 Graminoid leaf−63.41.9 0.8
Vaccinium leaf−66.32.8 2.0
Vaccinium stem+36.339.4 26.3
 Moss+60.039.0 0.0
Calluna stem+59.162.5+34.758.4
 Root+3.958.7−100.00.0

Nardus-dominated community
 Graminoid leaf−62.21.8 2.0
 Moss+12.817.2 9.4
 Herb−67.88.6 3.0
 Root+63.220.7−55.837.4