A System for Studying Carbon Allocation in Plants Using 11C-Labeled Carbon Dioxide

Abstract

The effects of environmental factors such as water stress, elevated CO2, or temperature on carbon assimilation and allocation in plants have been studied extensively (Gifford and Evans, 1981; Loomis, Rabbinge, and Ng, 1979; Neales and Incoll, 1968). However, the interactions of these processes are not well understood and cannot be predicted with any degree of confidence. Continuous and simultaneous measurements of photosynthesis, transport, and sink activity have never been made during the short- and long-term responses of live, intact plants to step changes in environmental factors. Thus, direct environmental effects and adaptive responses of plants are generally not distinguished. This results in part from limitation in experimental techniques and protocol used in past studies and the lack of experimental validation of hypotheses and models (eg, Goeschl et al, 1976; Magnuson et al, 1979; Smith et al, 1970) dealing with these problems. This paper describes in detail the components of an integrated technique for studying carbon assimilation, transportation and allocation in intact live plants under any set of environmental conditions, using continuously produced 11CO2.