To Peclet or not to Peclet? Understanding leaf water isotope composition

Leaf water stable isotopes influence the isotope compositions of atmospheric oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapour, and also impart an evaporative signal on the isotope composition of plant organic material such as tree rings. These isotope signals have been used to constrain global carbon and water cycles, as well as reconstruct past climates. Considerable uncertainty in temporal and spatial variation in leaf water isotopes remains, including conflicting evidence of gradients in enrichment driven by diffusion-advection fluxes. This project aims to quantify variation in leaf water isotopes and develop mechanistic models for use by paleoclimatologists, plant scientists and to constrain global carbon cycles.