Land and Language in Cape York Peninsula and the Gulf Country

Opportunities and challenges in the use of radiotracers to measure phloem transport are discussed, with an emphasis on noninvasive techniques to trace photoassimilate, carbons short-lived isotope 11C, and an eye to pitfalls and traps to avoid. We discuss in turn the rationale for using tracers, the limitations and complications with using short-lived radiotracers like 11C, the physics of decay and detection that need to be known when data are interpreted, and methods of analysis.