Variation in the oxygen isotope ratio of phloem sap sucrose from castor bean. Evidence in support of the peclet effect

Theory suggests that the level of enrichment of ¹⁸O above source water in plant organic material (Δ) may provide an integrative indicator of control of water loss. However, there are still gaps in our understanding of the processes affecting Δ. One such gap is the observed discrepancy between molded enrichment of water at the sites of evaporation within the leaf and measured enrichment of the leaf water as a whole (Δ(L)). Farquhar and Lloyd (1993) suggested that this may be caused by a Peclet effect. It is also unclear whether organic material formed in the leaf reflects enrichment of water at the sites of evaporation within the leaf or Δ(L). To investigate this question castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) leaves, still attached to the plant, were sealed into a controlled-environment gas exchange chamber and subjected to a step change in leaf-to-air vapor pressure difference. Sucrose was collected from a cut on the petiole of the leaf in the chamber under equilibrium conditions and every hour for 6 h after the change in leaf-to-air vapor pressure difference. Oxygen isotope composition of sucrose in the phloem sap (Δ(suc)) reflected modeled Δ(L). A model is presented describing Δ(suc) at isotopic steady state, and accounts for 96% of variation in measured Δ(suc). The data strongly support the Peclet effect theory.