The Use of Stable Carbon Isotope Analysis in Rooting Studies

Stable carbon isotope analysis was evaluated as a means of predicting the relative proportions of C₃ and C₄ root phytomass in species mixtures. The following mixtures of C₃ and C₄ species were used: 1) big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)/cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), 2) little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)/cheatgrass, and 3) sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)/sunflower (Helianthus annuus). There was a significant correlation (P < 0.01) between % C₄ phytomass and stable carbon isotope values for each of the three combinations (r2> 0.98). Root length per mass varied among the five species studied (10.1-94.3 m/g), which resulted in different conclusions depending on whether root values are expressed as length or mass. For example, field samples from a tallgrass prairie site were estimated to contain about 20% cheatgrass on a mass basis, whereas the figure was 68% when expressed in terms of length. The combination of stable carbon isotope analysis with length-for-mass measurements promises to be a useful means of studying root competition between C₃ and C₄ plants.