{"title":"Telling Tales of Water Journeys With Isotopic Tracers","authors":"Gerbrand Koren","doi":"10.1029/2024wr037033","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Determining the sources of water inside plants using its isotopic composition is a long-standing research challenge in ecohydrology. A better understanding of water sources can help improve models and ultimately contribute to more accurate forecasts of water availability, food production, carbon sequestration or ecosystem status. Over the years, several methods have been developed and applied to water source partitioning, and Gai et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022wr033849) provide a systematic assessment of the uncertainty of different isotopic tracers (<sup>2</sup>H, <sup>3</sup>H, <sup>17</sup>O, <sup>18</sup>O) and mixing models (IsoSource, SIAR, MixSIR, MixSIAR) for an apple tree orchard on the Loess Plateau in north-central China. For that study area, the combination of <sup>2</sup>H and <sup>18</sup>O with the MixSIAR mixing model is recommended. Importantly, the systematic assessment provides a framework that can be applied to select a suitable combination of tracers and mixing models for different ecosystems and climate zones. This commentary aims to provide a wider context for a selection of key results from Gai et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022wr033849) and highlight potential future research directions.","PeriodicalId":23799,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Water Resources Research","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2024wr037033","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Determining the sources of water inside plants using its isotopic composition is a long-standing research challenge in ecohydrology. A better understanding of water sources can help improve models and ultimately contribute to more accurate forecasts of water availability, food production, carbon sequestration or ecosystem status. Over the years, several methods have been developed and applied to water source partitioning, and Gai et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022wr033849) provide a systematic assessment of the uncertainty of different isotopic tracers (2H, 3H, 17O, 18O) and mixing models (IsoSource, SIAR, MixSIR, MixSIAR) for an apple tree orchard on the Loess Plateau in north-central China. For that study area, the combination of 2H and 18O with the MixSIAR mixing model is recommended. Importantly, the systematic assessment provides a framework that can be applied to select a suitable combination of tracers and mixing models for different ecosystems and climate zones. This commentary aims to provide a wider context for a selection of key results from Gai et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022wr033849) and highlight potential future research directions.
期刊介绍:
Water Resources Research (WRR) is an interdisciplinary journal that focuses on hydrology and water resources. It publishes original research in the natural and social sciences of water. It emphasizes the role of water in the Earth system, including physical, chemical, biological, and ecological processes in water resources research and management, including social, policy, and public health implications. It encompasses observational, experimental, theoretical, analytical, numerical, and data-driven approaches that advance the science of water and its management. Submissions are evaluated for their novelty, accuracy, significance, and broader implications of the findings.