Eastern US deciduous tree species respond dissimilarly to declining soil moisture but similarly to rising evaporative demand

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sander O Denham ◽  
A Christopher Oishi ◽  
Chelcy F Miniat ◽  
Jeffrey D Wood ◽  
Koong Yi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Vapor Pressure ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Tree Level ◽  
Canopy Conductance ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Evaporative Demand ◽  
Water Vapor Pressure Deficit

Abstract Hydraulic stress in plants occurs under conditions of low water availability (soil moisture; θ) and/or high atmospheric-demand for water (vapor pressure deficit; D). Different species are adapted to respond to hydraulic stress by functioning along a continuum where at one end they close stomata to maintain a constant leaf water potential (ΨL) (isohydric species), and at the other they allow ΨL to decline (anisohydric species). Differences in water use along this continuum are most notable during hydrologic stress, often characterized by low θ and high D; however, θ and D are often, but not necessarily coupled at timescales of weeks or longer, and uncertainty remains about the sensitivity of different water use strategies to these variables. We quantified the effects of both θ and D on canopy conductance (Gc) among widely-distributed canopy-dominant species along the iso-anisohydric spectrum growing along a hydroclimatological gradient. Tree-level Gc was estimated using hourly sap flow observations from three sites in the eastern United States: a mesic forest in western North Carolina, and two xeric forests in southern Indiana and Missouri. Each site experienced at least one year of substantial drought conditions. Our results suggest that sensitivity of Gc to θ varies across sites and species, with Gc sensitivity being greater in dry than in wet sites, and greater for isohydric compared to anisohydric species. However, once θ limitations are accounted for, sensitivity of Gc to D remains relatively constant across sites and species. While D limitations to Gc were similar across sites and species, ranging from 16–34% reductions, θ limitations to Gc ranged from 0–40%. The similarity in species sensitivity to D is encouraging from a modeling perspective, though it implies substantial reduction to Gc will be experienced by all species in a future characterized by higher D.

Site-level soil moisture controls water-use efficiency improvement and climate response in sugar maple: a dual dendroisotopic study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
R. Dietrich ◽  
F.W. Bell ◽  
M. Anand
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Photosynthetic Capacity ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Tree Level ◽  
Intrinsic Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Use Efficiency

Given the large contribution of forests to terrestrial carbon storage, there is a need to resolve the environmental and physiological drivers of tree-level response to rising atmospheric CO2. This study examines how site-level soil moisture influences growth and intrinsic water-use efficiency in sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.). We construct tree-ring, δ18O, and Δ13C chronologies for trees across a soil moisture gradient in Ontario, Canada, and employ a structural equation modelling approach to ascertain their climatic, ontogenetic, and environmental drivers. Our results support previous evidence for the presence of strong developmental effects in tree-ring isotopic chronologies — in the range of −4.7‰ for Δ13C and +0.8‰ for δ18O — across the tree life span. Additionally, we show that the physiological response of sugar maple to increasing atmospheric CO2 depends on site-level soil moisture variability, with trees only in relatively wet plots exhibiting temporal increases in intrinsic water-use efficiency. These results suggest that trees in wet and mesic plots have experienced temporal increases in stomatal conductance and photosynthetic capacity, whereas trees in dry plots have experienced decreases in photosynthetic capacity. This study is the first to examine sugar maple physiology using a dendroisotopic approach and broadens our understanding of carbon–water interactions in temperate forests.

scholarly journals Global Atmospheric Evaporative Demand over Land from 1973 to 2008

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (23) ◽  
pp. 8353-8361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaicun Wang ◽  
Robert E. Dickinson ◽  
Shunlin Liang
Keyword(s):  
Sunshine Duration ◽  
Water Vapor Pressure ◽  
Evaporative Demand ◽  
Term Trend ◽  
Direct Measurements ◽  
Arid And Semiarid Areas ◽  
Water Vapor Pressure Deficit ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Long Term Trend

Abstract Pan evaporation (EP), an index of atmospheric evaporative demand, has been widely reported to have weakened in the past decades. However, its interpretation remains controversial because EP observations are not globally available and observations of one of its key controls, surface incident solar radiation Rs, are even less available. Using global-distributed Rs from both direct measurements (available through the Global Energy Balance Archive) and derived from sunshine duration, the authors calculated the potential evaporation from 1982 to 2008 from approximately 1300 stations. The findings herein show that the contribution of water vapor pressure deficit (VPD) to monthly variability of EP is much larger than that of other controlling factors, of Rs, wind speed (WS), and air temperature Ta. The trend of the aerodynamic component of EP, which includes contributions of VPD, WS, and Ta, accounted for 86% of the long-term trend of EP. The aerodynamic component was then calculated from 4250 globally distributed stations and showed a negligible averaged trend from 1973 to 2008 because the reduction in WS canceled out the impact of the elevated VPD. The long-term trend of WS dominates the long-term trend of the aerodynamic component of EP at the 4250 stations. Atmospheric evaporative demand increased in most arid and semiarid areas, indicating a decrease in water availability in those areas.

scholarly journals Development of a Simple Irrigation Scheduling Calendar for Mesilla Valley Pecan Growers

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 714-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffery C. Kallestad ◽  
John G. Mexal ◽  
Theodore W. Sammis ◽  
Richard Heerema
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Silty Clay ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Evaporative Demand ◽  
Consumptive Water Use ◽  
Consumptive Water

For farmers to accurately schedule future water delivery for irrigations, a prediction method based on time-series measurements of soil moisture depletion and climate-based indicators of evaporative demand is needed. Yet, numerous reports indicate that field instruments requiring high in-season labor input are not likely to be used by farmers. In New Mexico, pecan (Carya illinoensis) farmers in the Mesilla Valley have been reluctant to adopt new soil-based or climate-based irrigation scheduling technologies. In response to low adoption rates, we have developed a simple, practical irrigation scheduling tool specifically for flood-irrigated pecan production. The information presented in the tool was derived using 14 years of archived climate data and model-simulated consumptive water use. Using this device, farmers can estimate the time interval between their previous and the next irrigation for any date in the growing season, in a range of representative soil types. An accompanying metric for extending irrigation intervals based on field-scale rainfall accumulation was also developed. In modeled simulations, irrigations scheduled with the tool while using the rainfall rule were within 3 days of the model-predicted irrigation dates in silty clay loam and loam soil, and less than 2 days in sandy loam and sand soil. The simulations also indicated that irrigations scheduled with the tool resulted in less than 1% reduction in maximum annual consumptive water use, and the overall averaged soil moisture depletion was 45.14% with an 18.1% cv, relative to a target management allowable depletion of 45%. Our long-term objective is that farmers using this tool will better understand the relationships between seasonal climate variation and irrigation scheduling, and will seek real-time evapotranspiration information currently available from local internet resources.

scholarly journals Coordination of leaf area, sapwood area and canopy conductance leads to species convergence of tree water use in a remnant evergreen woodland

2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Zeppel ◽  
Derek Eamus
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Canopy Conductance ◽  
Evaporative Demand ◽  
Sapwood Area ◽  
Huber Value ◽  
Tree Water Use ◽  
Decoupling Coefficient ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Daily Total

This paper compares rates of tree water use, Huber value, canopy conductance and canopy decoupling of two disparate, co-occurring tree species, in a stand of remnant native vegetation in temperate Australia in order to compare their relative behaviour seasonally and during and after a drought. The study site was an open woodland dominated by Eucalyptus crebra F.Muell. (a broad-leaved species) and Callitris glaucophylla J.Thompson & L.A.S. Johnson (a needle-leaved tree species). Tree water use was measured with sapflow sensors and leaf area and sapwood area were measured destructively on felled trees. The Huber value was calculated as the ratio of sapwood area to leaf area. Diameter at breast height (DBH) of the stem was used as a measure of tree size. Canopy conductance was calculated with an inversion of the Penman–Monteith equation, whereas canopy decoupling) was calculated as described by Lu et al. (2003). The relationship between DBH and daily total water use varied during the four measurement periods, with largest rates of water use observed in summer 2003–2004, following a large rainfall event and the smallest maximum water use observed in winter 2003 when monthly rainfall was much less than the long-term mean for those months. Despite differences in the relationship between sapwood area and DBH for the two species, the relationship between daily total water use and DBH did not differ between species at any time. The same rates of water use for the two species across sampling periods arose through different mechanisms; the eucalypt underwent significant changes in leaf area whereas the Callitris displayed large changes in canopy conductance, such that tree water use remained the same for both species during the 2-year period. Canopy conductance and the decoupling coefficient were both significantly larger in winter than summer in both years. The generally low decoupling coefficient (0.05–0.34) reflects the low leaf area index of the site. When evaporative demand was small (winter), the degree of stomatal control was small and the decoupling coefficient was large. There was no relationship between tree size and either canopy conductance or the decoupling coefficient. Transpiration rates generally showed little variation between seasons and between species because of the balance between changes in leaf area, canopy conductance and evaporative demand. The occurrence of a significant drought did not appear to prevent these coordinated changes from occurring, with the result that convergence in water use was observed for these two disparate species.

scholarly journals Comparison of water-use characteristics of tropical tree saplings with implications for forest restoration

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tushar Andriyas ◽  
Nisa Leksungnoen ◽  
Pantana Tor-ngern
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Canopy Conductance ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Sap Flux Density ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Moisture Conditions

AbstractTropical forests are experiencing reduced productivity and will need restoration with suitable species. Knowledge of species-specific responses to changing environments during early stage can help identify the appropriate species for sustainable planting. Hence, we investigated the variability in whole-tree canopy conductance and transpiration (Gt and EL) in potted saplings of common urban species in Thailand, viz., Pterocarpus indicus, Lagerstroemia speciosa, and Swietenia macrophylla, across wet and dry seasons in 2017–2018. Using a Bayesian modeling framework, Gt and EL were estimated from sap flux density, informed by the soil, atmospheric and tree measurements. Subsequently, we evaluated their variations with changing vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and soil moisture across timescales and season. We found that Gt and EL were higher and highly variable in L. speciosa across seasons than S. macrophylla and P. indicus. Our results implied that water-use in these species was sensitive to seasonal VPD. L. speciosa may be suitable under future climate variability, given its higher Gt and EL across atmospheric and soil moisture conditions. With their lower Gt and EL, P. indicus and S. macrophylla may photosynthesize throughout the year, maintaining their stomatal opening even under high VPD. These findings benefit reforestation and reclamation programs of degraded lands.

scholarly journals Remote Sensing of Ecosystem Water Use Efficiency: A Review of Direct and Indirect Estimation Methods

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2393
Author(s):  
Wanyuan Cai ◽  
Sana Ullah ◽  
Lei Yan ◽  
Yi Lin
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Analytical Model ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Estimation Methods ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
Canopy Conductance ◽  
Coupling Mechanism ◽  
Indirect Methods ◽  
Use Efficiency

Water use efficiency (WUE) is a key index for understanding the ecosystem of carbon–water coupling. The undistinguishable carbon–water coupling mechanism and uncertainties of indirect methods by remote sensing products and process models render challenges for WUE remote sensing. In this paper, current progress in direct and indirect methods of WUE estimation by remote sensing is reviewed. Indirect methods based on gross primary production (GPP)/evapotranspiration (ET) from ground observation, processed models and remote sensing are the main ways to estimate WUE in which carbon and water cycles are independent processes. Various empirical models based on meteorological variables and remote sensed vegetation indices to estimate WUE proved the ability of remotely sensed data for WUE estimating. The analytical model provides a mechanistic opportunity for WUE estimation on an ecosystem scale, while the hypothesis has yet to be validated and applied for the shorter time scales. An optimized response of canopy conductance to atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in an analytical model inverted from the conductance model has been also challenged. Partitioning transpiration (T) and evaporation (E) is a more complex phenomenon than that stated in the analytic model and needs a more precise remote sensing retrieval algorithm as well as ground validation, which is an opportunity for remote sensing to extrapolate WUE estimation from sites to a regional scale. Although studies on controlling the mechanism of environmental factors have provided an opportunity to improve WUE remote sensing, the mismatch in the spatial and temporal resolution of meteorological products and remote sensing data, as well as the uncertainty of meteorological reanalysis data, add further challenges. Therefore, improving the remote sensing-based methods of GPP and ET, developing high-quality meteorological forcing datasets and building mechanistic remote sensing models directly acting on carbon–water cycle coupling are possible ways to improve WUE remote sensing. Improvement in direct WUE remote sensing methods or remote sensing-driven ecosystem analysis methods can promote a better understanding of the global ecosystem carbon–water coupling mechanisms and vegetation functions–climate feedbacks to serve for the future global carbon neutrality.

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