Interspecific variation in nighttime transpiration and stomatal conductance in a mixed New England deciduous forest

Transpiration is generally assumed to be insignificant at night when stomata close in response to the lack of photosynthetically active radiation. However, there is increasing evidence that the stomata of some species remain open at night, which would allow for nighttime transpiration if there were a sufficient environmental driving force. We examined nighttime water use in co-occurring species in a mixed deciduous stand at Harvard Forest, MA, using whole-tree and leaf-level measurements. Diurnal whole-tree water use was monitored continuously with Granier-style sap flux sensors in paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), red oak (Quercus rubra L.) and red maple (Acer rubrum L.). An analysis was conducted in which nighttime water flux could be partitioned between refilling of internal water stores and transpiration. Substantial nighttime sap flux was observed in all species and much of this flux was attributed to the refilling of depleted water stores. However, in paper birch, nighttime sap flux frequently exceeded recharge estimates. Over 10% of the total daily sap flux during the growing season was due to transpiration at night in paper birch. Nighttime sap flux was over 8% of the total daily flux in red oak and 2% in red maple; however, this flux was mainly associated with recharge. On nights with elevated vapor pressure deficit, sap flux continued through the night in paper birch, whereas it reached zero during the night in red oak and red maple. Measurements of leaf-level gas exchange on a night with elevated vapor pressure deficit showed stomatal conductance dropping by only 25% in paper birch, while approaching zero in red oak and red maple. The study highlighted differences in ecophysiological controls on sap flux exerted by co-occurring species. Paper birch is a fast-growing, shade-intolerant species with an earlier successional status than red oak and red maple. Risking water loss through nighttime transpiration may provide paper birch with an ecological advantage by enabling the species to maximize photosynthesis and support rapid growth. Nighttime transpiration may also be a mechanism for delivering oxygen to respiring cells in the deep sapwood of paper birch.     

Nocturnal sap flow characteristics and stem water recharge of Acacia mangium

In this paper, we studied the nocturnal stem water recharge of Acacia mangium. It is helpful to improve the precision of canopy transpiration estimation and canopy stomatal conductance, and to further understand the lag time of canopy transpiration to stem sap flow. In this study, the whole-tree sap flow in an A. mangium forest was measured by using Granier’s thermal dissipation probe for over two years in the hilly land of South China. The environmental factors, including relative humidity (RH), precipitation, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and air temperature (T _a) were recorded simultaneously. The stem water recharge of A. mangium was analyzed on both daily and monthly scales. Sap flux density was lower at night than during the day. The time range of nighttime sap flux density was longer in the dry season than in the wet season. The water recharging mainly occurred from sunset to midnight. No significant differences were observed among inter-annual nighttime water recharges. Nighttime water recharge had no significant correlation with environmental factors, but was well correlated with the diameter at breast height, tree height, and crown size. In the dry season the contribution of nighttime water recharge to total transpiration had significant correlations with daytime transpiration, total transpiration, VPD, PAR and T _a, while in the wet season it was significantly correlated with daily transpiration and total transpiration. __________ Translated from Chinese Journal of Ecology, 2007, 26(4): 476–482 [译自: 生态学杂志]     

Stem tangential strain on the tension wood side of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus crenata</Emphasis> saplings

The tangential strain on the inner bark surface of Fagus crenata sapling stems was continuously measured using strain gauges. The total strain increased daily, increasing at night and decreasing during the day. When tension wood was induced by artificial inclination, the strain increased more on the upper side than on the lower side; and the increment in the strain at night was larger on the upper side than on the lower. The change in tangential strain on the inner bark surface arose from changes in the water content and the volume of differentiating cells. Differentiating tension wood fibers appear to contain more water and to expand more at night than differentiating normal wood fibers. We can determine whether tension wood is formed from the tangential strain during growth.     

Effects of coppicing on the root and stump carbohydrate dynamics in birches

Whole birch stems were cut off in order to determine how coppicing affects root and stump starch, glucose, fructose and sucrose concentrations and their correlation with shoot regeneration capacity. The Betula pubescens Ehrh. and B. pendula Roth studied included intact trees, trees that had been coppiced 8 years earlier, trees coppiced at the beginning of the experimental season, and birches that had been coppiced twice, 8 years earlier and at the beginning of the experimental season. Carbohydrate accumulation differed between 8 years earlier coppiced and intact trees. Recent coppicing clearly decreased the starch and sugar concentrations of the roots, which were often highest in the thin roots. The concentrations of these compounds in the stumps were always low, although the carbohydrate concentrations of stumps, in particular, correlated with shoot regeneration capacity. Starch was the most labile of the carbohydrates measured and most clearly reacted to coppicing. Differences in starch- and sugar-reserve dynamics indicate a difference between these birch species in the use and replenishing of root and stump reserves. This information may also be of help when the effects of other stresses, for example, severe animal damage or burning, on the regrowth of young birch stands are estimated.     

Sap flow rates of Minquartia guianensis in central Amazonia during the prolonged dry season of 2015–2016

Minquartia guianensis Aubl.is a slow-growing species with several uses.In the juvenile state,it is well-adapted to low light conditions of the forest understory.However,it is still unknown how climate variability affects transpiration of this species,particularly under drought stress.In this study,we aimed to assess the effect of climatic variability on sap flow rates(SFR).SFR and radial growth were measured in six trees(14-50 cm diameter) in 2015 and 2016.Climate(precipitation,irradiance,relative humidity and temperature) and soil water content(SWC) data were also collected.SFR tended to increase in the dry season,with a negative relationship between SFR and SWC and precipitation(p 0.001),while there was a positive association between radial growth and monthly precipitation(p=0.004).Irradiance and temperature were the environmental factors more closely correlated with SFR during daytime(p0.001),whereas relative humidity and vapor pressure deficit were the most important factors at night(p0.001).Although negative SFR were sometimes recorded at night,the mean nocturnal sap flow was positive and across trees the nighttime sap flow accounted for 12.5%of the total daily sap flow.Increased transpiration during the dry season suggests that the root system of Minquartia was able to extract water from deep soil layers.These results widen our understanding of the ecophysiology of Amazonian trees under drought and provide further insight into the potential effect of the forecasted decline in precipitation in the Amazon region.     

基于树干液流通量的沙地樟子松合理林分密度的确定

应用热扩散式树干茎流计(TDP)对辽宁省章古台樟子松人工固沙林生长季期间树干液流速率进行了连续5年的测定,结合同步观测的降水、林冠截留量、林内蒸发散量和土壤水分含量,利用水量平衡的方法,推算了现阶段樟子松应有的合理密度。结果表明:4月上中旬沙地樟子松液流启动,10月中下旬液流基本结束,生长季(4-10月)各月平均液流速率分别为2.58、4.78、5.19、5.01、4.84、4.30、1.93 cm·h^-1,以6月份的最高,其次依次为7、8、5、9月份,4、10两月平均液流速率较低。通过推算,径阶14、16、18、20 cm的樟子松纯林的合理密度分别应为688、531、422、344株·hm^-2,现有同径阶的林分普遍存在密度过大的问题。研究结果对于现有林分的科学经营具有重要的指导意义。     

Seasonal variation in biomass and carbohydrate partitioning of understory sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) seedlings

We investigated seasonal patterns of biomass and carbohydrate partitioning in relation to shoot growth phenology in two age classes of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) seedlings growing in the understory of a partially harvested forest. The high root:shoot biomass ratio and carbohydrate concentration of sugar maple are characteristic of species with truncated growth patterns (i.e., cessation of aboveground shoot growth early in the growing season), a conservative growth strategy and high shade tolerance. The low root:shoot biomass ratio and carbohydrate concentration of yellow birch are characteristic of species with continuous growth patterns, an opportunistic growth strategy and low shade tolerance. In both species, starch represented up to 95% of total nonstructural carbohydrates and was mainly found in the roots. Contrary to our hypothesis, interspecific differences in shoot growth phenology (i.e., continuous versus truncated) did not result in differences in seasonal patterns of carbohydrate partitioning. Our results help explain the niche differentiation between sugar maple and yellow birch in temperate, deciduous understory forests.     

Nighttime exposure to ozone reduces whole-plant production in Betula pendula

For 20 weeks during the growing season, cuttings of one birch clone (Betula pendula Roth.) were exposed in the Birmensdorf fumigation chambers to O(3)-free air (control) or 75 nl O(3) l(-1). Ozone was supplied either from 1900 until 0700 h (nighttime regime), from 0700 until 1900 h (daylight regime), or all day (24-h regime). By autumn, reductions in whole-plant biomass production, root/shoot biomass and stem weight/length ratios were evident in all three O(3) regimes. The reductions in cuttings receiving the 24-h O(3) treatment were about twofold larger than in cuttings receiving the daylight O(3) treatment. Stomata were open at night, and stomatal conductance was about 50% of its maximum daytime value. We calculated that the rate of O(3) uptake into leaves in the dark approached 4 nmol m(-2) s(-1). Whole-plant production and carbon allocation were more sensitive to O(3) during the night than during the day; however, O(3) exposure caused similar visible leaf injury in both of the 12-h regimes, although the leaves exposed to O(3) at night exhibited delayed O(3)-induced shedding. Overall, changes in production and carbon allocation were determined by the external O(3) dose rather than by the kind of O(3) exposure, indicating that, at the seasonal scale, the internal dose of ozone that was physiologically effective was a constant fraction of the external O(3) dose. We conclude that nighttime O(3) exposures should be included in the daily time period for determining critical concentrations of O(3) causing injury in trees.     

Development of canopy stratification during early succession in northern hardwoods

Canopy development on a 6-year-old strip cut was analyzed by measuring the heights to terminal buds and bud scale scars of the tallest individuals of each species present on 50 plots of radius 6 m. Phenology of height growth was monitored during the following growing season. Pin cherry (Prunus pensylvania L.), an intolerant short-lived tree, had the fastest growth rate and was on the average the tallest species from the second to the sixth year of regrowth. Although advance regeneration of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and beech (Fagus grandifoloa Ehrh.) were the tallest trees during the first growing season, their slower growth rate insured that they would not keep up with the pin cherry. Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum L.) and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) occupied an intermediate position in the canopy by the end of the sixth growing season, and showed relatively greater annual height increment than beech or sugar maple. Height growth phenology differed slightly for each species. Beech, ash (Fraxinus americana L.) and sugar maple commenced growth early, grew rapidly and set buds all by 1 August (beech by 15 June). Yellow birch, pin cherry and trembling aspen started growing as early as the others, grew more slowly at first but then grew for a longer period of time. Striped maple seemed to be somewhat intermediate. Growth phenology and growth rate are related to the tolerance and growth form type (e.g. determinate or indeterminate) of the species. The most tolerant species tend to be determinate in growth form, have slower growth rates and complete height growth earlier. The intolerant species tend to be indeterminate, have a faster growth rate and continue to grow for a longer period. These may be mechanisms by which many species can grow together and avoid adverse effects such as suppression.     

Adaptive responses of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Acer ginnala,Pyrus ussuriensis and Prunus davidiana</Emphasis> seedlings to soil moisture stress

One-year-old seedlings of Amur maple (Acer ginnala Maxim), Ussurian pear (Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim) and David peach (Prunus davidiana Carr) were planted in pots in greenhouse and treated with four different soil moisture contents (75.0%,61.1%, 46.4% and 35.4%). The results showed that net photosynthesis rate (NPR), transpiration rate (TR) and stomatal conductance (Sc) of seedlings of the three species decreased with the decease of soil moisture content, and Amur maple seedlings had the greatest change in those physiological indices, followed by Ussurian pear, David peach. Amur maple and Ussurian pear seedlings also presented a decrease tendency in water use efficiency (WUE) under lower soil moisture content, whereas this was reversed for David peach. Under water stress the biomass allocation to seedling root had a significant increase for all the experimental species. As to root/shoot ratio, Amur maple seedlings had the biggest increase, while David peach had the smaliest increase. The leaf plasticity of Amur maple seedlings was greater, the leaf size and total leaf area decreased significantly as the stress was intensified. No significant change of leaf size and total leaf area was found in seedlings of Ussurian pear and David peach. It was concluded that Amur maple was more tolerant to soil moisture stress in comparison with David peach and Ussurian pear.     

Symptom development of the resinous stem canker caused by inoculation withCistella japonica ontoChamaecyparis obtusa

Cistella japonica was inoculated onto the stems of youngChamaecyparis obtusa trees, and the development of external and internal symptoms was investigated for five years. Most lesions started exuding resin from May to July during the first growing season after inoculation, while a few lesions started exuding resin during the second growing season. Resin exudation lasted for two successive years on most lesions, and during successive three, four, or five years on some lesions. Resin exuded excessively in the secondary phloem of the lesions and resin cysts frequently developed there. The lesions where cambial tissue was necrosed occupied 18% of all the lesions and the resinous areas expanded to a larger size than those where resin simply exuded in the phloem.Ci. japonica was reisolated from some inoculated lesion tissues at a high frequency. The isolation frequency of the fungus from some lesion tissues two and more years later was zero or low and that ofCryptosporiopsis abietina was high. This work was supported by a grant from the Forest Agency of the Japanese Government.     

Sap flow of Castanopsis jianfengensis and its relationship with environmental factors in a tropical montane rainforest

Using thermal dissipation and the ICT-2000TE equipment made in Australia, the sap flow of Castanopsis jianfengensis and various environmental factors were measured simultaneously in a mixed tropical montane rainforest at Jianfengling Nature Forest Reserve (18°369′N, 108°52′E, 860 m elevation) during the dry and rainy seasons of 2002. The results show that sap flow velocity of C. jianfengensis exhibited a monopeak pattern on clear days and a multi-peak pattern on cloudy or rainy days. Sap flow velocity had significant positive correlations with solar radiation, air temperature, vapor pressure deficit and wind speed and a negative correlation with air relative humidity. In the dry season, sap flow velocity had a significant positive correlation with soil temperature and poor correlation with soil moisture; it was the opposite in the rainy season, indicating that precipitation clearly affected sap flow. Linear regression models between sap flow and environmental factors were established and were significant at the 0.005 level of probability. The mean transpiration rates of C. jianfengensis were 103.5 and 41.3 kg/d in our single tree and 1.94 and 0.77 mm/d in stand level in the dry and rainy season, respectively. __________ Translated from the Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2007, 18(4): 742–748 [译自:应用生态学报]     

Four glucosides ofp-hydroxyphenyl derivatives from birch leaves

The extractive of shirakamba (Betula platyphylla Sukatchev var.japonica Hara) leaves was investigated. Four glucosides ofp-hydroxyphenyl derivatives were isolated, and their structures were indentified as betuloside (I), 3,4-dihydroxy-propiophenone-3--d-glucopyranoside (II), salidroside (III), and arbutin (IV). Arbutin was newly found in the leaves of shirakamba.     

Fine root dynamics of shaded cacao plantations in Costa Rica

Root turnover may contribute a significant proportion of recycled nutrients in agroforestry systems and competition between trees and crops for nutrients and water may depend on temporal fine root regrowth patterns. Fine root biomass ( 2 mm) and fine root productivity were measured during one year in plantations of cacao (Theobroma cacao) shaded by Erythrina poeppigiana or Cordia alliodora planted on a deep alluvial soil in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Fine root biomass of approximately 1.0 Mg ha^–1 varied little during the year with maximum values at the beginning of the rainy season of 1.85 Mg ha^–1 in the cacao-C. alliodora system compared to 1.20 Mg ha^–1 for cacao-E. poeppigiana. Fine root productivity of C. alliodora and E. poeppigiana (maximum of 205 and 120 kg ha^–1 4 week^–1, respectively) was greatest at the end of the rainy season, while for cacao it was greatest at the beginning of the rainy season (34–68 kg ha^–1 4 week^–1), which suggests that if nutrient competition occurs between the shade trees and the cacao, it could be minimized by early fertilization during the beginning of the rains immediately after pruning the shade trees. Annual fine root turnover was close to 1.0 in both systems. Assuming that fine root biomass in these mature plantations was constant on an annual basis, nutrient inputs from fine root turnover were estimated as 23–24 (N), 2 (P), 14–16 (K), 7–11 (Ca) and 3–10 (Mg) kg ha^–1 year^–1, representing 6–13% and 3–6% of total nutrient input in organic matter in the C. alliodora and E. poeppigiana systems, respectively.     

Partition of nocturnal sap flow in Acacia mangium and its implication for estimating the whole-tree transpiration

We analyzed the partition of nocturnal sap flow into refilling of internal water storage and transpiration in Acacia mangium. Sap flow of trees was monitored continuously with Granier’s sensors for estimating the whole-tree transpiration. Possible night transpiration and stomatal conductance at the leaf level in the canopy were measured with a LI-6400 photosynthesis measuring system. For nocturnal leaf transpiration and stomatal conductance were weak, nocturnal sap flow of mature A. mangium trees was mainly associated with water recharge in the trunk. No significant change in night water recharge of the trunk was found at both seasonal and inter-annual scales. Morphological features of trees including diameter at the breast height (DBH), tree height, and canopy size could explain variances of night water recharge. Furthermore, although the contribution of nocturnal sap flow to the total transpiration varied among seasons and DBH classes, the error caused by night water recharge on wholetree transpiration was negligible. __________ Translated from Journal of Plant Ecology (Chinese Version), 2007, 31 (5): 777–786 [译自: 植物生态学报]     

Sap flow characteristics of three afforestation species during the wet and dry seasons in a dry-hot valley in Southwest China

Assessing and using tree species (exotic or native) with superior tolerance to environmental stresses (such as drought and high temperature) play an important role in afforestation practices. In the present study, stem sap flow characteristics and responses to ambient meteorological factors of three tree species, Albizzia kalkora (native), Azadirachta indica (exotic), and Acacia auriculaeformis (exotic), in a dry-hot valley (Yuanmou, Yunnan Province, China) were investigated using thermal dissipation probes. The diurnal dynamics of sap flow in three studied species displayed an obvious circadian rhythm during the wet and dry seasons, with the exception of A. indica during the dry season. The sap flow velocity (SFV) in A. kalkora and A. auriculaeformis was significantly positively correlated with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), air temperature, vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and wind speed, but negatively correlated with atmospheric relative humidity over the two seasons. The cross-correlation analysis also revealed that the SFV of the three species was significantly correlated with PAR and VPD (P < 0.001). Additionally, stem sap flow lagged behind PAR but ahead of VPD, and the diurnal sap flow was more dependent on PAR than on VPD. However, we found that the dominant climatic factor influencing the stem sap flow differed between daytime and nighttime. PAR was more influential than other meteorological factors during the daytime, while VPD or other factors were more influential overnight. When the nighttime refilling ability of the three tree species was compared, our results suggest that A. indica has higher drought resistance and better for afforestation of the studied region.     

Hydraulic redistribution of soil water by neotropical savanna trees

The magnitude and direction of water transport by the roots of eight dominant Brazilian savanna (Cerrado) woody species were determined with a heat pulse system that allowed bidirectional measurements of sap flow. The patterns of sap flow observed during the dry season in species with dimorphic root systems were consistent with the occurrence of hydraulic redistribution of soil water, the movement of water from moist to drier regions of the soil profile via plant roots. In these species, shallow roots exhibited positive sap flow (from the soil into the plant) during the day and negative sap flow (from the plant into the soil) during the night. Sap flow in the taproots was positive throughout the 24-h period. Diel fluctuations in soil water potential, with maximum values occurring at night, provided evidence for partial rewetting of upper soil layers by water released from shallow roots. In other species, shallow roots exhibited negative sap flow during both the day and night, indicating that hydraulic redistribution was occurring continuously. A third sap flow pattern was observed at the end of the dry season after a heavy rainfall event when sap flow became negative in the taproot, and positive in the small roots, indicating movement of water from upper soil layers into shallow roots, and then into taproots and deeper soil layers. Experimental manipulations employed to evaluate the response of hydraulic redistribution to changes in plant and environmental conditions included watering the soil surface above shallow roots, decreasing transpiration by covering the plant and cutting roots where probes were inserted. Natural and manipulated patterns of sap flow in roots and stems were consistent with passive movement of water toward competing sinks in the soil and plant. Because dry shallow soil layers were often a stronger sink than the shoot, we suggest that the presence of a dimorphic root system in deciduous species may play a role in facilitating leaf expansion near the end of the dry season when the soil surrounding shallow lateral roots is still dry.     

Fine-root dynamics of coffee in association with two shade trees in Costa Rica

Fine-root dynamics (diameter < 2.0 mm) were studied on-farm in associations of Coffea arabica with Eucalyptus deglupta or Terminalia ivorensis and in a pseudo-chronosequence of C. arabica-E. deglupta associations (two, three, four and five years old). Coffee plants were submitted to two fertilisation types. Cores were taken in the 0–40 cm soil profile two years after out-planting and subsequently in the following year in depth layers 0–10 and 10–20 cm, during and at the end of the rainy season, and during the dry season. Fine root density of coffee and timber shade trees was greater in the coffee fertilisation strip as compared to unfertilised areas close to the plants or in the inter-rows. Coffee fine roots were more evenly distributed in the topsoil (0–20 cm) whereas tree fine roots were mostly found in the first 10 cm. Although the two tree species had approximately the same fine root length density, lower coffee / tree fine root length density ratios in T. ivorensis suggest that this shade tree is potentially a stronger competitor with coffee than E. deglupta. Coffee and tree fine root length density for 0–10 cm measured during the rainy season increased progressively from two to five-year-aged associations and coffee fine root length density increased relatively more than E. deglupta fine root length density in the four and five-year-aged plantations suggesting that contrary to expectations, coffee fine roots were displacing tree fine roots.     

Heart splitting at crosscutting of eucalypt logs

The occurrence of heart splitting during the crosscutting of logs was discussed in relation to the released strain on Eucalyptus spp. logs. The strains released in the longitudinal and tangential directions were measured by the strain-gauge method and were correlated with the length of the heart split measured on the same logs. There were differences in the longitudinal strain; however, no significant correlation was found with the diameter that could be converted to a mean annual increment (i.e., a relation with the growth rate). The initial splits expand with the time after felling. The longer the initial split, the longer is the length 1 week after felling. The split length was significantly smaller at the butt end of the first log of every tree than at the other end, but there were no significant differences between the split length at the top of the first logs and at either end of the second logs, although there were differences among individual trees. The length of the heart split correlated with the released strain near the pith, which was estimated using Kublers equation. The longitudinal released strain measured on the surface of logs is a good indicator of the heart splitting when crosscutting logs.Part of this paper was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society     

Rainfall redistribution of a virgin Pinus koraiensis forest and secondary Betula platyphylla forest in Northeast China

A virgin Pinus koraiensis forest in the Xiaoxing’an Mountains was selected to study its rainfall redistribution effect via 97 rainfall occurrences during a growing season. The following results were obtained: 1) The canopy interception of the P. koraiensis virgin forest amounted to 98168 mm during a growing season (May to September), which was 19.6 per cent of the total rainfall and 1.3 times that of a secondary Betula platyphylla forest. Compared with other forest types in China (11.4%–36.5%), the ratio of the canopy interception in the virgin pine forest was at a medium level. 2) The throughfall of the virgin pine forest was 395.77 mm, which accounted for 78.7% of total precipitation, and the stem-flow was 8.78 mm, accounting for 1.74% of total precipitation. Compared with the secondary birch forest, the virgin pine forest had lower throughfall but higher stem-flow. 3) Cubic regression equations (p < 0.01) which describe the relation between throughfall, stem-flow and canopy interception in the virgin pine forest and rainfall in an open field were fitted. A linear regression equation (p < 0.01) was found to be a better fit for the relationship between throughfall of the secondary birch forest and rainfall outside the forest. Factors affecting throughfall and stem-flow were analyzed, with results providing a good reference to the study of rainfall redistribution in coniferous and broadleaved mixed forests. __________ Translated from Science of Soil and Water Conservation, 2006, 4(6): 61–65 [译自: 中国水土保持科学]