Canopy conductance and stand transpiration of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus simonii Carr</Emphasis> in response to soil and atmospheric water deficits in farmland shelterbelt,Northwest China

Populus simonii Carr trees are the most abundant species in Xinjiang farmland shelterbelt. They played an important role in protecting farmland ecosystem. Their stand transpiration rates and canopy conductances ranged from 0.14 to 1.02 cm d^?1 and from 1.19*10^?3 to 8.99*10^?5 m s^?1, respectively, during the 2014 growing season. Transpiration rate was showed quadratic polynomial regression with vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and air temperature (T), and exponential relationship with solar radiation (R_n). Furthermore, transpiration peaked at VPD, T, and Rn were 2.1 kPa, 23 °C, and 200 W m^?2, respectively. Canopy conductance increased exponentially with the increasing R_n, whereas decreased logarithmically with the increasing VPD. Besides, transpiration increased with the increasing T and VPD ,and decreased sharply with the increasing soil water deficit. Finally, canopy conductance increased with the decreasing atmospheric water deficit. These results are not only providing the basis for more detailed analyses of water physiology and growth of Populus simonii Carr trees for the later application of a climate-driven process model, but also might have implications for farmland shelterbelt management.