Soil warming increased whole-tree water use of Pinus cembra at the treeline in the Central Tyrolean Alps

Tree Physiology
Gerhard WieserAndreas Gruber

Abstract

This study quantified the effect of soil warming on sap flow density (Qs) of Pinus cembra L. at the treeline in the Central Tyrolean Alps. To enhance soil temperature we installed a transparent roof construction above the forest floor around six trees. Six other trees served as controls in the absence of any manipulation. Roofing enhanced growing season mean soil temperature by 1.6, 1.3 and 1.0 °C at 5, 10 and 20 cm soil depth, respectively, while soil water availability was not affected. Sap flow density (using Granier-type thermal dissipation probes) and environmental parameters were monitored throughout three growing seasons. During the first year of treatment, no warming effect was detected on Qs. However, soil warming caused Qs to increase significantly by 11 and 19% above levels in control trees during the second and third year, respectively. This effect appeared to result from warming-induced root production, a reduction in viscosity and perhaps an increase also in root hydraulic conductivity. Hardly affected were leaf-level net CO2 uptake rate and conductance for water vapour, so that water-use efficiency stayed unchanged as confirmed by needle δ(13)C analysis. We conclude that tree water loss will increase with soil wa...Continue Reading

References

Nov 11, 1999·Plant Physiology·X Wan, J J Zwiazek
Sep 20, 2006·Journal of Plant Physiology·Celestino RuggieroAlbino Maggio
Sep 28, 2007·Plant, Cell & Environment·Andrew J McElroneRobert B Jackson
Oct 27, 2010·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Richard J NorbyRoss E McMurtrie
Jun 1, 2009·Annals of Forest Science·Gerhard WieserAndreas Gruber

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Citations

Jul 5, 2016·Frontiers in Plant Science·Gerhard WieserThorsten Erhard Edgar Grams
Jul 9, 2016·Plant, Cell & Environment·Renée M MarchinWilliam A Hoffmann
May 31, 2017·Plant, Cell & Environment·Charlotte GrossiordNate G McDowell

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