skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Stable Water Isotopes Reveal Effects of Intermediate Disturbance and Canopy Structure on Forest Water Cycling

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jg005118· OSTI ID:1801751

Abstract Forests play an integral role in the terrestrial water cycle and link exchanges of water between the land surface and the atmosphere. To examine the effects of an intermediate disturbance on forest water cycling, we compared vertical profiles of stable water vapor isotopes in two closely located forest sites in northern lower Michigan. At one site, all canopy‐dominant early successional species were stem girdled to induce mortality and accelerate senescence. At both sites, we measured the isotopic composition of atmospheric water vapor at six heights during three seasons (spring, summer, and fall) and paired vertical isotope profiles with local meteorology and sap flux. Disturbance had a substantial impact on local water cycling. The undisturbed canopy was moister, retained more transpired vapor, and at times was poorly mixed with the free atmosphere above the canopy. Differences between the disturbed and undisturbed sites were most pronounced in the summer when transpiration was high. Differences in forest structure at the two sites also led to more isotopically stratified vapor within the undisturbed canopy. Our findings suggest that intermediate disturbance may increase mixing between the surface layer and above‐canopy atmosphere and alter ecosystem‐atmosphere gas exchange.

Research Organization:
Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0007041
OSTI ID:
1801751
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1570089
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences, Vol. 124, Issue 10; ISSN 2169-8953
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 13 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (84)

Age structure and disturbance legacy of North American forests journal January 2011
Diurnal variation in the stable isotope composition of water and dry matter in fruiting Lupinus angustifolius under field conditions journal July 2002
How the environment, canopy structure and canopy physiological functioning influence carbon, water and energy fluxes of a temperate broad-leaved deciduous forest--an assessment with the biophysical model CANOAK journal November 2002
Analyses of assumptions and errors in the calculation of stomatal conductance from sap flux measurements journal May 2000
Summertime Moisture Transport to the Southern South American Altiplano: Constraints from In Situ Measurements of Water Vapor Isotopic Composition journal April 2015
The increasing importance of atmospheric demand for ecosystem water and carbon fluxes journal September 2016
The contribution of evaporation from the Great Lakes to the continental atmosphere: estimate based on stable isotope data journal April 1994
Evaluation of transpiration in a Douglas-fir stand by means of sap flow measurements journal December 1987
Terrestrial water fluxes dominated by transpiration journal April 2013
Water vapour 18 O/ 16 O isotope ratio in surface air in New England, USA journal January 2006
Detection and variability of combustion-derived vapor in an urban basin journal January 2018
The stability and calibration of water vapor isotope ratio measurements during long-term deployments journal January 2015
Determining water sources in the boundary layer from tall tower profiles of water vapor and surface water isotope ratios after a snowstorm in Colorado journal January 2013
Evapotranspiration partitioning at the ecosystem scale using the stable isotope method—A review journal December 2018
Spatial Variation in Canopy Structure across Forest Landscapes journal August 2018
Isotopic fractionation of water during evaporation journal January 2003
Impact of fire suppression on a mixed-conifer forest journal January 1979
Effects of selective logging on tree diversity and some soil characteristics in a tropical forest in southwest Ghana journal February 2014
Wind as a natural disturbance agent in forests: a synthesis journal September 2012
Water uptake by plants: perspectives from stable isotope composition journal December 1992
Age structure and disturbance legacy of North American forests journal January 2010
A Large-Eddy Simulation Study of Water Vapour and Carbon Dioxide Isotopes in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer journal July 2011
Diurnal variation of Δ13CO2, ΔC18O16O and evaporative site enrichment of δH218O in Piper aduncum under field conditions in Trinidad journal March 1998
Hydraulic diversity of forests regulates ecosystem resilience during drought journal September 2018
Emerald Ash Borer Invasion of North America: History, Biology, Ecology, Impacts, and Management journal January 2014
Evapotranspiration components determined by stable isotope, sap flow and eddy covariance techniques journal October 2004
δ 18 O of water vapour, evapotranspiration and the sites of leaf water evaporation in a soybean canopy journal September 2008
Deuterium excess as a proxy for continental moisture recycling and plant transpiration journal January 2014
Water-use efficiency and transpiration across European forests during the Anthropocene journal May 2015
The nocturnal water cycle in an open-canopy forest: NOCTURNAL FOREST WATER journal September 2013
Temporal variations of atmospheric water vapor δ D and δ 18 O above an arid artificial oasis cropland in the Heihe River Basin : vapor δD and δ18O above an arid cropland journal October 2014
Daily dynamics of radiation surface temperature of different land cover types in a temperate cultural landscape: Consequences for the local climate journal May 2013
The concentration and isotopic abundances of atmospheric carbon dioxide in rural areas journal January 1958
On using eco-physiological, micrometeorological and biogeochemical theory to evaluate carbon dioxide, water vapor and trace gas fluxes over vegetation: a perspective journal March 1998
Forest structure in space and time: Biotic and abiotic determinants of canopy complexity and their effects on net primary productivity journal March 2018
Water vapour 18 O/ 16 O isotope ratio in surface air in New England, USA journal September 2006
The distribution of deuterium and 18O in dry soils journal October 1984
Short-term variations of vapor isotope ratios reveal the influence of atmospheric processes journal May 2011
Canopy Damage and Recovery After Selective Logging in Amazonia: Field and Satellite Studies journal August 2004
Liquid-vapor fractionation of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of water from the freezing to the critical temperature journal August 1994
The Role of Plant CO 2 Physiological Forcing in Shaping Future Daily-Scale Precipitation journal April 2017
Measuring variations of δ 18 O and δ 2 H in atmospheric water vapour using two commercial laser-based spectrometers: an instrument characterisation study journal January 2012
Microclimate in Forest Ecosystem and Landscape Ecology journal April 1999
Seasonal Patterns of Water Cycling in a Deep, Continental Mountain Valley Inferred From Stable Water Vapor Isotopes journal July 2018
Differential declines in Alaskan boreal forest vitality related to climate and competition journal November 2017
Assessing the impacts of global warming on forest pest dynamics journal April 2003
Canopy Structural Changes Following Widespread Mortality of Canopy Dominant Trees journal July 2013
Molecular diffusivities of H[sub 2] [sup 16]O, HD[sup 16]O, and H[sub 2] [sup 18]O in gases journal January 1978
Contrasting Hydraulic Strategies during Dry Soil Conditions in Quercus rubra and Acer rubrum in a Sandy Site in Michigan journal December 2013
Mechanisms of plant survival and mortality during drought: why do some plants survive while others succumb to drought? journal June 2008
Deuterium excess in the atmospheric water vapour of a Mediterranean coastal wetland: regional vs. local signatures journal January 2015
Homogenization of northern U.S. Great Lakes forests due to land use journal April 2007
Vegetation induced changes in the stable isotope composition of near surface humidity: VEGETATION INDUCED CHANGES IN HUMIDITY journal August 2013
δ 2 H isotopic flux partitioning of evapotranspiration over a grass field following a water pulse and subsequent dry down journal February 2014
Stable isotopes in precipitation journal November 1964
The use of stable isotopes to study ecosystem gas exchange journal May 2000
Species‐specific transpiration responses to intermediate disturbance in a northern hardwood forest journal December 2014
Isotopic composition of transpiration and rates of change in leaf water isotopologue storage in response to environmental variables: Isotopic non-steady-state transpiration journal June 2013
Fire treatment effects on vegetation structure, fuels, and potential fire severity in western U.S. forests journal March 2009
Canopy-structure effects on surface roughness parameters: Observations in a Great Lakes mixed-deciduous forest journal August 2013
A meta-analysis of water vapor deuterium-excess in the midlatitude atmospheric surface layer: VAPOR DEUTERIUM-EXCESS META-ANALYSIS journal September 2012
Spatially Explicit and Stochastic Simulation of Forest-Landscape fire Disturbance and Succession journal January 1999
Atmospheric Water Vapor Transport and the Water Balance of North America: ii. Large-Scale Water Balance Investigations journal October 1968
Temporal variations of the 18 O/ 16 O signal of the whole-canopy transpiration in a temperate forest : ISOTOPIC SIGNAL OF CANOPY TRANSPIRATION journal August 2007
Stable isotopes in precipitation text January 2021
Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotopes in the Hydrologic Cycle journal May 1996
Fractionation of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in evaporating water journal November 2009
A Review of the Main Driving Factors of Forest Fire Ignition Over Europe journal October 2012
Transpiration in the global water cycle journal June 2014
Detecting deforestation impacts in Southern Amazonia rainfall using rain gauges: ARE RAIN GAUGES ABLE TO DETECT DEFORESTATION IMPACTS IN PRECIPITATION? journal October 2016
Trees, forests and water: Cool insights for a hot world journal March 2017
Deuterium excess reveals diurnal sources of water vapor in forest air journal July 2010
Stable isotope composition of water vapor in the atmospheric boundary layer above the forests of New England journal May 1999
Forest Canopy Structural Complexity and Light Absorption Relationships at the Subcontinental Scale journal April 2018
Isotopic Variations in Meteoric Waters journal May 1961
Critical impact of vegetation physiology on the continental hydrologic cycle in response to increasing CO 2 journal April 2018
Sustained carbon uptake and storage following moderate disturbance in a Great Lakes forest journal July 2013
Moisture sources and synoptic to seasonal variability of North Atlantic water vapor isotopic composition: NORTH ATLANTIC WATER VAPOR ISOTOPES journal June 2015
Homogenization of northern U.S. Great Lakes forests due to land use journal May 2007
Temporal dynamics of soil moisture in a northern temperate mixed successional forest after a prescribed intermediate disturbance journal October 2013
The distribution of deuterium and 18O in dry soils journal January 1983
Stable isotopes in precipitation journal January 1964
Critical impact of vegetation physiology on the continental hydrologic cycle in response to increasing CO2 text January 2018
Deuterium excess as a proxy for continental moisture recycling and plant transpiration text January 2014