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Title: Observations of stem water storage in trees of opposing hydraulic strategies

Abstract

Hydraulic capacitance and water storage form a critical buffer against cavitation and loss of conductivity within the xylem system. Withdrawal from water storage in leaves, branches, stems, and roots significantly impacts sap flow, stomatal conductance, and transpiration. Storage quantities differ based on soil water availability, tree size, wood anatomy and density, drought tolerance, and hydraulic strategy (anisohydric or isohydric). However, the majority of studies focus on the measurement of storage in conifers or tropical tree species. We demonstrate a novel methodology using frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) to make continuous, direct measurements of wood water content in two hardwood species in a forest in Michigan. We present results of a two month study comparing the water storage dynamics between a mature red oak and red maple, two species with differing wood densities, hydraulic architecture, and hydraulic strategy. We also include results pertaining to the use of different probe lengths to sample water content only within the active sapwood and over the entire conductive sapwood and the outer portion of heartwood in red oak. Both species studied exhibited diurnal cycles of storage that aligned well with the dynamics of sap flux. Red maple, a diffuse porous, relatively isohydric species showed a strongmore » dependence on stored water during both wet and dry periods. Red oak, a ring porous relatively anisohydric species, was less reliant on storage, and did not demonstrate a dependence on soil water potential. Comparison between long and short FDR probes in the oak revealed that oaks may utilize water stored in the innermost layers of the xylem when soil moisture conditions are limiting. We found the FDR probes to be a reliable, functional means for continuous automated measurement of wood water content in hardwoods at a fast time scale. Application of FDR technology for the measurement of tree water storage will benefit forest ecologists as well as the modeling community as we improve our understanding and simulations of plant hydrodynamic processes on a large scale.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [4]
  1. The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering
  2. Decagon Devices, Pullman, WA (United States)
  3. The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
  4. Univ. of Michigan, Pellston, MI (United States). Biological Station
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (United States); Rutgers Univ., Newark, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1454703
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1418641
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0007041
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Ecosphere
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 6; Journal Issue: 9; Journal ID: ISSN 2150-8925
Publisher:
Ecological Society of America
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Acer rubrum; frequency domain reflectometry; sap flow; soil moisture; stem water storage; transpiration; Quercus rubra

Citation Formats

Matheny, Ashley M., Bohrer, Gil, Garrity, Steven R., Morin, Timothy H., Howard, Cecil J., and Vogel, Christoph S. Observations of stem water storage in trees of opposing hydraulic strategies. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1890/ES15-00170.1.
Matheny, Ashley M., Bohrer, Gil, Garrity, Steven R., Morin, Timothy H., Howard, Cecil J., & Vogel, Christoph S. Observations of stem water storage in trees of opposing hydraulic strategies. United States. https://doi.org/10.1890/ES15-00170.1
Matheny, Ashley M., Bohrer, Gil, Garrity, Steven R., Morin, Timothy H., Howard, Cecil J., and Vogel, Christoph S. Tue . "Observations of stem water storage in trees of opposing hydraulic strategies". United States. https://doi.org/10.1890/ES15-00170.1. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1454703.
@article{osti_1454703,
title = {Observations of stem water storage in trees of opposing hydraulic strategies},
author = {Matheny, Ashley M. and Bohrer, Gil and Garrity, Steven R. and Morin, Timothy H. and Howard, Cecil J. and Vogel, Christoph S.},
abstractNote = {Hydraulic capacitance and water storage form a critical buffer against cavitation and loss of conductivity within the xylem system. Withdrawal from water storage in leaves, branches, stems, and roots significantly impacts sap flow, stomatal conductance, and transpiration. Storage quantities differ based on soil water availability, tree size, wood anatomy and density, drought tolerance, and hydraulic strategy (anisohydric or isohydric). However, the majority of studies focus on the measurement of storage in conifers or tropical tree species. We demonstrate a novel methodology using frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) to make continuous, direct measurements of wood water content in two hardwood species in a forest in Michigan. We present results of a two month study comparing the water storage dynamics between a mature red oak and red maple, two species with differing wood densities, hydraulic architecture, and hydraulic strategy. We also include results pertaining to the use of different probe lengths to sample water content only within the active sapwood and over the entire conductive sapwood and the outer portion of heartwood in red oak. Both species studied exhibited diurnal cycles of storage that aligned well with the dynamics of sap flux. Red maple, a diffuse porous, relatively isohydric species showed a strong dependence on stored water during both wet and dry periods. Red oak, a ring porous relatively anisohydric species, was less reliant on storage, and did not demonstrate a dependence on soil water potential. Comparison between long and short FDR probes in the oak revealed that oaks may utilize water stored in the innermost layers of the xylem when soil moisture conditions are limiting. We found the FDR probes to be a reliable, functional means for continuous automated measurement of wood water content in hardwoods at a fast time scale. Application of FDR technology for the measurement of tree water storage will benefit forest ecologists as well as the modeling community as we improve our understanding and simulations of plant hydrodynamic processes on a large scale.},
doi = {10.1890/ES15-00170.1},
journal = {Ecosphere},
number = 9,
volume = 6,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

Journal Article:
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Cited by: 70 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Average diurnal cycles of sap flux (bottom panels) and storage (top panels) for maple (red), oak long probes (cyan), and oak short probes (blue). Diurnal patterns of water use between storage and sap flux were corroborative.

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Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.