Ecosystem-Level Energy and Water Budgets Are Resilient to Canopy Mortality in Sparse Semiarid Biomes
Abstract
Abstract Climate‐driven woody vegetation mortality is a defining feature of semiarid biomes that drives fundamental changes in ecosystem structure. However, the observed impacts of woody mortality on ecosystem‐scale energy and water budgets and the responses of surviving vegetation are highly variable among studies in water‐limited environments. A previous girdling manipulation experiment in a piñon‐juniper woodland suggested that although ecosystem‐scale evapotranspiration was not altered by large‐scale piñon mortality, soil water content decreased and the surviving juniper experienced greater water stress than juniper in an undisturbed woodland. Here we experimentally explored to what extent mortality‐induced changes in energy balance components can explain these results. We compared energy fluxes measured above two adjacent piñon‐juniper woodlands where piñon girdling was implemented at one site and the other subsequently experienced large‐scale natural piñon mortality. We found that the mortality‐induced decrease in canopy area was not sufficient to alter surface reflectance, roughness, and partitioning between energy budget components at both sites. A radiative transfer model estimated that because of the sparse premortality canopy, surface reflectance is more sensitive to a large increase in understory leaf area than further loss of crown area. Increased water stress in the remaining juniper following both mortality events can be explainedmore »
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[1];
[1]
- Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Biology Dept.
- Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States). School of Natural Resources and the Environment
- Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Geography and Environmental Studies Dept.; Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Center for Advancement of Spatial Informatics Research and Education
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1849875
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1786742
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-08ER46506; DE‐FG02‐08ER46506
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 125; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-8953
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Geology
Citation Formats
Huang, Cheng‐Wei, Krofcheck, Dan J., Duman, Tomer, Fox, Andrew M., Pockman, William T., Lippit, Christopher D., McIntire, Cameron D., and Litvak, Marcy E. Ecosystem-Level Energy and Water Budgets Are Resilient to Canopy Mortality in Sparse Semiarid Biomes. United States: N. p., 2020.
Web. doi:10.1029/2020jg005858.
Huang, Cheng‐Wei, Krofcheck, Dan J., Duman, Tomer, Fox, Andrew M., Pockman, William T., Lippit, Christopher D., McIntire, Cameron D., & Litvak, Marcy E. Ecosystem-Level Energy and Water Budgets Are Resilient to Canopy Mortality in Sparse Semiarid Biomes. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020jg005858
Huang, Cheng‐Wei, Krofcheck, Dan J., Duman, Tomer, Fox, Andrew M., Pockman, William T., Lippit, Christopher D., McIntire, Cameron D., and Litvak, Marcy E. Mon .
"Ecosystem-Level Energy and Water Budgets Are Resilient to Canopy Mortality in Sparse Semiarid Biomes". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020jg005858. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1849875.
@article{osti_1849875,
title = {Ecosystem-Level Energy and Water Budgets Are Resilient to Canopy Mortality in Sparse Semiarid Biomes},
author = {Huang, Cheng‐Wei and Krofcheck, Dan J. and Duman, Tomer and Fox, Andrew M. and Pockman, William T. and Lippit, Christopher D. and McIntire, Cameron D. and Litvak, Marcy E.},
abstractNote = {Abstract Climate‐driven woody vegetation mortality is a defining feature of semiarid biomes that drives fundamental changes in ecosystem structure. However, the observed impacts of woody mortality on ecosystem‐scale energy and water budgets and the responses of surviving vegetation are highly variable among studies in water‐limited environments. A previous girdling manipulation experiment in a piñon‐juniper woodland suggested that although ecosystem‐scale evapotranspiration was not altered by large‐scale piñon mortality, soil water content decreased and the surviving juniper experienced greater water stress than juniper in an undisturbed woodland. Here we experimentally explored to what extent mortality‐induced changes in energy balance components can explain these results. We compared energy fluxes measured above two adjacent piñon‐juniper woodlands where piñon girdling was implemented at one site and the other subsequently experienced large‐scale natural piñon mortality. We found that the mortality‐induced decrease in canopy area was not sufficient to alter surface reflectance, roughness, and partitioning between energy budget components at both sites. A radiative transfer model estimated that because of the sparse premortality canopy, surface reflectance is more sensitive to a large increase in understory leaf area than further loss of crown area. Increased water stress in the remaining juniper following both mortality events can be explained by an increase in radiation on the ground that promoted higher soil temperature and evaporation. We found similar responses of ecosystem and tree‐level functions to both girdling and natural mortality. This suggests that girdling is an appropriate approach to explore the impact of tree mortality on ecosystem structure, function, and energy balance.},
doi = {10.1029/2020jg005858},
journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences},
number = 10,
volume = 125,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 14 00:00:00 EDT 2020},
month = {Mon Sep 14 00:00:00 EDT 2020}
}
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