Diurnal patterns of water use in Eucalyptus victrix indicate pronounced desiccation-rehydration cycles despite unlimited water supply

The dynamics of nocturnal sap flow components of a typical revegetation shrub species on the semiarid Loess Plateau, China

Introduction

The components of nighttime sap flux (En), which include transpiration (Qn) and stem water recharge (Rn), play important roles in water balance and drought adaptation in plant communities in water-limited regions. However, the quantitative and controlling factors of En components are unclear.

Methods

This study used the heat balance method to measure sap flow density in Vitex negundo on the Loess Plateau for a normal precipitation year (2021) and a wetter year (2022).

Results

The results showed that the mean values were 1.04 and 2.34 g h-1 cm-2 for Qn, 0.19 and 0.45 g h-1 cm-2 for Rn in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and both variables were greater in the wetter year. The mean contributions of Qn to En were 79.76% and 83.91% in 2021 and 2022, respectively, indicating that the En was mostly used for Qn. Although the vapor pressure deficit (VPD), air temperature (Ta) and soil water content (SWC) were significantly correlated with Qn and Rn on an hourly time scale, they explained a small fraction of the variance in Qn on a daily time scale. The main driving factor was SWC between 40-200 cm on a monthly time scale for the Qn and Rn variations. Rn was little affected by meteorological and SWC factors on a daily scale. During the diurnal course, Qn and Rn initially both declined after sundown because of decreasing VPD and Ta, and Qn was significantly greater than Rn, whereas the two variables increased when VPD was nearly zero and Ta decreased, and Rn was greater than Qn.

Discussion

These results provided a new understanding of ecophysiological responses and adaptation of V. negundo plantations to increasing drought severity and duration under climate changes.

Testing of a custom, portable drill press to minimize probe misalignment in sap flow sensors

The accurate estimation of plant transpiration is critical to the fields of hydrology, plant physiology and ecology. Among the various methods of measuring transpiration in the field, the sap flow methods based on head pulses offers a cost-effective and energy-efficient option to directly measure the plant-level movement of water through the hydraulically active tissue. While authors have identified several possible sources of error in these measurements, one of the most common sources is misalignment of the sap flow probes due to user error. Though the effects of probe misalignment are well documented, no device or technique has been universally adopted to ensure the proper installation of sap flow probes. In this paper we compare the magnitude of misalignment errors among a 5 mm thick drilling template (DT), a 10 mm thick DT, and a custom designed, field-portable drill press. The different techniques were evaluated in the laboratory using a 7.5 cm wood block and in the field, comparing differences in measured sap flow. Based on analysis of holes drilled in the wood block, we found that the portable drill press was most effective in assuring that drill holes remained parallel, even at 7.5 cm depth. In field installations, nearly 50% of holes drilled with a 5 mm template needed to be redrilled while none needed to be when drilled with the drill press. Widespread use of a portable drill press when implementing the heat pulse method would minimize alignment uncertainty and allow a clearer understanding of other sources of uncertainty due to variability in tree species, age, or external drivers or transpiration.

Nocturnal sap flow as compensation for water deficits: an implicit water-saving strategy used by mangroves in stressful environments

As part of the plant water-use process, plant nocturnal sap flow (Q _n) has been demonstrated to have important ecophysiological significance to compensate for water loss. The purpose of this study was to explore nocturnal water-use strategies to fill the knowledge gap in mangroves, by measuring three species co-occurring in a subtropical estuary. Sap flow was monitored over an entire year using thermal diffusive probes. Stem diameter and leaf-level gas exchange were measured in summer. The data were used to explore the different nocturnal water balance maintaining mechanisms among species. The Q _n existed persistently and contributed markedly over 5.5%~24.0% of the daily sap flow (Q) across species, which was associated with two processes, nocturnal transpiration (E _n) and nocturnal stem water refilling (R _n). We found that the stem recharge of the Kandelia obovata and Aegiceras corniculatum occurred mainly after sunset and that the high salinity environment drove higher Q _n while stem recharge of the Avicennia marina mainly occurred in the daytime and the high salinity environment inhibited the Q _n. The diversity of stem recharge patterns and response to sap flow to high salinity conditions were the main reasons for the differences in Q _n/Q among species. For Kandelia obovata and Aegiceras corniculatum, R _n was the main contributor to Q _n, which was driven by the demands of stem water refilling after diurnal water depletion and high salt environment. Both of the species have a strict control over the stomata to reduce water loss at night. In contrast, Avicennia marina maintained a low Q _n, driven by vapor pressure deficit, and the Q _n mainly used for E _n, which adapts to high salinity conditions by limiting water dissipation at night. We conclude that the diverse ways Q _n properties act as water-compensating strategies among the co-occurring mangrove species might help the trees to overcoming water scarcity.

Salt Stress-Regulation of Root Water Uptake in a Whole-Plant and Diurnal Context

This review focuses on the regulation of root water uptake in plants which are exposed to salt stress. Root water uptake is not considered in isolation but is viewed in the context of other potential tolerance mechanisms of plants-tolerance mechanisms which relate to water relations and gas exchange. Plants spend between one third and half of their lives in the dark, and salt stress does not stop with sunset, nor does it start with sunrise. Surprisingly, how plants deal with salt stress during the dark has received hardly any attention, yet any growth response to salt stress over days, weeks, months and years is the integrative result of how plants perform during numerous, consecutive day/night cycles. As we will show, dealing with salt stress during the night is a prerequisite to coping with salt stress during the day. We hope to highlight with this review not so much what we know, but what we do not know; and this relates often to some rather basic questions.

Bark and sapwood water storage and the atypical pattern of recharge and discharge of water reservoirs indicate low vulnerability to drought in Araucaria araucana

Stored water in inner tissues influences the plant water economy, which might be particularly relevant for trees facing increasing dry conditions due to climate change. We studied the water storage in the inner bark and the sapwood of Araucaria araucana (Molina) K. Koch. This species has an extremely thick inner bark and thus it can be used as a model system to assess the impact of internal water storage on plant water balance. Specifically, we analyzed the water circulation pathways in and out of the elastic water storages by using simultaneously frequency domain moisture sensors and dendrometers inserted in the inner bark and in the sapwood, and sap flow determinations during the dry season. The daily patterns of water content and expansion and contraction of the stem tissues were similar to the sap flow pattern. The whole-stem water content and diameter increased in the morning and decreased in the afternoon, contrary to the typical pattern observed in most tree species. An osmotic gradient favoring the water influx from sapwood to inner bark was observed in the morning. There were no lags in the onset of sap flow between different stem heights at the time that recharge of reservoirs occurred. Sap flow at 6 m height was higher than basal sap flow in the afternoon, when the sapwood water content started to decline followed by the water content of the inner bark. Inner bark and sapwood contributed 5-11% to total daily transpiration, allowing the maintenance of high water potentials in the dry season. Our results suggest that the stored water in the stems, the atypical dynamic of recharge and discharge of water from reservoirs and the high tissue capacitance may make an important contribution to the survival of A. araucana during drought periods by maintaining the water balance.

Multiple-Temporal Scale Variations in Nighttime Sap Flow Response to Environmental Factors in Ficus concinna over a Subtropical Megacity, Southern China

With ongoing climate change and rapid urbanization, the influence of extreme weather conditions on long-term nocturnal sap flow (Qn) dynamics in subtropical urban tree species is poorly understood despite the importance of Qn for the water budgets and development plantation. We continuously measured nighttime sap flow in Ficus concinna over multiple years (2014–2020) in a subtropical megacity, Shenzhen, to explore the environmental controls on Qn and dynamics in plant water consumption at different timescales. Nocturnally, Qn was shown to be positively driven by the air temperature (Ta), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and canopy conductance (expressed as a ratio of transpiration to VPD), yet negatively regulated by relative humidity (RH). Seasonally, variations in Qn were determined by VPD in fast growth, Ta, T/VPD, and meteoric water input to soils in middle growth, and RH in the terminal growth stages of the trees. Annual mean Qn varied from 2.87 to 6.30 kg d−1 with an interannual mean of 4.39 ± 1.43 kg d−1 (± standard deviation). Interannually, the key regulatory parameters of Qn were found to be Ta, T/VPD, and precipitation (P)-induced-soil moisture content (SMC), which individually explained 69, 63, 83, and 76% of the variation, respectively. The proportion of the nocturnal to the total 24-h sap flow (i.e., Qn/Q24-h × 100) ranged from 0.18 to 17.39%, with an interannual mean of 8.87%. It is suggested that high temperatures could increase transpirational demand and, hence, water losses during the night. Our findings can potentially assist in sustainable water management in subtropical areas and urban planning under increasing urban heat islands expected with future climate change.

A double-ratio method to measure fast, slow and reverse sap flows

Sap velocity measurements are useful in fields ranging from plant water relations to hydrology at a variety of scales. Techniques based on pulses of heat are among the most common methods to measure sap velocity, but most lack ability to measure velocities across a wide range, including very high, very low and negative velocities (reverse flow). We propose a new method, the double-ratio method (DRM), which is robust across an unprecedented range of sap velocities and provides real-time estimates of the thermal diffusivity of wood. The DRM employs one temperature sensor upstream (proximal) and two sensors downstream (distal) to the source of heat. This facilitates several theoretical, heat-based approaches to quantifying sap velocity. We tested the DRM using whole-tree lysimetry in Eucalyptus cypellocarpa L.A.S. Johnson and found strong agreement across a wide range of velocities.

Xylem transport of root-derived CO2 caused a substantial underestimation of belowground respiration during a growing season

Previous research has indicated that a potentially large portion of root-respired CO₂ can move internally through tree xylem, but these reports are relatively scarce and have generally been limited to short observations. Our main objective was to provide a continuous estimate of the quantity and variability of root-respired CO₂ that moves either internally through the xylem (F_T ) or externally through the soil to the atmosphere (F_S ) over most of a growing season. Nine trees were measured in a Populus deltoides stand for 129 days from early June to mid-October. We calculated F_T as the product of sap flow and dissolved [CO₂ ] in the xylem (i.e., [CO₂ *]) and calculated F_S using the [CO₂ ] gradient method. During the study, stem and soil CO₂ concentrations, temperature, and sap flow were measured continuously. We determined that F_T accounted for 33% of daily total belowground CO₂ flux (i.e., F_S  + F_T ; F_B ) during our observation period that spanned most of a growing season. Cumulative daily F_T was lower than F_S 74% of the time, equivalent to F_S 26% of the time, and never exceeded F_S . One-third of the total CO₂ released by belowground respiration over most of the growing season in this forest stand followed the F_T pathway rather than diffusing into the soil. The magnitude of F_T indicates that measurements of F_S alone substantially underestimate total belowground respiration in some forest ecosystems by systematically underestimating belowground autotrophic respiration. The variability in F_T observed during the growing season demonstrated the importance of making long-term, high-frequency measurements of different flux pathways to better understand physiological and ecological processes and their implications to global change.

Sap flow of Amorpha fruticosa: implications of water use strategy in a semiarid system with secondary salinization

A. fruticosa (Amorpha fruticosa L.) is widely used for revegetation in semiarid lands that undergo secondary salinization. Understanding A. fruticosa plants response to soil water and salt stress is essential for water irrigation management and proper revegetation practices. In this study, we measured sap flow, stomatal conductance, meteorological and soil characteristics in an A. fruticosa community that recently experienced secondary salinization in northwestern China. Results of our study showed that daytime and nocturnal sap flows averaged 804.37 g·cm^-2·day^-1 and 46.06 g·cm^-2·day^-1, respectively, during the growing season. Within individual days, the highest sap flow appeared around noon local time and followed a similar pattern of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Despite the significant effect of meteorological factors on the characteristics of sap flow, our study highlighted that the sap flow of A. fruticosa is strongly regulated by the availability of soil relative extractable water (REW). The daytime sap flow, which is predominant compared to nocturnal sap flow, was strongly affected by PAR, air temperature and vapor-pressure deficit. With water stress in the top 40 cm of the soil (REW_0-40 cm < 0.4), daytime sap flow displayed a strong relationship with soil water content (SWC) (positive) and soil electrical conductivity (EC) (negative) in the relatively shallow soil profile (up to 40 cm). For the nocturnal sap flow, our results suggest that in the absence of soil water stress (REW_0-40 cm > 0.4), the nocturnal sap flow is mainly used to replenish the stem water content and sustain nocturnal transpiration. Under soil water stress, nocturnal sap flow is mainly used to replenish stem water content. The results of our study indicate that it is necessary to shorten the irrigation cycle during the primary growing period (May-July) of A. fruticosa. Moreover, in the absence of soil water stress (REW_0-40 cm > 0.4), A. fruticosa can survive well in an saline environment with soil EC < 5 mS·cm^-1.

The partitioning of gross primary production for young Eucalyptus tereticornis trees under experimental warming and altered water availability

The allocation of carbon (C) is an important component of tree physiology that influences growth and ecosystem C storage. Allocation is challenging to measure, and its sensitivity to environmental changes such as warming and altered water availability is uncertain. We exposed young Eucalyptus tereticornis trees to +3°C warming and elimination of summer precipitation in the field using whole-tree chambers. We calculated C allocation terms using detailed measurements of growth and continuous whole-crown CO₂ and water exchange measurements. Trees grew from small saplings to nearly 9 m height during this 15-month experiment. Warming accelerated growth and leaf area development, and it increased the partitioning of gross primary production (GPP) to aboveground respiration and growth while decreasing partitioning below ground. Eliminating summer precipitation reduced C gain and growth but did not impact GPP partitioning. Trees utilized deep soil water and avoided strongly negative water potentials. Warming increased growth respiration, but maintenance respiration acclimated homeostatically. The increasing growth in the warmed treatment resulted in higher rates of respiration, even with complete acclimation of maintenance respiration. Warming-induced stimulations of tree growth likely involve increased C allocation above ground, particularly to leaf area development, whereas reduced water availability may not stimulate allocation to roots.

Depressed hydraulic redistribution of roots more by stem refilling than by nocturnal transpiration for Populus euphratica Oliv. in situ measurement

During the night, plant water loss can occur either through the roots, as hydraulic redistribution (HR), or through the leaves via the stoma, as nocturnal transpiration (En), which was methodologically difficult to separate from stem refilling (Re). While HR and En have been reported across a range of species, ecosystem, and climate zone, there is little understanding on the interactions between En and/or Re and HR. As water movement at night occurs via gradients of water potential, it is expected that during periods of high atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD), water loss via En will override water loss via HR. To test this hypothesis, sap flow in stems and roots of Populus euphratica Oliv. trees, growing in a riparian zone in a hyperarid climate, was measured once in a year. Nocturnal stem sap flow was separated into En and Re using the "forecasted refilling" method. Substantial nocturnal sap flow (38% of 24-hr flux on average) was observed and positively correlated with VPD; however, the strength of the correlation was lower (R2 = .55) than diurnal sap flow (Ed) (R2 = .72), suggesting that nocturnal stem sap flow was attributed to both water loss through the canopy and replenishment of water in stem tissues. Partitioning of nocturnal sap flow shows that Re constituted approximately 80%, and En ~20%, of nocturnal sap flow. The amount of root sap flow attributed to redistribution was negatively related to Ed (R2 = .69) and the amount of acropetally sap flow in stems, Re (R2 = .41) and En (R2 = .14). It was suggested that the magnitude of HR is more strongly depressed by Re that was recharge to the water loss via Ed than by En. It was consistent with whole-tree water balance theory, that the nighttime upward sap flow to xylem, stem refilling and transpiration, may depress hydraulic redistribution of roots.

Traits and trade-offs in whole-tree hydraulic architecture along the vertical axis of Eucalyptus grandis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Sapwood traits like vessel diameter and intervessel pit characteristics play key roles in maintaining hydraulic integrity of trees. Surprisingly little is known about how sapwood traits covary with tree height and how such trait-based variation could affect the efficiency of water transport in tall trees. This study presents a detailed analysis of structural and functional traits along the vertical axes of tall Eucalyptus grandis trees.

METHODS

To assess a wide range of anatomical and physiological traits, light and electron microscopy was used, as well as field measurements of tree architecture, water use, stem water potential and leaf area distribution.

KEY RESULTS

Strong apical dominance of water transport resulted in increased volumetric water supply per unit leaf area with tree height. This was realized by continued narrowing (from 250 to 20 µm) and an exponential increase in frequency (from 600 to 13 000 cm-2) of vessels towards the apex. The widest vessels were detected at least 4 m above the stem base, where they were associated with the thickest intervessel pit membranes. In addition, this study established the lower limit of pit membrane thickness in tall E. grandis at ~375 nm. This minimum thickness was maintained over a large distance in the upper stem, where vessel diameters continued to narrow.

CONCLUSIONS

The analyses of xylem ultrastructure revealed complex, synchronized trait covariation and trade-offs with increasing height in E. grandis. Anatomical traits related to xylem vessels and those related to architecture of pit membranes were found to increase efficiency and apical dominance of water transport. This study underlines the importance of studying tree hydraulic functioning at organismal scale. Results presented here will improve understanding height-dependent structure-function patterns in tall trees.

Amphistomatic leaf surfaces independently regulate gas exchange in response to variations in evaporative demand

The occurrence of amphistomatic leaves (stomata on both surfaces) versus hypostomatic leaves (stomata limited to the lower or abaxial surface) has strong associations with environment. Amphistomy provides the advantage of higher conductance of CO2 for photosynthesis, however, unless the stomata on both leaf surfaces can be independently controlled in response to environmental cues, amphistomy may lead to inefficient gas exchange. While previous studies have found evidence that stomata can operate independently across and between surfaces of dorsiventral leaves, we investigate whether an independent stomatal response can be induced for isobilateral leaves by largely natural conditions. Here, we exposed surfaces of isobilateral, amphistomatic Eucalyptus globulus Labill. leaves to natural diurnal variation in differential evaporative demand, using leaf orientation to drive differences in irradiance and heat load on leaf surfaces. We identified preferential closure of stomata on the surface exposed to higher irradiation (and therefore evaporative demand) during the afternoon under natural conditions and similarly induced differential stomatal closure under experimental conditions in the laboratory. The differential response confirms that sufficient hydraulic isolation exists for independent stomatal response to occur between surfaces of amphistomatic, isobilateral leaves, and importantly, we show that natural conditions can induce surface-specific stomatal closure.

Mistletoe Berry Outline Mapping with a Path Curve Function and Recording the Circadian Rhythm of Their Phenotypic Shape Change

This paper presents a discovery: the change of the outline shape of mistletoe (Viscum album ssp. album) berries in vivo and in situ during ripening. It was found that a plant organ that is usually considered to merely increase in size actually changes shape in a specific rhythmic fashion. We introduce a new approach to chronobiological research on a macro-phenotypic scale to trace changes over long periods of time (with a resolution from hours to months) by using a dynamic form-determining parameter called Lambda (λ). λ is known in projective geometry as a measure for pertinent features of the outline shapes of egg-like forms, so called path curves. Ascertained circadian changes of form were analyzed for their correlation with environmental factors such as light, temperature, and other weather influences. Certain weather conditions such as sky cover, i.e., sunshine minutes per hour, have an impact on the amplitude of the daily change in form. The present paper suggests a possible supplement to established methods in chronobiology, as in this case the dynamic of form-change becomes a measurable feature, displaying a convincing accordance between mathematical rule and plant shape.

Stomatal sensitivity to vapour pressure deficit relates to climate of origin in Eucalyptus species

Selecting plantation species to balance water use and production requires accurate models for predicting how species will tolerate and respond to environmental conditions. Although interspecific variation in water use occurs, species-specific parameters are rarely incorporated into physiologically based models because often the appropriate species parameters are lacking. To determine the physiological control over water use in Eucalyptus, five stands of Eucalyptus species growing in a common garden were measured for sap flux rates and their stomatal response to vapour pressure deficit (D) was assessed. Maximal canopy conductance and whole-canopy stomatal sensitivity to D and reduced water availability were lower in species originating from more arid climates of origin than those from humid climates. Species from humid climates showed a larger decline in maximal sap flux density (JSmax) with reduced water availability, and a lower D at which stomatal closure occurred than species from more arid climates, implying larger sensitivity to water availability and D in these species. We observed significant (P < 0.05) correlations of species climate of origin with mean vessel diameter (R(2) = 0.90), stomatal sensitivity to D (R(2) = 0.83) and the size of the decline in JSmax to restricted water availability (R(2) = 0.94). Thus aridity of climate of origin appears to have a selective role in constraining water-use response among the five Eucalyptus plantation species. These relationships emphasize that within this congeneric group of species, climate aridity constrains water use. These relationships have implications for species choices for tree plantation success against drought-induced losses and the ability to manage Eucalyptus plantations against projected changes in water availability and evaporation in the future.

Performance measurement via sap flow monitoring of three eucalyptus species for mine site and dryland salinity phytoremediation

Monitoring of trees with reliable technology is essential in phytoremediation. Sap flow instrumentation on three Eucalyptus species at a mine site in western Victoria, Australia, was used to determine which species is best suited to meet the goals of a phytoremediation project. Specifically, the aim of the monitoring was to determine which species could better tolerate the hypersaline soil, potentially lower saline ground water, and cope with expected hotter and drier weather given climate change scenarios. Over a summer period, average daily water use of E. cladocalyx was approximately six times greater than E. melliodora and four times greater than E. polybractea. During a three day heat wave event, E. cladocalyx was found to have a higher tolerance to extreme temperature. The optimal VPD/temperature for tree transpiration was 2.6 kPa/26.2 °C for E. cladocalyx, 2.1 kPa/23.9 °C for E. melliodora, and 2.0 kPa/23.2 °C for E. polybractea. Through sap flow monitoring, it was determined that E. cladocalyx could better tolerate saline soils, hotter and drier weather, and had greater potential to lower saline ground water.

Consequences of nocturnal water loss: a synthesis of regulating factors and implications for capacitance, embolism and use in models

Total daily water use is a key factor influencing the growth of many terrestrial plants, and reflects both day-time and nocturnal water fluxes. However, while nocturnal sap flow (En) and stomatal conductance (gs,n) have been reported across a range of species, ecosystems and microclimatic conditions, the regulation of these fluxes remains poorly understood. Here, we present a framework describing the role of abiotic and biotic factors in regulating En and gs,n highlighting recent developments in this field. Across ecosystems, En and gs,n generally increased with increasing soil water content and vapor pressure deficit, but the interactive effects of these factors and the potential roles of wind speed and other abiotic factors remain unclear. On average, gs,n and En are higher in broad-leaved compared with needle-leaved plants, in C3 compared with C4 plants, and in tropical compared with temperate species. We discuss the impacts of leaf age, elevated [CO2] and refilling of capacitance on night-time water loss, and how nocturnal gs,n may be included in vegetation models. Younger leaves may have higher gs,n than older leaves. Embolism refilling and recharge of capacitance may affect sap flow such that total plant water loss at night may be less than estimated solely from En measurements. Our estimates of gs,n for typical plant functional types, based on the published literature, suggest that nocturnal water loss may be a significant fraction (10-25%) of total daily water loss. Counter-intuitively, elevated [CO2] may increase nocturnal water loss. Assumptions in process-based ecophysiological models and dynamic global vegetation models that gs is zero when solar radiation is zero are likely to be incorrect. Consequently, failure to adequately consider nocturnal water loss may lead to substantial under-estimation of total plant water use and inaccurate estimation of ecosystem level water balance.

How significant is nocturnal sap flow?

Nocturnal sap flow (Qn) has been found to occur across many taxa, seasons and biomes. There is no general understanding as to how much Qn occurs and whether it is a significant contribution to total daily sap flow (Q). A synthesis of the literature and unpublished data was made to determine how significant is Qn, as a proportion of Q (%Qn), across seasons, biomes, phylogenetic groups and different thermometric sap flow methods. A total of 98 species were analysed to find that %Qn, on average, was 12.03% with the highest average dataset of 69.00%. There was significantly less %Qn in winter than in other temperate seasons, and significantly less %Qn in the wet season than in the dry season. The equatorial and tropical biomes had significantly higher %Qn than the warm temperate and nemoral biomes. The heat ratio method (HRM) and the thermal dissipation (TDP) method had significantly higher %Qn than the heat balance method. Additional analysis between HRM and TDP found HRM to have significantly higher %Qn in winter, wet season and various biomes. In all but one out of 246 cases Qn occurred, demonstrating that Qn is significant and needs to be carefully considered in sap flow and related studies.