Application of a multi-cylinder evapotranspirometer method for evapotranspiration measurements in wetlands

This paper introduces a multi-cylinder evapotranspirometer method, which can directly measure evapotranspiration (ET) from emergent plants in different species and states as well as simultaneously measure evaporation (E_W) from an open water surface. Values of daily ET from three contrasting reed (Phragmites australis) stands, with different leaf area indexes (LAI), were obtained through in situ measurements of the Baiyangdian wetland using this method during the growing seasons in 2008 and 2009. The results showed that the ET rate of the reed belt was very high, even exceeding 20 mm d⁻¹ under extreme weather conditions. Depending on the LAI change, the annual ET from the different reed canopies ranged from 970 to 2035 mm, whereas the ET/E_W ratios ranged from 2.05 to 3.98. Accuracy analysis results showed that the errors of the measurement from this method were no more than 2 mm. The relative errors of the measurement were correspondingly from 0.04% to 0.33%. It is indicated that the accuracy of our measurement is good enough for the requirements of the ET measurement.     

How do climate warming and plant species richness affect water use in experimental grasslands?

Climate warming and plant species richness loss have been the subject of numerous experiments, but studies on their combined impact are lacking. Here we studied how both warming and species richness loss affect water use in grasslands, while identifying interactions between these global changes. Experimental ecosystems containing one, three or nine grassland species from three functional groups were grown in 12 sunlit, climate-controlled chambers (2.25 m² ground area) in Wilrijk, Belgium. Half of these chambers were exposed to ambient air temperatures (unheated), while the other half were warmed by 3°C (heated). Equal amounts of water were added to heated and unheated communities, so that warming would imply drier soils if evapotranspiration (ET) was higher. After an initial ET increase in response to warming, stomatal regulation and lower above-ground productivity resulted in ET values comparable with those recorded in the unheated communities. As a result of the decreased biomass production, water use efficiency (WUE) was reduced by warming. Higher complementarity and the improved competitive success of water-efficient species in mixtures led to an increased WUE in multi-species communities as compared to monocultures, regardless of the induced warming. However, since the WUE of individual species was affected in different ways by higher temperatures, compositional changes in mixtures seem likely under climatic change due to shifts in competitiveness. In conclusion, while increased complementarity and selection of water-efficient species ensured more efficient water use in mixtures than monocultures, global warming will likely decrease this WUE, and this may be most pronounced in species-rich communities.     

Seasonal variation in oxygen isotope composition of waters for a montane larch forest in Mongolia

Measurements of water oxygen isotopic composition were conducted in the 2003 growing season for a montane larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) forest in northern Mongolia, a transitional area from the south Siberian taiga to the Asian steppe. Oxygen isotopic composition of foliar water and its daily variability were found to be sensitive to atmospheric evaporative demand. During most of the growing season, water sources used by larch trees were from the upper 30-cm surface layer of the soil when precipitation input was large, and were from the deeper layer when the water supply at the upper soil layer was limited. The Keeling plot method suggested that the forest returned soil water to the atmosphere predominantly by means of canopy transpiration during the peak growth period (in August).     

The efficiency of evapotranspiration of landfill leachate in the soil–plant system with willow Salix amygdalina L.

The application of a specific species of willow—Salix amygdalina L., marked by high transpiration ability—is a cheap and effective method of landfill leachate disposal. A 2-year study examined the effectiveness of leachate evapotranspiration from soil–plant systems with willow species S. amygdalina L. Evapotranspiration from soil–plant systems planted with willow was from 1.28 up to 5.12 times higher than evaporation from soil surface barren of vegetation. This proves the usefulness of soil–plant systems with willow in landfill leachate treatment through vaporization. Evapotranspiration efficiency, as opposed to total amount of water added into the lysimeter, was not strong enough to vaporize all input of the landfill leachate in the lysimeters. This may indicate that the ground water requires isolation when soil systems remain under landfill leachate irrigation. Linear dependence between willow biomass growth and transpiration was observed to be significant (p < 0.05). Additionally, the research showed that the application of sewage sludge into the soil caused an increase in vaporization efficiency.     

A multi-scale perspective of water pulses in dryland ecosystems: climatology and ecohydrology of the western USA

In dryland ecosystems, the timing and magnitude of precipitation pulses drive many key ecological processes, notably soil water availability for plants and soil microbiota. Plant available water has frequently been viewed simply as incoming precipitation, yet processes at larger scales drive precipitation pulses, and the subsequent transformation of precipitation pulses to plant available water are complex. We provide an overview of the factors that influence the spatial and temporal availability of water to plants and soil biota using examples from western USA drylands. Large spatial- and temporal-scale drivers of regional precipitation patterns include the position of the jet streams and frontal boundaries, the North American Monsoon, El Niño Southern Oscillation events, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Topography and orography modify the patterns set up by the larger-scale drivers, resulting in regional patterns (10²–10⁶ km²) of precipitation magnitude, timing, and variation. Together, the large-scale and regional drivers impose important pulsed patterns on long-term precipitation trends at landscape scales, in which most site precipitation is received as small events (<5 mm) and with most of the intervals between events being short (<10 days). The drivers also influence the translation of precipitation events into available water via linkages between soil water content and components of the water budget, including interception, infiltration and runoff, soil evaporation, plant water use and hydraulic redistribution, and seepage below the rooting zone. Soil water content varies not only vertically with depth but also horizontally beneath versus between plants and/or soil crusts in ways that are ecologically important to different plant and crust types. We highlight the importance of considering larger-scale drivers, and their effects on regional patterns; small, frequent precipitation events; and spatio-temporal heterogeneity in soil water content in translating from climatology to precipitation pulses to the dryland ecohydrology of water availability for plants and soil biota.     

北方稻田生态系统水量平衡及水分效率研究

１９９３～１９９５年研究了５种不同模式水稻田生态系统水量平衡及水分效率结果表明,不同水稻田模式其总耗水量之间有明显差异,其中节水模式和节水节肥模式较常规模式节省灌溉水达１５～２３％,水分生产效率增加３０％以上．各模式蒸发蒸腾耗水量在同一生长季内基本相同．田间结构及调控管理对其无明显影响实测水稻生育期田间蒸发蒸腾量与计算的可能蒸发蒸腾量相差不过５％。     

松嫩草原碱化草地角碱蓬群落水分生态的研究

 本文采用自行设汁的蒸散仪和加拿大Campbe 11科学仪器公司生产的自动气象设备测定了松嫩草原碱化草地角碱蓬群落的蒸散、蒸腾量、太阳辐射及空气温度等环境因子。分析结果表明生长季的睛天条件下,角碱蓬群落的蒸散、蒸腾速率的日进程均为单峰曲线,且各月份间差异很大。群落蒸腾速率与太阳辐射强度、空气温度、相对湿度、风速等环境因子紧密相关,其中与太阳辐射强度呈极显著正相关关系。生长季降雨量和土壤含水量在角碱蓬群落水分循环与平衡的过程中起重要调节作用。1992年6～8月的生长季中,角碱蓬群落总的水分亏缺较少(6.3mm),但各月份间差异很大,其中6月份水分亏缺最高(30.1mm)。     

杉木人工林水量平衡和蒸散的研究

 本文根据我们严密设计的小集水区径流场连续6年的水文测定数据,进行了杉木人工林水量平衡和蒸散的研究。结果表明：集水区年平均降雨量1065.5mm, 在林冠作用面降雨量的分配中,林冠截留雨量264.6mm,截留率24.8%;穿透过林冠层的雨量799.82mm,树干径流量1.08mm,分别占降雨量的75.1%和0.1%。林内降水到达林地时,在枯枝落叶层这个作用面上净降水进行再分配,其中,地表径流量9.27mm,地下径流量203.00mm,总径流系数0.199。土壤蓄水量月变化较大,但年变化很小,占降雨量的1.2%。系统水量最大的输出是蒸散,每年以气态形式返回大气的水量866.03mm,占降雨量81.3%。在蒸散的水量中,林冠截留雨量的直接物理蒸发量为264.6mm,占总蒸散量的31.6%。     

The influence of summer and winter stress and water relationships on the distribution of Quercus ilex L.

Several aspects of plant-water relationships and canopy behaviour have been studied over several years in two experimental areas of Quercus ilex L. forests in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula. Water requirements, water status limits necessary for a positive carbon budget and the functional canopy behaviour in the face of abiotic stress were evaluated, in order to determine which factors influence the geographical range of these forests.The results showed that holm oak has a conservative water use, a low cuticular transpiration, a high capacity for osmotic adjustement and xerophytic characteristics in leaf morphology and canopy arrangement. More than 440 mm of annual rainfall are required for these forests to persist. Summer drought and winter cold are thus important abiotic factors limiting the distribution of Quercus ilex. In both cases, drought stress is involved.     

矮嵩草草甸植物蒸腾强度的初步研究

 此项研究工作于1986年5—9月植物生长季节内,在海北高寒草甸生态系统定位站进行。用钴纸法测定了矮嵩草等10种植物的蒸腾强度、垂穗披碱草等3种植物的蒸腾日进程和不同植被覆盖地段的蒸腾—蒸发量,在测定时记录了气温、湿度等有关气象资料,以便分析。研究结果表明：1．矮嵩草等10种植物的蒸腾强度随植物种和所处的物候期而变化,植物生长早期蒸腾强度较低,进入生殖阶段,蒸腾强度明显提高。2．垂穗披碱草等3种植物蒸腾强度日进程呈明显的单峰型曲线,在中午或午后出现峰值,没有午休现象。这同气孔一直开着有关,是矮嵩草草甸植物蒸腾的特征之一。 3．不同植被覆盖地段的蒸腾—蒸发表明,有植被覆盖的地段的蒸腾—蒸发量较裸地的蒸发量为高。