Wind increases leaf water use efficiency

A widespread perception is that, with increasing wind speed, transpiration from plant leaves increases. However, evidence suggests that increasing wind speed enhances carbon dioxide (CO₂) uptake while reducing transpiration because of more efficient convective cooling (under high solar radiation loads). We provide theoretical and experimental evidence that leaf water use efficiency (WUE, carbon uptake per water transpired) commonly increases with increasing wind speed, thus improving plants' ability to conserve water during photosynthesis. Our leaf‐scale analysis suggests that the observed global decrease in near‐surface wind speeds could have reduced WUE at a magnitude similar to the increase in WUE attributed to global rise in atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. However, there is indication that the effect of long‐term trends in wind speed on leaf gas exchange may be compensated for by the concurrent reduction in mean leaf sizes. These unintuitive feedbacks between wind, leaf size and water use efficiency call for re‐evaluation of the role of wind in plant water relations and potential re‐interpretation of temporal and geographic trends in leaf sizes.     

Improving water use in crop production

Globally, agriculture accounts for 80-90% of all freshwater used by humans, and most of that is in crop production. In many areas, this water use is unsustainable; water supplies are also under pressure from other users and are being affected by climate change. Much effort is being made to reduce water use by crops and produce 'more crop per drop'. This paper examines water use by crops, taking particularly a physiological viewpoint, examining the underlying relationships between carbon uptake, growth and water loss. Key examples of recent progress in both assessing and improving crop water productivity are described. It is clear that improvements in both agronomic and physiological understanding have led to recent increases in water productivity in some crops. We believe that there is substantial potential for further improvements owing to the progress in understanding the physiological responses of plants to water supply, and there is considerable promise within the latest molecular genetic approaches, if linked to the appropriate environmental physiology. We conclude that the interactions between plant and environment require a team approach looking across the disciplines from genes to plants to crops in their particular environments to deliver improved water productivity and contribute to sustainability.     

小麦进化材料水分利用效率与氮利用效率间相互关系

利用田间微区试验,在整株水平上研究了10种小麦进化材料水分利用效率(WUE)和氮利用效率(NUE)间的关系．结果表明,小麦在从二倍体→六倍体的长期进化过程中,WUE和NUE均逐渐增加．除法国黑麦外,其余9种小麦进化材料WUE和NUE间呈显著正相关,表明法国黑麦高的NUE可能与WUE以外的其它生理机制有关．     

生态系统水分利用效率研究进展

水分利用效率(WUE)是反映生态系统水碳循环相互关系的重要指标,开展生态系统水平WUE的时空变异性的研究有助于预测气候变化对生态系统水碳过程的影响.目前不同研究常常基于不同的算法估算生态系统WUE,一方面不同算法因包含了不同复杂程度的水过程而有着不同的内涵,另一方面各种算法又因包含了相同的核心过程而有着密切的联系.长期以来人们通过传统的生物量动态调查和生态系统水文过程的测定来估算生态系统的WUE,但该方法大大限制了在短时间尺度上对生态系统WUE进行分析,近年来发展起来的以涡度相关为代表的新技术的应用使得研究生态系统WUE在多个时空尺度上的变异特征取得了突破性的进展.生态系统WUE的主要影响因子与叶片尺度相似,主要有空气饱和水气压差(VPD)、土壤水分、大气CO2浓度、Ci/Ca等,另外,生态系统水分平衡特征也有着重要影响.比较分析表明,森林与草地生态系统WUE的日变化和季节变化存在显著的差异,同时森林和农田生态系统的WUE整体高于草地、荒漠和冻原.当前生态系统WUE的研究尚处于初始阶段,许多工作仍需深入开展,其中,多时间尺度以及生态系统间WUE的时空变异特征及机理的对比研究可能是未来工作的热点.     

意杨苗木耗水特征与水分利用效率

研究杨树耗水量的变化特征、水分利用效率及其影响因子对杨树生理生态研究、造林树种的选择和林业生态工程建设具有重要的指导价值。以意杨(Populus euramevicana cv.‘I-214’)为研究对象进行盆栽试验,设定了4个处理组,分别为T1处理组(种植意杨,密封处理),T2处理组(种植意杨,非密封处理),T3处理组(不种植意杨,非密封处理),C处理组(不种植意杨,密封处理),定量分析了意杨耗水规律、水分利用效率及土壤蒸发量与植株生理特性、气象环境因子之间的关系。结果表明:(1)4个处理组耗水量变化曲线均呈"单峰型",且在7月份达到最大值,2月份降到最低值。(2)栽植意杨的土壤水分蒸发量占总耗水量的15.9%,全年波动状态稳定,本底流失量占30.4%。(3)在地表覆盖物下的意杨蒸腾耗水量占总耗水量的53.7%,年变化曲线为单峰型;栽培意杨的土壤水分总流失量是不栽培意杨土壤总流失量2.77倍;在裸地上种植意杨的土壤水分总蒸发量仅比没有意杨的裸地土壤多流失7.9%水分。(4)在有地表覆盖物下和裸地上的意杨叶面平均蒸腾强度分别为30.8 g cm~(-2)a~(-1),9.5 g cm~(-2)a~(-1);平均每克生物量耗水量为39.61 g。综上所述,意杨具有很强的蒸腾耗水能力,种植意杨可能会造成造林地区土壤水分大量流失,使该地区深层土壤干燥化,不利于土壤储水调节作用的发挥。     

土壤含水量与苹果叶片水分利用效率的关系

以盆栽苹果幼树为试材研究了土壤相对含水量与叶片水分利用效率（WUE）的关系,探讨了引起WUE变化的原因,结果表明,土壤相对含水量（SWC）52.0％时WUE最高。SEC从77.2%降至52.0％时,气孔导度下降,并使蒸腾速率（Tr）的于净光合速率（Pn）的降幅而导致WUE升高;SEC从52.0％降至20.1%时,WUE降低的根本原因在于羧化效率下降使Pn大为降低 水后WUE回升,但至复水第7天仍低于对照,土壤渍水当天WUE下降,第3天回升至对照水平,之后随渍水期延长WUE逐渐降低,淹水第6天羧化效率开始下降。     

Advances and prospects: biotechnologically improving crop water use efficiency

Bio-water saving can be defined as the reduction of crop water consumption employing biological measures. This is the focus of efforts to save water in agriculture. Different levels of water-use efficiency (WUE) have been developed. The genetic diversity of WUE has been confirmed in several crops. WUE is the basis of bio-watering and physiological WUE is the key. The degree to develop physiological WUE potential decides the performance of bio-watering in the field. During this process, fine management is important. Thus bio-watering is closely related to WUE. Crop WUE has improved and evolved as a result of breeding programs. Many WUE genes have been located in different genomic and aneuploid materials and have been mapped by various molecular markers in a number of crops. Two genes, (Erecta and alx8), which control water use efficiency; have been cloned in Arabidopsis thaliana. Eleven WUE genes have been identified by microarray analysis. Six genes associated with drought resistance and photosynthesis have been transfered into crops which have resulted in improving WUE and drought resistance. WUE is important on the basis of functional identification of more drought resistant gene resources. The popularity on the industrial-scale of transgenic plants is still in its infancy and one of the reasons for this is the lack of knowledge regarding molecular mechanisms and it is a very immature technology. Enhanced agricultural practices and the theoretical aspects of improving crop WUE have been developed and are discussed in this review paper. Rapid progress will be made in bio-water savings and that crop WUE can be substantially improved under both favorable and unfavorable water-limited environments. This will be achieved by a combination of traditional breeding techniques and the introduction of modern biotechnology.     

不同水分管理方式下水稻的水分利用效率与产量

采用温室微区试验研究常规水作、裸地旱作、覆膜旱作和覆草旱作等土壤水分管理下水稻生长及其对水分的利用状况。结果表明,几种旱作水稻的需水量为349-473mm,常规水和水稻需水量为762.5mm。旱作水稻的水分籽粒和干物质生产效率为0.899-1.273g·kg^-1和1.655-2.321g·kg^-1之间,而相同条件下常规水作水稻水分的籽粒和干物质生产效率为0.766g·kg^-1和1.459g·kg^-1左右。覆草旱作水稻可以获得相当于常规水作水稻90％的经济产量。     

植物叶片水分利用效率研究综述

植物能否适应当地的极限环境条件,最主要的看它们能否很好地协调碳同化和水分耗散之间的关系,即植物水分利用效率(WUE)是其生存的关键因子.就近来研究最多的叶片水平上的WUE,从叶片WUE的定义,方法,进展等方面对其进行总结概括,并就今后植物叶片水分利用效率的研究提出了几点看法:方法上,叶片碳同位素方法是目前植物叶片长期水分利用效率研究的最佳方法,而δ13C的替代指标将继续是方法研究中的一个方向,前景乐观;研究内容上,要加强极端干旱区河岸林木的δ13C和WUE的研究;结合植物生理生态学,生物学和稳定同位素技术,探究植物叶片长期水分利用效率的机理,特别是要加强运用双重同位素模型加深和理解植物叶片长期水分利用效率变化规律和内在机制的研究;要结合多种方法,加强多时空尺度植物叶片WUE及其之间的转换研究.     

Carbon isotopes and water use efficiency: sense and sensitivity

We revisit the relationship between plant water use efficiency and carbon isotope signatures (δ¹³C) of plant material. Based on the definitions of intrinsic, instantaneous and integrated water use efficiency, we discuss the implications for interpreting δ¹³C data from leaf to landscape levels, and across diurnal to decadal timescales. Previous studies have often applied a simplified, linear relationship between δ¹³C, ratios of intercellular to ambient CO₂ mole fraction (C _i/C _a), and water use efficiency. In contrast, photosynthetic ¹³C discrimination (Δ) is sensitive to the ratio of the chloroplast to ambient CO₂ mole fraction, C _c/C _a (rather than C _i/C _a) and, consequently, to mesophyll conductance. Because mesophyll conductance may differ between species and over time, it is not possible to determine C _c/C _a from the same gas exchange measurements as C _i/C _a. On the other hand, water use efficiency at the leaf level depends on evaporative demand, which does not directly affect Δ. Water use efficiency and Δ can thus vary independently, making it difficult to obtain trends in water use efficiency from δ¹³C data. As an alternative approach, we offer a model available at to explore how water use efficiency and ¹³C discrimination are related across leaf and canopy scales. The model provides a tool to investigate whether trends in Δ indicate changes in leaf functional traits and/or environmental conditions during leaf growth, and how they are associated with trends in plant water use efficiency. The model can be used, for example, to examine whether trends in δ¹³C signatures obtained from tree rings imply changes in tree water use efficiency in response to atmospheric CO₂ increase. This is crucial for predicting how plants may respond to future climate change. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

氮对苹果幼树水分利用效率的影响

以２年生盆栽新红星／平邑甜茶苹果树为试材,初步探讨了土壤不同水分状况下氮肥对植株水分利用效率（ＷＵＥ）及有关参数的影响,结果表明,充足供水时,随施Ｎ量的增加,植株ＷＵＥ降低,施Ｎ导致气孔导率（Ｇｓ）增大,对蒸腾（Ｔｒ）的提高幅度大于光合（Ｐｎ）;供水不足时,施Ｎ植株的ＷＵＥ明显高于对照,不同施Ｎ水平的ＷＵＥ表现为：高Ｎ〉中Ｎ〉低Ｎ,ＷＵＥ改善是由于叶肉羧化能力提高,导致光合增强。     

Improving water use efficiency by changing hydraulic and stomatal characteristics in soybean exposed to drought: the involvement of nitric oxide

A variety of cellular responses is needed to ensure the plants survival during drought, but little is known about the signaling mechanisms involved in this process. Soybean cultivars (EMBRAPA 48 and BR 16, tolerant and sensitive to drought, respectively) were exposed to the following treatments: control conditions (plants in field capacity), drought (20% of available water in the soil), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) treatment (plants irrigated and treated with 100-µM SNP [SNP–nitric oxide (NO) donor molecule], and Drought + SNP (plants subjected to drought and SNP treatment). Plants remained in these conditions until the reproductive stage and were evaluated for physiological (photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll a fluorescence and gas exchange rates), hydraulic (water potential, osmotic potential and leaf hydraulic conductivity) and morpho-anatomical traits (biomass, venation density and stomatal characterization). Exposure to water deficit considerably reduced water potential in both cultivars and resulted in decrease in photosynthesis and biomass accumulation. The addition of the NO donor attenuated these damaging effects of water deficit and increased the tolerance index of both cultivars. The results showed that NO was able to reduce plant's water loss, while maintaining their biomass production through alteration in stomatal characteristics, hydraulic conductivity and the biomass distribution pattern. These hydraulic and morpho-anatomical alterations allowed the plants to obtain, transport and lose less water to the atmosphere, even in water deficit conditions.     

不同土壤水分条件下丹参耗水特征与水分利用率的研究

~~不同土壤水分条件下丹参耗水特征与水分利用率的研究@高扬$中国科学院、水利部水土保持研究所!陕西杨陵712100 @梁宗锁$中国科学院、水利部水土保持研究所!陕西杨陵712100;西北农林科技大学生命科学学院,陕西杨陵712100 @刘燕$陕西省药品监督管理局!西安710061~~~~[1] LIN J (林佳),XU L ZH(徐丽珍),LI Y(李琰), YANG SH L(杨世林). Comparison of tanshinone Ⅱ A content in the radix of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. from different producing area[J]. China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica(中国中药杂志), 2002.…     

Biomass-density relationship varies with water use efficiency across an aridity gradient

Accumulating evidence has shown that the scaling exponent (α) of the aboveground biomass-density relationship is not a constant value. Debate continues over what determines the variation in α. By measuring foliar stable carbon isotope, plant morphological traits and α along an aridity gradient from eastern to western China, we confirmed that the variation in α was accounted for by changes in plant morphological traits which are adaptive strategies for enhancing water use efficiency during drought stress. This information can be crucial for understanding and predicting community and ecosystem processes.     

气候变化背景下秦岭地区陆地生态系统水分利用率变化趋势

为探究未来气候变化背景下秦岭地区陆地生态系统水分利用率(WUE)的变化规律及其对气候变化的响应,结合IPCC第五次报告资料中心的CCSM4、GISS-E-R、GISS-E-H、IPSL-CM5R-LR-CM、Nor ESM1-1-ME等5个模型相关模拟结果,预测和分析秦岭地区2006—2100年在RCP2.6、RCP4.5、RCP6.0和RCP8.5 4种未来典型气候变化情景下其水分利用率的变化趋势及其与降雨、气温、CO_2浓度等关键气候变化因子之间的关系。研究结果表明:4种未来情景下预测的秦岭地区生态系统WUE几乎全为正距平,各情景下WUE倾向率为0.0136—0.13 g C kg-1H_2O 10a-1,均达到极显著水平,且随辐射强迫增加,WUE距平值与倾向率也相应增加。各情景下GPP的增长趋势强于ET,使得两者的比值(即WUE)呈现增长趋势,并随辐射强迫的增加,两者的差异愈发显著,即WUE增长随辐射强迫的增强而更显著。同时,各模型预测的年均气温倾向率为0.21—0.498℃/10a,降雨量倾向率为7.78—17.66 mm/10a。由于气温、降雨量、CO2等关键气候变化因子调控GPP正增长速率大于ET,以及生态系统LAI值和自身的植被演替过程直接影响生态系统WUE,最终使得生态系统WUE呈正增长趋势。其中GPP的显著增加是未来秦岭地区生态系统WUE增长的直接因素,而气温的显著增加与大气CO_2浓度的升高则是WUE变化的主要环境因素,降雨量的影响相对较弱。     

间套作提高农田水分利用效率的节水机理

综合国内外多学科的研究成果,从地表水向土壤水的转化效率、农田水分的有效性、植物冠层结构、灌溉用水量和作物产量等方面,论述了间套作提高农田水分利用效率的节水机理.结果表明:间套作能够促进植物根系对农田水分的充分利用,有利于增加根层土壤的贮水量;间套作一方面减小棵间蒸发、抑制无效蒸腾,另一方面优化作物系统的源-库关系,创造出有利于植物生长发育的小气候,为资源在时间和空间上的集约利用和高产打好基础,在不增加农田灌溉水的同时大幅度提高单位面积产量,促进作物水分利用效率明显提高.     

Photosynthetic characteristics and water use efficiency of three coastal dune plants

To clarify the ecophysiological characteristics of plants growing on a coastal dune, net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and leaf conductance (g1) of three perennial species in Japanese coastal regions,Ischaemum anthephoroides (C₄),Carex kobomugi (C₃) andCalystegia soldanella (C₃), were compared under controlled environmental conditions and field conditions at the kado-ori coast at Ohno Village, Ibaraki.I. anthephoroides achieved photosynthetic CO₂ saturation at ca. 100 μll⁻¹ intercellular CO₂ concentration (C ₁), and itsPn was not light-saturated at a high photosynthetically active photon flux density (PPFD) of 1000 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹. This C₄ species showed a high optimal leaf temperature forPn (35°C) and a lowg1 (0.1 mol H₂O m⁻²s⁻¹), permitting maintenance of the highest water use efficiency (WUE, the ratio ofPn to transpiration rate (Tr)) in the field among the three species. At light saturation,C. soldanella had the lowestPn andg1 and a similar carboxylation efficiency related toC ₁ (Pn/C₁ ratio) asCarex kobomugi. Calystegia soldanella also had a high optimal temperature forPn (30°C), and achieved higherWUE thanCarex kobomugi, as a result of efficient stomatal regulation. In contrast, at the optimum temperatureC. kobomugi had a highPn comparable toI. anthephoroides due to a highg1 of 0.3 mol H₂O m⁻²s⁻¹, but with high temperature treatmentsPn andg1 were significantly decreased.C. kobomugi always had the lowestWUE among the three species in the field. It is therefore clear thatI. anthephoroides is a heat-resistant species,Calystegia soldanella is a heat-enduring species andCarex kobomugi is a heat-evading species due to its eraly phenology.