绿地土壤入渗及其对城市生态安全的重要性

土壤入渗是水分通过地表进入土体形成土壤水的过程,是评价土壤水分调节能力最重要的指标之一。本文介绍了土壤入渗理论、测定方法及影响因子;探讨了绿地土壤入渗对城市雨洪消减、地下水补给、污染物净化和植物生长的重要作用;分析了中国城市绿地土壤入渗的现状和主要影响因素。针对绿地土壤入渗的重要作用而中国普遍对其认识不足的现象,提出了绿地土壤入渗研究和应用的四点建议:(1)尽早将土壤入渗作为中国城市绿地土壤质量评价的技术指标,完善绿地土壤质量评价体系;(2)加强绿地土壤入渗的基础研究;(3)加大绿地土壤入渗改良技术的应用研究,研发适宜中国应用的绿地入渗改良集成技术;(4)改变传统的绿化工程土壤建设和养护模式。     

北京公园绿地夏季温湿效应

选取北京典型的城市园林绿地--元大都城垣遗址公园北段不同覆盖率的乔-灌-草、乔-草型复层结构的公园绿地作为研究对象,以草坪型绿地作为对照,从水平和立体空间两个角度进行测试,研究局部绿地的覆盖率、复层结构对环境的温湿效应.结果表明:在夏季高温时段,绿地的温度随覆盖率的增加而降低,当覆盖率达到或高于60%时,其绿地才具有明显的降温增湿效果;覆盖率较高的乔-灌-草复合型绿地给环境带来的温湿度的空间影响范围较大,乔-灌-草复合型绿地的降温增湿效应好于草坪.合理的绿化结构及植物配置能使城市园林绿地较好地发挥其夏季的降温增湿效应,有利于改善城市热环境、减缓城市热岛效应.     

南京市城市土壤水分入渗特征

采用双环法测定了南京市代表性的土地利用类型下土壤的水分入渗率,研究了不同压实程度下土壤的入渗特征.结果表明：南京市不同压实程度土壤的入渗能力差异较大;土壤压实越严重,其容重越大、孔隙度越小,土壤入渗率越小;严重压实的土壤中存在水分入渗的限制层,致使稳定入渗率明显降低;土壤初始入渗率与稳定入渗率的差异较大,两者之间存在显著的线性相关关系.研究区土壤稳定入渗率的分布范围非常广（1～679 mm·h^-1）,这与城市土壤的压实、结构状况以及粗骨性砾石的存在密切相关.城市土壤入渗率的减小导致地表径流系数以及发生洪涝的几率和强度增大.     

雨强对黄土坡面土壤水分入渗及再分布的影响

基于典型黄土的坡地人工降雨实验,对比研究了降雨、入渗及再分布规律;以雨强为主要影响因素,分析了降雨入渗及水分再分布过程中水土物质迁移的定量关系．结果表明,雨强变化对黄土坡面降雨入渗及土壤水分再分布的微观水分运动过程具有重要影响．雨强增大时,入渗和再分布湿润锋均随降雨历时延长而逐渐增加,但水分再分布过程的湿润锋增加速率比入渗慢得多;入渗湿润锋与时间关系可用幂函数表示,同时可表示为雨强的幂函数关系．再分布湿润锋与时间也存在定量关系．雨强越大,初始和稳定的土壤水分入渗率越高,累积入渗量随降雨时间增加得越快．此外,雨强越大,坡顶与坡脚湿润锋深度差异越小,坡面再分布过程的土壤含水量在各层的差异和递减趋势越明显．     

基于条件价值法的广州海珠国家湿地公园开放区域的非使用价值初探

【摘要】非使用价值是环境资源的一种内在属性, 科学合理的进行湿地生态系统服务功能非使用价值评估对合理规划和保护湿地资源具有重要的意义。广州海珠国家湿地公园是全球仅有三个“城央”湿地公园之一, 也是国内位于特大型城市中心区域最大的湿地公园。对广州海珠国家湿地公园生态系统服务功能非使用价值进行合理的评估更能体现出广州市对湿地资源的保护价值和意义, 同时也为广州市湿地公园资源保护决策提供科学依据。运用条件价值法, 通过问卷的形式调查广州市公众对广州海珠国家湿地公园的支付意愿, 来评估其非使用价值。经单纯随机抽样统计分析模型核算后, 得出2017年海珠湿地开放区域的生态系统服务功能非使用价值为3.81×109元·a-1, 其中遗产价值最高, 选择价值、文化传承价值和存在价值依次降低。运用SPSS19.0软件对广州市居民群体特征、支付意愿和WTP值进行相关性分析, 得出性别、居住时间、是否关注对环境的影响、月收入和海珠湿地的了解程度等5个指标是影响受访者支付意愿的主要因素; 而性别、年龄、是否有子女、居住时间、职业、月收入和居住地等7个指标是影响受访者支付金额的主要因素。     

残膜密度及面积对土壤水分累积入渗量的影响

随着地膜使用量和年限的不断增加,残膜在农田土壤中不断累积并趋于破碎化,影响土壤水分的入渗过程。本研究采用室内土壤水分一维垂直入渗试验,通过设置5个残膜面积水平(0.25、0.5、1、2、8 cm²)和5个残膜密度水平(0、60、180、300、420 kg·hm^-2)共21组试验处理,分析了不同残膜密度及面积对土壤水分累积入渗量的影响。结果表明: 在容重1.53 g·cm^-3的黏壤土中掺入一定量的残膜,加快了土壤水分入渗速率,增加了累积入渗水量;不同残膜面积处理的总入渗水量总是在单片残膜面积为1 cm²时出现突变或转折;残膜面积和残膜密度较大和较小时都会对累积入渗量产生显著影响,且以0.5 cm²残膜面积与200 kg·hm^-2残膜密度组合处理为明显分界,单片残膜面积为0.25 cm²时,累积入渗量最大;土壤中均匀混入单片面积≤0.25 cm²的残膜后,土壤水分累积入渗量曲线的斜率变化显著不同于其他残膜处理,形成了“新构”土壤,具有独特的水分入渗特征。     

荒漠结皮层藓类植物死亡对表层土壤水分蒸发和入渗的影响

水分是荒漠植物生长最主要的限制因子,藓类结皮作为荒漠土壤表层重要覆被物,对土壤水分蒸发入渗具有重要影响。研究表明,在全球气候变化背景下,不确定的降水格局变化导致结皮层藓类植物出现集群死亡现象,但这一过程对荒漠地表土壤水分蒸发与入渗过程的影响及其机理尚不清楚。以古尔班通古特沙漠齿肋赤藓结皮为研究对象,利用便携式渗透计和蒸发仪,研究了结皮层藓类植物死亡对土壤水分蒸发与入渗的影响。结果表明,与裸沙相比,藓类结皮的存在显著抑制了水分入渗,而藓类植物死亡的结皮层抑制作用最大,其初渗速率、稳渗速率和累积入渗量分别是活藓类结皮的39.89%、85.91%及64.48%,仅为裸沙的5.96%、13.13%及20.42%。在水分蒸发初期,裸沙的水分蒸发速率明显高于活藓类结皮和藓类植物死亡的结皮层,但藓类植物死亡的结皮层维持相对稳定的蒸发速率的时间长于裸沙和活藓类结皮,这也导致最终累计蒸发量以藓类植物死亡的结皮层最高、裸沙最低。可见,荒漠生物土壤结皮中藓类植物死亡会明显减少土壤水分入渗、增大水分蒸发,进一步影响荒漠表层土壤水分格局,从而影响生物土壤结皮与维管植物的水分利用关系。     

耕作对土壤入渗性能的影响

耕作影响降雨入渗、径流、土壤侵蚀过程。研究采用新型的坡地降雨条件下土壤入渗能力的径流-入渗-产流测量方法和仪器,野外观测宁夏南部山区坡耕地与撂荒地土壤入渗性能,揭示耕作对土壤入渗性能影响的规律。在坡度为20°、土壤表层含水量11.3%的坡地进行测量。采用的降雨强度为:20,40,56mm·h-1。结果表明,新型测量方法和仪器可以很好地测量坡面土壤入渗性能的全过程,并且具有省水、省工、操作方便的特点,且测量精度高。对比测量结果表明,坡耕地的初期土壤入渗性能在小雨强条件下略高于撂荒地的入渗性能,而在大雨强条件下则一直低于撂荒地的入渗性能。随雨强的增大坡耕地的入渗性能急剧减小,而撂荒地的入渗性能基本不受雨强变化的影响。坡耕地土壤的入渗性能(土壤结构)对降雨强度极为敏感,而撂荒地具有稳定的土壤结构和入渗性能。在3种雨强下,坡耕地的产流时间均比撂荒地提前。与撂荒地相比,各种雨强条件下坡耕地的稳定入渗率都较撂荒地明显降低。     

科尔沁沙地人工小叶锦鸡儿植被水分入渗动态研究

通过对科尔沁沙地不同年龄人工小叶锦鸡儿固沙植被降雨入渗的研究 ,阐明植被对沙地水分入渗的影响。结果表明 ,在降雨量 4 3 4mm ,降雨强度 3 9mm·h-1时 ,降雨后 12 0h内流动沙丘和 5年生人工小叶锦鸡儿植被的水分入渗深度分别为 180cm和 15 0cm ,15年生人工小叶锦鸡儿植被降雨入渗深度为 10 0cm。流动沙丘降雨后土壤水分变化剧烈 ;有植被沙地降雨后土壤水分变化平缓 ,水分下渗浅 .随着植被年龄的增加 ,浅层土壤截留降雨能力不断加强 ,最终形成不透水土层。降雨后短期内流动沙丘浅层土壤中含水量高 ,后期有植被沙丘深层土壤含水量高     

喀斯特坡面生物结皮发育特征及其对土壤水分入渗的影响

作为地表植被恢复的先锋种群和景观的重要组成部分,生物土壤结皮(BSCs)对地表过程具有重要影响。为探明喀斯特地区BSCs发育特征及其对土壤水分入渗的影响,本研究选取喀斯特代表性坡面开展了BSCs实地调查和人工模拟降雨试验,探究了BSCs覆盖土壤的水分入渗过程,试验设计了5个BSCs盖度水平(0、28%、40%、70%、97%)和2个雨强(42和132 mm·h^-1)。结果表明: 在不同土地利用条件下,BSCs发育水平存在显著差异,但在同一土地利用条件下,BSCs发育水平沿坡面的空间变化规律不明显。与裸地相比,地表发育BSCs可使地表粗糙度增大,显著延长初始产流时间,促进土壤水分入渗。在小雨(42 mm·h^-1)和强降雨(132 mm·h^-1)下,BSCs覆盖小区初渗速率分别为裸地小区的1.7～1.9和1.2～1.9倍,平均入渗速率分别为裸地小区的2.5～3.0和1.4～3.3倍。在试验雨强下,BSCs盖度与初始产流时间均呈显著正相关,BSCs促进水分入渗的临界盖度为65%～70%,在强降雨条件下,BSCs对地表径流的阻滞作用有所削弱。Horton模型对喀斯特坡面BSCs覆盖下土壤水分入渗过程模拟结果最优,其次为Kostiakov模型和Philip模型。综上,喀斯特坡面BSCs发育的空间变异程度高,对水分入渗过程影响显著。     

广州海珠国家湿地公园鸟类食源植物研究

通过野外调查,结合文献资料,对广州海珠国家湿地公园鸟类食源植物和鸟类进行了研究.结果表明:海珠湿地鸟类食源植物共有203种,隶属于74科132属,其中常见的鸟类食源植物有67种.记录到海珠湿地鸟类80种,隶属于14目36科,取食植物鸟类有48种.取食植物的鸟类种数与鸟类食源植物种数之间存在正相关关系,但并不显著.为丰富...     

Relationship between plant nitrogen conservation strategies and the dynamics of soil nitrogen in the arid Patagonian Monte, Argentina

During three consecutive years with contrasting precipitation, we analysed the relationship between strategies of N conservation in the dominant plant functional groups (perennial grasses and evergreen shrubs) of the Patagonian Monte and the main components of N cycling in soil. We hypothesised that the different patterns of N conservation in perennial grasses and evergreen shrubs would have direct consequences for soil-N, inorganic-N release and microbial-N flush in soil. In autumn and late spring of 1999, 2000, and 2001, we assessed N and C concentration in green and senesced leaves, N-resorption efficiency and C/N ratio in senesced leaves of three dominant species of each plant functional group. In the soil associated with species of each plant functional group, we determined N and C concentration, potential-N mineralisation, and the associated microbial-N flush. Slow-growing evergreen shrubs exhibited low N-concentration in green leaves, high N-concentration in senesced leaves and low N-resorption from senescing leaves. In contrast, fast-growing perennial grasses showed high N-concentration in green leaves, low N-concentration in senesced leaves, and high N-resorption from senescing leaves. In evergreen shrubs, the maintenance of long-lasting green leaves with low N-concentration was the most important mechanism of N conservation. In contrast, perennial grasses conserved N through high N-resorption from senescing leaves. Soil-N concentration, potential N-mineralisation, and microbial-N flush in the soil were higher underneath evergreen shrubs than beneath perennial grasses. Observed differences, however, were lower than expected considering the quality of the organic matter supplied by each plant fuctional group to the soil. A possible reason for this relatively weak trend may be the capacity of evergreen shrubs to slow down N cycling through low leaf turnover and the presence of secondary compounds in leaves. Alternatively or simultaneously, the weak relationship between plant and soil N could result from shrubs being able to colonise N-poor soils while grasses may preferably occupy fertile microsites previously influenced by the decomposition pathway of evergreen shrubs. Differences between evergreen shrubs and perennial grasses in the mechanisms of plant N-conservation and in components of N cycling in the underlying soil were consistent over the three years of the study with differing precipitation. Inter-annual differences in N concentration in green leaves and in the microbial-N flush in soil indicate that during the wettest year fast-growing perennial grasses would outcompete slow-growing evergreen shrubs and microorganisms for N uptake.     

城市公园绿地生态效应的定量评估

以位于亚热带地区的城市公园(深圳市莲花山公园)绿地为例,选取了碳-氧平衡、水土涵养和小气候调节3方面的CO2-O2吸释量、群落蓄水量、保土量、蒸散量、蒸散耗热量等指标,对城市公园植被的不同群落结构类型进行了生态效应的定量评价.结果表明,有乔、灌、草3层结构的林地群落的生态效应平均为单层结构的草坪群落的2～3倍.     

Comparing soil organic carbon dynamics in perennial grasses and shrubs in a saline-alkaline arid region, northwestern china

Background

Although semi-arid and arid regions account for about 40% of terrestrial surface of the Earth and contain approximately 10% of the global soil organic carbon stock, our understanding of soil organic carbon dynamics in these regions is limited.

Methodology/Principal Findings

A field experiment was conducted to compare soil organic carbon dynamics between a perennial grass community dominated by Cleistogenes squarrosa and an adjacent shrub community co-dominated by Reaumuria soongorica and Haloxylon ammodendron, two typical plant life forms in arid ecosystems of saline-alkaline arid regions in northwestern China during the growing season 2010. We found that both fine root biomass and necromass in two life forms varied greatly during the growing season. Annual fine root production in the perennial grasses was 45.6% significantly higher than in the shrubs, and fine root turnover rates were 2.52 and 2.17 yr⁻¹ for the perennial grasses and the shrubs, respectively. Floor mass was significantly higher in the perennial grasses than in the shrubs due to the decomposition rate of leaf litter in the perennial grasses was 61.8% lower than in the shrubs even though no significance was detected in litterfall production. Soil microbial biomass and activity demonstrated a strong seasonal variation with larger values in May and September and minimum values in the dry month of July. Observed higher soil organic carbon stocks in the perennial grasses (1.32 Kg C m⁻²) than in the shrubs (1.12 Kg C m⁻²) might be attributed to both greater inputs of poor quality litter that is relatively resistant to decay and the lower ability of microorganism to decompose these organic matter.

Conclusions/Significance

Our results suggest that the perennial grasses might accumulate more soil organic carbon with time than the shrubs because of larger amounts of inputs from litter and slower return of carbon through decomposition.     

东灵山林区不同森林植被水源涵养功能评价

森林植被发挥着涵养水源的作用,主要表现在以下几个方面:对降水的截留与再分配;调节河川径流,调节林内小气候,减小林内地表蒸发,改善土壤结构,减少地表侵蚀等. 通过对几种林分各层拦蓄降水和保土功能指标定性评价的基础上,用综合评定法对不同林分水源涵养和保土功能进行综合评价,选择出综合功能最好的林分,以期为北京山区的生态环境建设、植被恢复与保护提供一定的依据。在测定东灵山4种森林植被林冠层、枯枝落叶层和土壤层蓄水和土壤保持功能指标的基础上,采用综合评定法对4种森林植被水源涵养和土壤保持功能进行了评价。结果表明:各植被类型的林冠层截留各不相同,在雨季(6-9 月份) 辽东栎林的截留率最大,华北落叶松的最小;枯落物最大持水深以辽东栎林的最大,油松的最小;土壤水文特性各异,0-80 cm 土层平均容重以落叶阔叶林的最小,华北落叶松的最大;稳渗速率以落叶阔叶林的最大,油松的最小,初渗速率以辽东栎林的最大,油松的最小。不同林分水源涵养和土壤保持综合能力由大到小顺序为落叶阔叶混交林、辽东栎林、华北落叶松林、油松林。常绿阔叶灌丛水源涵养和土壤保持综合能力评价值(0.1039) 比其它植被类型少3个数量级,说明其水源涵养和土壤保持功能明显优于其它植被类型。由此可见,树种组成丰富、林下灌草盖度高、枯落物储量多的落叶阔叶混交林水源涵养和土壤保持能力最强,优于单一的阔叶林,而油松林最差。     

The Chemical Elements of Planted Forest of Pinus tabnlaeformis

The concentration of chemical elements in the edifieator Pinus tabulaeformis of 28- aged pine plantation from leaves, small branches(< 1.5 cm diameter), branches (> 1.5 cm diameter) to trunk graduately declined. C was the most abundant element in pine plantation. The N content was more abundant in leaves, Ca, K, Mg. P were plentiful as well. The mineral content in small root (<2 cm diameter) was richer than that in root (>2 cm diameter). There were plenty of C, N, P. and Ca in the shrub layer, especially in the leaves of shrubs. The concentration of mineral elements in aboveground part of grasses was obviously lower than those in the leaves of shrubs. Comparing chemical elements of litter with those in living leaves and branches, the contents of Fe and A1 in the litter increased, the other elements more or less decreased. The accumulation of C in different layer of plantation except litter reached 22.43 t/ha, the accumulation amounts of Ca and N ranged 157–161 kg/ha. The retention of C in pine plantation was the highest among the elements, Ca retained in tree layer and N, K in shrub layer showed very plentiful also. Ca returned by litter was more than the others except C. The efficiency of P and K uptaked by plant from soil was high. To use the P and K fertilizers will accelerate the growth of Pine plantation.     

Effects of plant size on photosynthesis and water relations in the desert shrub Prosopis glandulosa (Fabaceae)

The Jornada del Muerto basin of the Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico, USA, has undergone a marked transition of plant communities. Shrubs such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) have greatly increased or now dominate in areas that were previously dominated by perennial grasses. The replacement of grasses by shrubs requires an establishment phase where small shrubs must compete directly with similar-sized grass plants. This is followed by a phase in which large, established shrubs sequester nutrients and water within their biomass and alter soil resources directly under their canopy, creating “islands” of fertility. We hypothesized that these two phases were associated with shrubs having different physiological response capacities related to their age or size and the resource structure of the environment. As a corollary, we hypothesized that responses of small shrubs would be more tightly coupled to variation in soil moisture availability compared to large shrubs. To test these hypotheses, we studied gas exchange and water relations of small (establishing) and large (established) shrubs growing in the Jornada del Muerto as a function of varying soil moisture during the season. The small shrubs had greater net assimilation, stomatal conductance, transpiration, and xylem water potential than large shrubs following high summer rainfall in July, and highest seasonal soil moisture at 0.3 m. High rates of carbon assimilation and water use would be an advantage for small shrubs competing with grasses when shallow soil moisture was plentiful. Large shrubs had greater net assimilation and water-use efficiency, and lower xylem water potential than small shrubs following a dry period in September, when soil moisture at 0.3 m was lowest. Low xylem water potentials and high water-use efficiency would allow large shrubs to continue acquiring and conserving water as soil moisture is depleted. Although the study provides evidence of differences in physiological responses of different-sized shrubs, there was not support for the hypothesis that small shrubs are more closely coupled to variation in soil moisture availability than large shrubs. Small shrubs may actually be less coupled to soil moisture than large shrubs, and thus avoid conditions when continued transpiration could not be matched by equivalent water uptake.     

The Influence of Spatial Patterns of Soil Moisture on the Grass and Shrub Responses to a Summer Rainstorm in a Chihuahuan Desert Ecotone

The cycling of surface water, energy, nutrients, and carbon is different between semiarid grassland and shrubland ecosystems. Although differences are evident when grasslands are compared to shrublands, the processes that contribute to this transition are more challenging to document. We evaluate how surface redistribution of precipitation and plant responses to the resulting infiltration patterns could contribute to the changes that occur during the transition from grassland to shrubland. We measured soil water potential under grasses (Bouteloua eriopoda), shrubs (Larrea tridentata) and bare soil and changes in plant water relations and gas exchange following a 15 mm summer storm in the grassland–shrubland ecotone at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico USA. Following the storm, soil water potential (Ψ_s) increased to 30 cm depth beneath both grass and shrub canopies, with the greatest change observed in the top 15 cm of the soil. The increase in Ψ_s was greater beneath grass canopies than beneath shrub canopies. Ψ_s under bare soil increased only to 5 cm depth. The substantial redistribution of rainfall and different rooting depths of the vegetation resulted in high Ψ_s throughout most of the rooting volume of the grasses whereas soil moisture was unchanged throughout a large portion of the shrub rooting volume. Consistent with this pattern, predawn water potential (Ψ_PD) of grasses increased more than 5 MPa to greater than −1 MPa whereas Ψ_PD of shrubs increased to −2.5 MPa, a change of less than 2 MPa. Transpiration increased roughly linearly with Ψ_PD in both grasses and shrubs. In grasses, assimilation was strongly correlated with Ψ_PD whereas there was no relationship in shrubs where assimilation showed no significant response to the pulse of soil moisture following the storm. These data show that preferential redistribution of water to grass canopies enhances transpiration and assimilation by grasses following large summer storms. This process may inhibit shrubland expansion at the ecotone during periods without extreme drought.     

The response of native species to removal of invasive exotic grasses in a seasonally dry Hawaiian woodland

Abstract. Non-native perennial grasses form 30% of the live understory biomass in seasonally dry, submontane forests in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, yet their effects on native species are unknown. We removed these grasses from plots of 20 m × 20 m in 1991 and maintained removal and control areas over the next three years. Two fast growing shrub species, Dodonaea viscosa and Osteomeles anthylidifolia, increased in size significantly more in removal areas than in controls. Individuals of the most abundant shrub species, Styphelia tameiameia showed no net growth response to grass removal. They did, however, change their architecture: many branches along the mid and upper sections of the main trunk died and a proliferation of new leaves and shoots occurred in the lower 40 cm of trunk. Basal diameter increase was very small in Metrosideros polymorpha, the dominant tree species in these sites. All species except Styphelia had significantly increased leaf tissue nitrogen in removal plots by 18 months after removal when compared to shrubs in control areas suggesting that removal plot shrubs had greater access to soil nitrogen. Available soil-N pools, which were generally higher in the removal plots, support this interpretation. Light levels near the soil surface were also higher where grasses were removed than where they were present which may have contributed to increased shrub growth. By contrast, soil moisture was consistently lower where grasses were removed than where they were still present. Shrub tissue carbon isotope values were consistent with the interpretation that shrubs in removal plots had less rather than more water available to them. Hence, the increased growth observed in removal plot shrubs could not be due to release from moisture competition. Lastly, our results showed that seedlings of all woody species except Metrosideros were significantly more abundant in removal plots at both one and three years after removal and initially high sapling mortality was balanced by high recruitment into the sapling class. We believe that over time this will result in increased densities of native shrubs if grasses are kept out. With the presence of grasses, shrub growth in these woodlands is reduced and biomass is shifting towards grasses.     

Differential use of large summer rainfall events by shrubs and grasses: a manipulative experiment in the Patagonian steppe

In the Patagonian steppe, years with above-average precipitation (wet years) are characterized by the occurrence of large rainfall events. The objective of this paper was to analyze the ability of shrubs and grasses to use these large events. Shrubs absorb water from the lower layers, grasses from the upper layers, intercepting water that would otherwise reach the layers exploited by shrubs. We hypothesized that both life-forms could use the large rainfalls and that the response of shrubs could be more affected by the presence of grasses than vice versa. We performed a field experiment using a factorial combination of water addition and life-form removal, and repeated it during the warm season of three successive years. The response variables were leaf growth, and soil and plant water potential. Grasses always responded to experimental large rainfall events, and their response was greater in dry than in wet years. Shrubs only used large rainfalls in the driest year, when the soil water potential in the deep layers was low. The presence or absence of one life-form did not modify the response of the other. The magnitude of the increase in soil water potential was much higher in dry than in humid years, suggesting an explanation for the differences among years in the magnitude of the response of shrubs and grasses. We propose that the generally reported poor response of deep-rooted shrubs to summer rainfalls could be because (1) the water is insufficient to reach deep soil layers, (2) the plants are in a dormant phenological status, and/or (3) deep soil layers have a high water potential. The two last situations may result in high deep-drainage losses, one of the most likely explanations for the elsewhere-reported low response of aboveground net primary production to precipitation during wet years. Received: 23 January 1997 / Accepted: 19 November 1997