TY - JOUR
T1 - Responses of plant water use to a severe summer drought for two subtropical tree species in the central southern China
AU - Luo, Zidong
AU - Guan, Huade
AU - Zhang, Xinping
AU - Zhang, Cicheng
AU - Liu, Na
AU - Li, Guang
PY - 2016/12/1
Y1 - 2016/12/1
N2 - Study region Western suburb of Changsha, Hunan Province, the central southern China. Study focus Plant transpiration plays a significant role in the terrestrial water cycle and is closely associated with ecosystem primary production. Summer drought in the study area poses a stress on plant water use and associated carbon assimilation in growing season. In this study, water use response of two evergreen tree species to variation in environmental conditions was examined during a severe summer drought. New hydrological insights The results show that a decrease in water use during the drought for both two species is closely associated with an increase in vapor pressure deficit and a decrease in stem water potential. The two species appear to be anisohydric, but to a different degree in response to the drought. The hydrodynamic water potential gradient (Δy) maintains relatively constant with an average value of 0.59 MPa for C. camphora, and 1.59 MPa for O. fragrans. O. fragrans is less sensitive to drought than C. camphora, while C. camphora shows an effective survival mechanism via leaf shedding and dieback of shoots.
AB - Study region Western suburb of Changsha, Hunan Province, the central southern China. Study focus Plant transpiration plays a significant role in the terrestrial water cycle and is closely associated with ecosystem primary production. Summer drought in the study area poses a stress on plant water use and associated carbon assimilation in growing season. In this study, water use response of two evergreen tree species to variation in environmental conditions was examined during a severe summer drought. New hydrological insights The results show that a decrease in water use during the drought for both two species is closely associated with an increase in vapor pressure deficit and a decrease in stem water potential. The two species appear to be anisohydric, but to a different degree in response to the drought. The hydrodynamic water potential gradient (Δy) maintains relatively constant with an average value of 0.59 MPa for C. camphora, and 1.59 MPa for O. fragrans. O. fragrans is less sensitive to drought than C. camphora, while C. camphora shows an effective survival mechanism via leaf shedding and dieback of shoots.
KW - Stem water potential
KW - Summer drought
KW - Survival mechanisms
KW - Transpiration
KW - Water use
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84988019250&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejrh.2016.08.001
DO - 10.1016/j.ejrh.2016.08.001
M3 - Article
SN - 2214-5818
VL - 8
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
JF - Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
ER -