Plastic mulch increases dryland wheat yield and water-use productivity,while straw mulch increases soil water storage

Amplifying drought stress and high precipitation variability impair dryland wheat production.These problems can potentially be minimized by using plastic mulch(PM)or straw mulch(SM).Therefore,wheat grain yield,soil water storage,soil temperature and water-use productivity of PM and SM treatments were compared with no mulch(CK)treatment on dryland wheat over a period of eight seasons.Compared to the CK treatment,PM and SM treatments on average significantly increased grain yield by 12.6 and 10.5%,respectively.Compared to the CK treatment,SM treatment significantly decreased soil daily temperature by 0.57,0.60 and 0.48℃ for the whole seasons,growing periods and summer fallow periods,respectively.In contrast,compared to the CK treatment,PM treatment increased soil daily temperature by 0.44,0.51 and 0.27℃ for the whole seasons,growing periods and summer fallow periods,respectively.Lower soil temperature under SM allowed greater soil water storage than under PM.Soil water storage pre-seeding was 17%greater under the SM than under the PM treatment.Soil water storage post-harvest was similar for the PM and SM treatments,but evapotranspiration was 4.5%higher in the SM than in the PM treatment.Consequently,water-use productivity was 6.6%greater under PM than under the SM treatment.Therefore,PM treatment increased dryland wheat yield and water-use productivity,while straw mulch increased soil water storage.

Variation of Water-Use Efficiency of Leymus chinensis and Cleistogenes squarrosa in Different Plant Communities in Xilin River Basin, Nei Mongol

Water is usually considered to be a key limiting factor for the growth and reproduction of steppe plants in the Xilin River Basin, Nei Mongol. Foliar delta C-13 values, an indicator of long-term intercellular carbon dioxide concentration and thus of water-use efficiency (WUE) in plants, were measured on Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. and Cleistogenes squarrosa (Trin.) Keng. in six communities of different habitats in die Xilin River Basin. The foliar delta C-13 values of both species tended to increase with decreasing soil water content (SWC) and a significant negative correlation was found between foliar delta C-13 Values and SWC in different soil layers, indicating that the two species could change WUE according to water availability. We also found relatively constant leaf water contents (LWC) of the two species in different habitats. Our results implied that the two steppe species might have adapted to different soil water regimes either through adjusting stomatal conductance to get a proper WUE, or through enhancing the osmosis-regulating ability to keep a relatively stable LWC. Our findings could partially explain why the two plant species have a wide distribution range and become dominant in the Xilin River Basin.

Effects of Phosphorus Application in Different Soil Layers on Root Growth, Yield, and Water-Use Efficiency of Winter Wheat Grown Under Semi-Arid Conditions

Deep phosphorus application can be a usefull measure to improve crops＇ performance in semi-arid regions, but more knowledge of both its general effects and effects on specific crops is required to optimize treatments. Thus, the aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of phosphorus（P） application at different soil layers on root growth, grain yield, and water-use efficiency（WUE） of winter wheat grown on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China and to explore the relationship between root distribution and grain yield. The experiment consisted of four P treatments in a randomized complete block design with three replicates and two cultivars： one drought-sensitive（Xiaoyan 22, XY22） and one drought-tolerant（Changhan 58, CH58）. The four P treatments were no P（control, CK）, surface P（SP）, deep P（DP）, and deep-band P application（DBP）. CH58 produced larger and deeper root systems, and had higher grain yields and WUE, under the deep P treatments（DP and DBP） than under SP, clearly showing that deep P placement had beneficial effects on the drought-tolerant cultivar. In contrast, the grain yield and root growth of XY22 did not differ between DP or DBP and SP treatments. Further, root dry weight（RW） and root length（RL） in deep soil layer（30-100 cm） were closely positively correlated with grain yield and WUE of CH58（but not XY22）, highlighting the connections between a well-developed subsoil root system and both high grain yield and WUE for the drought-tolerant cultivar. WUE correlated strongly with grain yield for both cultivars（r=0.94, P〈0.001）. In conclusion, deep application of P fertilizer is a practical and feasible means of increasing grain yield and WUE of rainfed winter wheat in semi-arid regions, by promoting deep root development of drought-tolerant cultivars.

Determination of a Reasonable Percentage for Ecological Water-Use in the Haihe River Basin, China

An investigation was conducted to study problems of determining a reasonable percentage for ecological water-use in the Haihe River Basin of China. Three key aspects for the ecological water requirement （EWR） were analyzed, involving i） the EWR for river system, ii） the EWR for wetlands and lakes, and iii） the EWR for discharge into the sea to maintain the estuary ecological balance of the Haihe River. The Montana method and related water level-flow relationships, and the statistic approach based on hydrological records were applied to estimate different components of EWR. The results showed that the total ecological water demand in the region, was about 3.47-14.56 billion m^3. Considering flow regime change and uncertainty, the ecological water demand could be estimated by the hydrological frequency approach. Preliminary analysis showed that for different annual runoff under the frequencies of 20%, 50%, 75% and 95%, the ecological water demand approached 12%-50%, 18%-74%, 24%-103%, 35%-148% and 16%-66%, respectively. By further analysis to balance ecological water-use and socioeconomic water-use, the rational percentage of ecological water-use was estimated as 35%-74%, that provides useful information to judge whether the allocation of water resources is reasonable, and was proved to be satisfactory by comparing with the practical condition.

Modeling grassland net primary productivity and water-use efficiency along an elevational gradient of the Northern Tianshan Mountains

Mountainous ecosystems are considered highly sensitive and vulnerable to natural disasters and cli- rnatic changes. Therefore, quantifying the effects of elevation on grassland productivity to understand ecosys- tem-climate interactions is vital for mountainous ecosystems. Water-use efficiency （WUE） provides a useful index for understanding the metabolism of terrestrial ecosystems as well as for evaluating the degradation of grasslands. This paper explored net primary productivity （NPP） and WUE in grasslands along an elevational gradient ranging from 400 to 3,400 m asl in the northern Tianshan Mountains-southern Junggar Basin （TMJB）, Xinjiang of China, using the Biome-BGC model. The results showed that： 1 ） the NPP increased by 0.05 g C/（m2-a） with every increase of 1-m elevation, reached the maximum at the mid-high elevation （1,600 m asl）, and then decreased by 0.06 g C/（m2.a） per 1-m increase in elevation; 2） the grassland NPP was positively correlated with temperature in alpine meadow （AM, 2,700-3,500 m asl）, mid-mountain forest meadow （MMFM, 1,650-2,700 m asl） and low-mountain dry grassland （LMDG, 650-1,650 m asl）, while positive correlations were found between NPP and annual precipitation in plain desert grassland （PDG, lower than 650 m asl）; 3） an increase （from 0.08 to 1.09 g C/（m2.a）） in mean NPP for the grassland in TMJB under a real climate change scenario was observed from 1959 to 2009; and 4） remarkable differences in WUE were found among different elevations, in general, WUE increased with decreasing elevation, because water availability is lower at lower elevations; however, at elevations lower than 540 m asl, we did observe a decreasing trend of WUE with decreasing elevation, which may be due to the sharp changes in canopy cover over this gradient. Our research suggests that the NPP simulated by Biome-BGC is consistent with field data, and the modeling provides an opportunity to further evaluate interactions between environmental factors and ecosystem productivity.

Overexpression of MdMIPS1 enhances drought tolerance and water-use efficiency in apple

Myo-inositol and its derivatives play important roles in the tolerance of higher plants to abiotic stresses, and myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase(MIPS) is the rate-limiting enzyme in myo-inositol biosynthesis. In this study, we found that increased myo-inositol biosynthesis enhanced drought tolerance in MdMIPS1-overexpressing apple lines under shortterm progressive drought stress. The effect of myo-inositol appeared to be mediated by the increased accumulation of osmoprotectants such as glucose, sucrose, and proline, and by the increased activities of antioxidant enzymes that eliminate reactive oxygen species. Moreover, enhanced water-use efficiency(WUE) was observed in MdMIPS1-overexpressing apple lines under long-term moderate water deficit conditions that mimicked the water availability in the soil of the Loess Plateau. Enhanced WUE may have been associated with the synergistic regulation of osmotic balance and stomatal aperture mediated by increased myo-inositol biosynthesis. Taken together, our findings shed light on the positive effects of MdMIPS1-mediated myo-inositol biosynthesis on drought tolerance and WUE in apple.

Water-use efficiency in response to simulated increasing precipitation in a temperate desert ecosystem of Xinjiang, China

Water-use efficiency（WUE） is a key plant functional trait that plays a central role in the global cycles of water and carbon. Although increasing precipitation may cause vegetation changes, few studies have explored the linkage between alteration in vegetation and WUE. Here, we analyzed the responses of leaf WUE, ecosystem carbon and water exchanges, ecosystem WUE, and plant community composition changes under normal conditions and also under extra 15% or 30% increases in annual precipitation in a temperate desert ecosystem of Xinjiang, China. We found that leaf WUE and ecosystem WUE showed inconsistent responses to increasing precipitation. Leaf WUE consistently decreased as precipitation increased. By contrast, the responses of the ecosystem WUE to increasing precipitation are different in different precipitation regimes： increasing by 33.9% in the wet year（i.e., the normal precipitation years）and decreasing by 4.1% in the dry year when the precipitation was about 30% less than that in the wet year.We systematically assessed the herbaceous community dynamics, community composition, and vegetation coverage to explain the responses of ecosystem WUE, and found that the between-year discrepancy in ecosystem WUE was consistent with the extent to which plant biomass was stimulated by the increase in precipitation. Although there was no change in the relative significance of ephemerals in the plant community, its greater overall plant biomass drove an increased ecosystem WUE under the conditions of increasing precipitation in 2011. However, the slight increase in plant biomass exerted no significant effect on ecosystem WUE in 2012. Our findings suggest that an alteration in the dominant species in this plant community can induce a shift in the carbon-and water-based economics of desert ecosystems.

Evaluating agricultural water-use efficiency based on water footprint of crop values: a case study in Xinjiang of China

Efficient agricultural water use is crucial for food safety and water conservation on a global scale. To quantitatively investigate the agricultural water-use efficiency in regions exhibiting the complex agricultural structure, this study developed an indicator named water footprint of crop values(WFV) that is based on the water footprint of crop production. Defined as the water volume used to produce a unit price of crop(m^3/CNY), the new indicator makes it feasible to directly compare the water footprint of different crops from an economic perspective, so as to comprehensively evaluate the water-use efficiency under the complex planting structure. On the basis of WFV, the study further proposed an indicator of structural water-use coefficient(SWUC), which is represented by the ratio of water-use efficiency for a given planting structure to the water efficiency for a reference crop and can quantitatively describe the impact of planting structure on agricultural water efficiency. Then, a case study was implemented in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. The temporal and spatial variations of WFV were assessed for the planting industries in 14 prefectures and cities of Xinjiang between 1991 and 2015. In addition, contribution rate analysis of WFV for different prefectures and cities was conducted to evaluate the variations of WFV caused by different influencing factors: agricultural input, climatic factors, and planting structure. Results from these analyses indicated first that the average WFV of planting industries in Xinjiang significantly decreased from 0.293 m^3/CNY in 1991 to 0.153 m^3/CNY in 2015, corresponding to an average annual change rate of –3.532%. WFV in 13 prefectures and cities(with the exception of Karamay) has declined significantly during the period of 1991–2015, indicating that agricultural water-use efficient has effectively improved. Second, the average SWUC in Xinjiang decreased from 1.17 to 1.08 m^3/CNY in the 1990 s, and then declined to 1.00 m^3/CNY in 2011–2015. The value of SWUC was highly consistent with the relative value of WFV in most prefectures and cities, showing that planting structure is one of the primary factors affecting regional agricultural water-use efficiency. Third, the contribution rate of WFV variations from human factors including agricultural input and planting structure was much more significant than that from climatic factors. However, the distribution of agricultural input and the adjustment of planting structure significantly differed among prefectures and cities, suggesting regional imbalances of agricultural development. This study indicated the feasibility and effectiveness of controlling agricultural water use through increasing technical input and rational selection of crops in the face of impending climate change. Specifically, we concluded that, the rational application of chemical fertilizers, the development of the fruit industry, and the strict restriction of the cotton industry should be implemented to improve the agricultural water-use efficiency in Xinjiang.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Green Total-factor Water-use Efficiency and Its Influencing Factors in China

In this study,we developed an evaluation index system for green total-factor water-use efficiency(GTFWUE)which reflected both economic and green efficiencies of water resource utilization.Then we measured the GTFWUE of 30 provinces/municipalities/autonomous regions(hereafter provinces)in China(not including Tibet,Hong Kong,Macao,Taiwan as no data)from 2000 to 2018 using a minimum distance to the strong frontier model that contained an undesirable output.We further analyzed the regional differences and spatial correlations of GTFWUE using these values based on Global and Local Moran’s I statistics,and empirically determined the factors affecting GTFWUE using a spatial econometric model.The evaluation results revealed that the GTFWUE differed substantially between the regions.The provinces with high and low GTFWUE values were located in the coastal and inland areas of China,respectively.The eastern region had a significantly higher GTFWUE than the central and western regions.The GTFWUEs for all three regions(eastern,central,and western regions)decreased slowly from 2000 to 2011(except 2005),remained stable from 2012 to 2016,and rapidly increased in 2017 before decreasing again in 2018.We found significant spatial correlations between the provincial GTFWUEs.The GTFWUE for most provinces belonged to the high-high or low-low cluster region,revealing a significant spatial clustering effect of provincial GTFWUEs.We also found that China’s GTFWUE was highly promoted by economic growth,population size,opening-up level,and urbanization level,and was evidently hindered by water endowment,technological progress,and government influence.However,the water-use structure had little impact on GTFWUE.This study fully demonstrated that the water use mode would be improved,and water resources needed to be used more efficiently and green in China.Moreover,based on the findings of this study,several policy recommendations were proposed from the aspects of cross-regional cooperation,economy,society,and institution.

Optimization Method for Electrical Water Heaters Considering Shifting Potentials of Electricity Consumption and Water-use Activities

Electrical water heaters(EWHs)are important can-didates to provide demand-response services.The traditional optimization method for EWHs focuses on the optimization of the electricity consumption,without considering the shifting potential of the wateruse activities.This paper proposes an optimization method for EWHs considering the shifting potentials of both the electricity consumption and wateruse activities.Con-sidering that the wateruse activities could be monolithically shifted,the shifting model of the water-use activities was developed.In addition to the thermodynamic model of the EWH,the optimal scheduling model of the EWH was developed and solved using mixed-integer linear programming.Case studies were performed on a single EWH and aggregate EWHs,demon-strating that the proposed method can shift the water-use activities and therefore increase the load-shifting potential of the EWHs.

Quantitative Variation in Water-Use Efficiency across Water Regimes and Its Relationship with Circadian, Vegetative, Reproductive, and Leaf Gas-Exchange Traits

Drought limits light harvesting, resulting in lower plant growth and reproduction. One trait important for plant drought response is water-use efficiency （WUE）. We investigated （1） how the joint genetic architecture of WUE, reproductive characters, and vegetative traits changed across drought and well-watered conditions, （2） whether traits with distinct developmental bases （e.g. leaf gas exchange versus reproduction） differed in the environmental sensitivity of their genetic architecture, and （3） whether quantitative variation in circadian period was related to drought response in Brassica rapa. Overall, WUE increased in drought, primarily because stomatal conductance, and thus water loss, declined more than carbon fixation. Genotypes with the highest WUE in drought expressed the lowest WUE in well-watered conditions, and had the largest vegetative and floral organs in both treatments. Thus, large changes in WUE enabled some genotypes to approach vegetative and reproductive trait optima across environments. The genetic architecture differed for gas-exchange and vegetative traits across drought and well-watered conditions, but not for floral traits. Correlations between circadian and leaf gas-exchange traits were significant but did not vary across treatments, indicating that circadian period affects physiological function regardless of water availability. These results suggest that WUE is important for drought tolerance in Brassica rapa and that artificial selection for increased WUE in drought will not result in maladaptive expression of other traits that are correlated with WUE.

Long-term changes in the tree radial growth and intrinsic water-use efficiency of Chuanxi spruce(Picea likiangensis var.balfouriana) in southwestern China

Elevated CO_(2) level in the atmosphere is expected and intrinsic water-use efficiency(iWUE).Although current found the tree growth decline in water-limited area,it is st to improve the tree growth rates results inferring from tree rings unclear whether spruce trees in humid southwestern China benefit from the increasing 002.In this study,tree-ring width data were used to investigate the tree radial growth rate of Chuanxi spruce(Picea likiangensis var.balfouriana).Moreover,combining with the tree-ring carbon isotope date,we analyzed the physiological responses of Chuanxi spruce to rising CO_(2) concentrations in the atmosphere(C_(a))associated with climatic change in southwestern China.From 1851 to 2009,iWUE of Chuanxi spruce rose by approximately 30.4%,and the ratio of atmospheric CO_(2) to leaf in-tercellular CO_(2) concentration(C_(j)/C_(a))showed no significant trend in the study area.The result suggested that Chuanxi spruce used an active response strategy when C_(a) was significantly increased,iWUE showed a significant increasing trend in parallel with tree radial growth,indicating that the increasing iWUE resulted in an increase in radial growth.These results suggest that spruce forests in southwestern China have not shown declining trends under increasing Ca and climate change scenarios,in contrast to trees growing in water-limited areas.Therefore,spruce forests benefit from the increasing CO_(2) in the atmosphere in the humid areas of southwestern China.

Effects of nitrogen addition and mowing on nitrogen-and water-use efficiency oi Artemisia frigida in a grassland restored from an abandoned cropland

Aims Competition among plants in a community usually depends on their nitrogen(N)-use efficiency(NUE)and water-use efficiency(WUE)in arid and semi-arid regions.Artemisia frigida is an indicator species in heavily degraded grassland,however,how its NUE and WUE respond to N addition in different successional stages is still unclear,especially with mowing,a common management practice in semi-arid grasslands.Methods Based on a long-term controlled experiment with N addition and mowing in an abandoned cropland from 2006 to 2013,we investigated the NUE and WUE oi A.frigida in two patches(i.e.grass and herb patches)in 2013 which represented two potential successional stages from herb to grass communities.The coverage of A.frigida was higher(about 50%)in the herb patch than in the grass patch(about 10%).Stable isotopic C(δ^(13)C)and N(δ^(15)N)as well as C and N pools were measured in plants and soils.NUE was calculated as leaf C/N,and leafδ^(13)C values were used as a proxy for WUE.Important Findings N addition did not affect WUE of A.frigida,but significantly decreased NUE by 42.9%and 26.6%in grass and herb patches,respectively.The response of NUE to N addition was related to altering utilization of different N sources(NH_(4)^(+)vs.NO_(3)^(-))by A.frigida according to the changed relationship between leafδ^(15)N/soil 615N and NUE.Mowing had no effect on NUE regardless of N addition,but significantly increased WUE by 2.3%for A.frigida without N addition in the grass patch.The addition of N reduced the positive effect of mowing on its WUE in grass patch.Our results suggested that decreased NUE and/or WUE of A.frigida under mowing and N addition could reduce its competition,and further accelerate restoration succession from the abandoned cropland to natural grassland in the semi-arid region.

Water-use efficiency of four native trees under CO_(2) enrichment and N addition in subtropical model forest ecosystems

Aims We aimed to evaluate the changes in water-use efficiency(WuE)in native tree species in forests of subtropical China,and determine how coexisting species would be responding to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide(CO_(2))concentrations and nitrogen(N)deposition.Methods We used model forest ecosystems in open-top chambers to study the effects of elevated CO_(2)(ca.700μmol mol−1)alone and together with N addition(NH4No3 applied at 100 kg N ha−1year−1)on WuE of four native tree species(Schima superba,Ormosia pin-nata,Castanopsis hystrix and Acmena acuminatissima)from 2006 to 2010.Important findingsour result indicated that all species increased their WuE when they were exposed to elevated CO_(2).although higher WuE was shown in faster-growing species(S.superba and O.pinnata)than that of slower-growing species(C.hystrix and Acmena acuminatissima),the increased extent of WuE induced by elevated CO_(2) was higher in the slower-growing species than that of the faster-growing species(P<0.01).the N treatment decreased WuE of S.superba,while the effects on other species were not significant.the interactions between elevated CO_(2) and N addition increased intrinsic WuE of S.superba significantly(P<0.001),however,it did not affect WuE of the other tree species significantly.We conclude that the responses of native tree species to elevated CO_(2) and N addition are different in subtropical China.the species-specific effects of elevated CO_(2) and N addition on WuE would have important implications on species composition in China’s subtropics in response to global change.

Symbiotic performance,shoot biomass and water-use efficiency of three groundnut(Arachis hypogaea L.)genotypes in response to phosphorus supply under field conditions in Ethiopia

Phosphorus is a key nutrient element involved in energy transfer for cellular metabolism,respiration and photosynthesis and its supply at low levels can affect legume nodulation,N2 fixation,and C assimilation.A twoyear field study was conducted in Ethiopia in 2012 and 2013 to evaluate the effects of P supply on growth,symbiotic N2 nutrition,grain yield and water-use efficiency of three groundnut genotypes.Supplying P to the genotypes significantly increased their shoot biomass,symbiotic performance,grain yield,and C accumulation.There was,however,no effect on shootδ13C values in either year.Compared to the zero-P control,supplying 40 kg$ha–1 P markedly increased shoot biomass by 77%and 66%in 2012 and 2013,respectively.In both years,groundnut grain yields were much higher at 20 and 30 kg$ha–1 P.Phosphorus supply markedly reduced shootδ15N values and increased the%Ndfa and amount of Nfixed,indicating the direct involvement of P in promoting N2 fixation in nodulated groundnut.The three genotypes differed significantly inδ15N,%Ndfa,N-fixed,grain yield,C concentration,andδ13C.The phosphorusgenotype interaction was also significant for shoot DM,N content,N-fixed and soil N uptake.

Minimization of the Flowrate of Fresh Water and Corresponding Regenerated Water in Water-using System with Regeneration Reuse

A sequential three-step programming method is proposed for determining the minimum flowrate of fresh water and corresponding regenerated water in water-using system of single contaminant with regeneration reuse. In step 1, a programming with the objective of min fws is used to determine the minimum flowrate of fresh water, in which the mathematical representation is a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP1). Then under the same constraints with step 1, a programming with the objective of min freg in step 2 and a programming with the objective of min Cr in step 3 are subsequently used to determine the minimum flowrate of regenerated water and the minimum inlet concentration to regeneration process corresponding to the minimum flowrate of fresh water based on step 1. The method is easy to apply because we only need to change the objective function but keep the constraints constant to go along the following steps after step 1. In addition, the relationship between the fresh water flowrate required, fws and inlet concentration to regeneration process, Cr, is investigated. It is found that there exist three relationships between fws and Cr, which indicate three possibilities for C\>: below the pinch, above the pinch or at the pinch. Therefore, a new conclusion is drawn, which differs from that 'regeneration of water at pinch minimizes fresh water flowrate' derived in literature and indicates that in some cases, regeneration at other point also minimizes fresh water flowrate.

A heuristic design method for batch water-using networks of multiple contaminants with regeneration unit

This work develops a heuristic method for the design of batch water-using networks of multiple contaminants with regeneration unit based on the concepts of concentration potential. A water-using network involving regeneration unit can be formed by adding the regenerated stream(s) into the network involving reuse only. In the design procedure of the network operated in a single batch mode, time is take n as the primary factor a nd con centration potentials as the secondary one. For the networks operated in a repeated mode, the design procedure is similar to that for continuous processes, besides designing the storage tanks with the rules proposed. Continuous regeneration unit is selected in this work. With the proposed method, the network structure corresponding to the minimum freshwater consumption can be obtained. It is shown that the method proposed in this article is simple, effective and has clear engineering meaning.

Decline in tree-ring growth of Picea mongolica and its intra-annual eco-physiological responses to drought and CO_(2) enrichment in semi-arid China

Episodes of drought-induced decline in tree growth and mortality are becoming more frequent as a result of climate warming and enhanced water stress in semi-arid areas.However,the ecophysiological mechanisms under-lying the impact of drought on tree growth remains unre-solved.In this study,earlywood and latewood tree-ring growth,δ^(13)C,andδ^(18)O chronologies of Picea mongolica from 1900 to 2013 were developed to clarify the intra-and inter-annual tree-ring growth responses to increasingly fre-quent droughts.The results indicate that annual basal area increment residuals(BAI_(res)),which removed tree age and size effects,have significantly decreased since 1960.How-ever,the decreasing trend of earlywood BAI_(res) was higher than that of latewood.Climate response analysis suggests that the dominant parameters for earlywood and latewood proxies(BAI_(res),δ^(13)C andδ^(18)O)were drought-related climate variables(Palmer drought severity index,temperature,rela-tive humidity,and vapor pressure deficit).The most signifi-cant period of earlywood and latewood proxies’responses to climate variables were focused on June-July and July-August,respectively.BAI_(res),andδ^(13)C were significantly affected by temperature and moisture conditions,whereasδ^(18)O was slightly affected.Decreasing stomatal conduct-ance due to drought outweighed the influence of increasing CO_(2) on intrinsic water use efficiency(iWUE),and ultimately led to a decline in BAI_(res).Compared to latewood,the faster decreasing BAI_(res) and smaller increasing iWUE of early-wood suggested trees were more vulnerable to water stress in the early growing season.Our study provides insights into the inter-and intra-annual mechanisms of tree-ring growth in semi-arid regions under rising CO_(2) and climate change.

Effects of soil drought stress on photosynthetic gas exchange traits and chlorophyll fluorescence in Forsythia suspensa

To clarify the changes in plant photosynthesis and mechanisms underlying those responses to gradually increasing soil drought stress and reveal quantitative relationships between photosynthesis and soil moisture,soil water conditions were controlled in greenhouse pot experiments using 2-year-old seedlings of Forsythia suspensa（Thunb.） Vahl. Photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence variables were measured and analyzed under 13 gradients of soil water content. Net photosynthetic rate（PN）, stomatal conductance（gs）, and water-use efficiency（WUE） in the seedlings exhibited a clear threshold response to the relative soil water content（RSWC）. The highest PNand WUEoccurred at RSWCof51.84 and 64.10%, respectively. Both PNand WUEwere higher than the average levels at 39.79% B RSWCB 73.04%. When RSWCdecreased from 51.84 to 37.52%,PN, gs, and the intercellular CO2 concentration（Ci）markedly decreased with increasing drought stress; the corresponding stomatal limitation（Ls） substantially increased, and nonphotochemical quenching（NPQ） also tended to increase, indicating that within this range of soil water content, excessive excitation energy was dispersed from photosystem II（PSII） in the form of heat, and the reduction in PNwas primarily due to stomatal limitation.While RSWCdecreased below 37.52%, there were significant decreases in the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry（Fv/Fm） and the effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry（UPSII）, photochemical quenching（qP）, and NPQ; in contrast, minimal fluorescence yield of the dark-adapted state（F0） increased markedly. Thus,the major limiting factor for the PNreduction changed to a nonstomatal limitation due to PSII damage. Therefore, an RSWCof 37.52% is the maximum allowable water deficit for the normal growth of seedlings of F. suspensa, and a water content lower than this level should be avoided in field soil water management. Water contents should be maintained in the range of 39.79% B RSWCB 73.04% to ensure normal function of the photosynthetic apparatus and high levels of photosynthesis and efficiency in F.suspensa.

A preliminary study of water use strategy of desert plants in Dunhuang,China

Water is a restrictive factor for plant growth and ecosystem stability in arid and semiarid areas. The dynamics of water availability in soils and water use by plants are consequently critical to ecosystem functions, e.g. maintaining a high resistance to the changing climate. Plant water use strategies, including water-use efficiency （WUE） and the main water source that a plant species utilizes, play an important role in the evaluation of stability and sustainability of a plantation. The water use strategies of desert plants （Tamarix chinensis, Alhagi sparsifolia, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Sophora alopecuroides, Bassia dasyphylla and Nitraria sphaerocarpa） in three different habitats （saline land, sandy land and Gobi） in Dunhuang （located in the typical arid area of northwestern China） were studied. The stable isotope of oxygen was used to determine the main water source and leaf carbon isotope discrimination was used to estimate the long-term WUE of plant species in the summer of 2010. The results suggest that： 1） the studied desert plants took up soil water below the depth of 80 cm; 2） T. chinensis in the three habitats used deeper soil water and T. chinensis in the Gobi site had higher WUE than those in the saline land and the sandy land. The results indicated that desert plants in Dunhuang depended on stable water source and maintained high WUE to survive in water limited environments.