Responses of phreatophyte transpiration to falling water table in hyper-arid and arid regions,Northwest China

Quantitative assessment of the impact of groundwater depletion on phreatophytes in(hyper-)arid regions is key to sustainable groundwater management.However,a parsimonious model for predicting the response of phreatophytes to a decrease of the water table is lacking.A variable saturated flow model,HYDRUS-1D,was used to numerically assess the influences of depth to the water table(DWT)and mean annual precipitation(MAP)on transpiration of groundwater-dependent vegetation in(hyper-)arid regions of northwest China.An exponential relationship is found for the normalized transpiration(a ratio of transpiration at a certain DWT to transpiration at 1 m depth,T_(a)^(*))with increasing DWT,while a positive linear relationship is identified between T_(a)^(*)and annual precipitation.Sensitivity analysis shows that the model is insensitive to parameters,such as saturated soil hydraulic conductivity and water stress parameters,indicated by an insignificant variation(less than 20%in most cases)under±50%changes of these parameters.Based on these two relationships,a universal model has been developed to predict the response of phreatophyte transpiration to groundwater drawdown for(hyper-)arid regions using MAP only.The estimated T_(a)^(*)from the model is reasonable by comparing with published measured values.

Drought adaptability of phreatophytes:insight from vertical root distribution in drylands of China

Aims The vertical distribution of plant roots is a comprehensive result of plant adaptation to the environment.Limited knowledge on fine vertical root distributions and complex interactions between roots and environmental variables hinders our ability to reliably predict climatic impacts on vegetation dynamics.This study attempts to understand the drought adaptability of plants in arid areas from the perspective of the relationship between vertical root distribution and surroundings.Methods By analyzing root profiles compiled from published studies,the root vertical profiles of two typical phreatophytes,Tamarix ramosissima and Populus euphratica,and their relationships with environmental factors were investigated.A conceptual model was adopted to link the parameter distribution frequency with plant drought adaptability.Important Findings The strong hydrotropism(groundwater-dependent)and flexible water-use strategy of T.ramosissima and P.euphratica help both species survive in hyperarid climates.The differences in the developmental environments between T.ramosissima and P.euphratica can be explained well by the different distribution characteristics of root profiles.That is,higher root plasticity helps T.ramosissima develop a more efficient water-use strategy and therefore survive in more diverse climatic and soil conditions than P.euphratica.We conclude that the higher variation in root profile characteristics of phreatophytes can have greater root adaptability to the surroundings and thus wider hydrological niches and stronger ecological resilience.The inadequacy of models in describing root plasticity limits the accuracy of predicting the future response of vegetation to climate change,which calls for developing process-based dynamic root schemes in Earth system models.

Patterns,magnitude,and controlling factors of hydraulic redistribution of soil water by Tamarix ramosissima roots

Tamarix spp. （Saltcedar） is a facultative phreatophyte that can tolerate drought when groundwater is not accessed. In addition to deep water uptake, hydraulic redistribution （HR） is another factor contributing to the drought tolerance of Tarnarix spp. In this study, data on soil volumetric moisture content （0）, lateral root sap flow, and relevant climate variables were used to investigate the patterns, magnitude, and controlling factors of HR of soil water by roots of Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb. in an extremely arid land in Northwest China. Results showed evident diurnal fluctuations in 0 at the depths of 30 and 50 cm, indicating ＂hydraulic lift＂ （HL）. 0 increased remarkably at 10 and 140 cm but decreased at 30 and 50 cm and slightly changed at 80 cm after rainfall, suggesting a possible ＂hydraulic descent＂ （HD）. However, no direct evidence was observed in the negative flow of lateral roots, supporting HR （including HL and HD） of T. ramosissima. The HR pathway unlikely occurred via lateral roots; instead, HR possibly occurred through adventitious roots with a diameter of 2-5 mm and a length of 60-100 cm. HR at depths of 20-60 cm ranged from 0.01-1.77 mm/d with an average of 0.43 mm/d, which accounted for an average of 22% of the estimated seasonal total water depletion at 0-160 cm during the growing season. The climate factors, particularly vapor pressure deficit and soil water potential gradient, accounted for at least 33% and 45% of HR variations with depths and years, respectively. In summary, T. ramosissima can be added to the wide list of existing species involved in HR. High levels of HR may represent a considerable fraction of daily soil water depletion and substantially improve plant water status. HR could vary tremendously in terms of years and depths, and this variation could be attributed to climate factors and soil water potential gradient.

Optimal root system strategies for desert phreatophytic seedlings in the search for groundwater

Desert phreatophytes are greatly dependent on groundwater, but how their root systems adapt to different groundwater depths is poorly understood. In the present study, shoot and root growths of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. seedlings were studied across a gradient of groundwater depths. Leaves, stems and roots of different orders were measured after 120 days of different groundwater treatments. Results indicated that the depth of soil wetting front and the vertical distribution of soil water contents were highly controlled by groundwater depths. The shoot growth and biomass of A. sparsifolia decreased, but the root growth and rooting depth increased under deeper groundwater conditions. The higher ratios of root biomass, root/shoot and root length/leaf area under deeper groundwater conditions implied that seedlings of A. sparsifolia economized carbon cost on their shoot growths. The roots of A. sparsifolia distributed evenly around the soil wetting fronts under deeper groundwater conditions. Root diameters and root lengths of all orders were correlated with soil water availabilities both within and among treatments. Seedlings of A. sparsifolia produced finer first- and second-order roots but larger third- and fourth-order roots in dry soils. The results demonstrated that the root systems of desert phreatophytes can be optimized to acquire groundwater resources and maximize seedling growth by balancing the costs of carbon gain.

Clones or no clones：genetic structure of riparian Populus euphratica forests in Central Asia

Many riparian（Tugai） forests growing along rivers in arid and hyper-arid regions of Central Asia are dominated by the Euphrates poplar（Populus euphratica）. Besides generative reproduction, which is only possible upon flooding events and at a distance to the groundwater of less than 2 m, this phreatophytic tree species also reproduces vegetatively by forming clones that can cover land surface areas of several hectares. Along a gradient of groundwater distances, we investigated whether the fraction of clones in P. euphratica stands（1） increases with increasing distance to the water table;（2） is higher if supplied with water via river cut-offs; and（3） approaches 100% at a short distance to the groundwater, but at high salt concentrations in the upper soil layers, which would prevent germination and establishment of seedlings. AFLP（Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism） analyses were conducted on leaf samples taken from mature P. euphratica trees growing at the fringes of the Taklimakan Desert in stands with different distances（2–12 m） to the groundwater at two plots at the middle and the lower reaches of the Tarim River and in a stand close to Ebinur Lake, Xinjiang, China. Genetic diversity was large among plots, but considerably smaller within plots. We found the highest genetic diversity（caused by regeneration from seeds） at plots that have a short distance to the groundwater or are supplied with additional water. There was no significant relationship between groundwater distance and clonal fraction. All investigated trees at the saline Ebinur Lake site belonged to one single clone. Our results demonstrate that the genetic pattern of this widespread species is not easily predictable even over small distances as it is a result of a complex interplay of stand history and dispersal of propagules（pollen, seeds, and vegetative diaspores） by wind and water. In conservation and restoration schemes, P. euphratica stands with a high genetic diversity and stands that grow at short distances to the water table and are regularly subjected to flooding（which favors generative over clonal reproduction） should be prioritized.