1. Seasonal and Depth Dynamics of Soil Moisture Affect Trees on the Tibetan Plateau.
- Author
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Li, Qian, Jiao, Liang, Xue, Ruhong, Che, Xichen, Zhang, Peng, Wang, Xuge, and Yuan, Xin
- Subjects
SOIL dynamics ,SOIL moisture ,SOIL depth ,OXYGEN isotopes ,TREE growth ,PLATEAUS - Abstract
The soil moisture (SM) influences tree growth with climate change. However, the spatial and temporal dynamics of tree water use strategies in climate-sensitive areas remain uncertain. Therefore, we collected the tree-ring oxygen isotope (δ
18 OTR ) chronologies and divided the wet–dry gradients according to the precipitation on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Further, the relationship between the δ18 OTR and environmental factors was analyzed across different gradients. We found the following: (1) The SM during the growing season was the most important factor for δ18 OTR . (2) The response of the δ18 OTR to the SM had a lag in arid areas than in humid areas. (3) Trees absorbed the SM on the surface in humid areas (r = −0.49 to −0.41, p < 0.01), while trees absorbed the SM from deep in the soil in arid areas (r = −0.48 to −0.29, p < 0.01). The results demonstrated that trees were better able to cope with drought stress in arid regions because they used more stable deep soil water than in humid regions. Therefore, the findings will provide a scientific basis for water use of trees using the δ18 OTR in complex environmental contexts. Trees with single water use strategies should be given more attention to keep ecosystems healthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
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