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Coupling of ecosystem-scale plant water storage and leaf phenology observed by satellite.

Authors :
Tian F
Wigneron JP
Ciais P
Chave J
Ogée J
Peñuelas J
Ræbild A
Domec JC
Tong X
Brandt M
Mialon A
Rodriguez-Fernandez N
Tagesson T
Al-Yaari A
Kerr Y
Chen C
Myneni RB
Zhang W
Ardö J
Fensholt R
Source :
Nature ecology & evolution [Nat Ecol Evol] 2018 Sep; Vol. 2 (9), pp. 1428-1435. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Aug 13.
Publication Year :
2018

Abstract

Plant water storage is fundamental to the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems by participating in plant metabolism, nutrient and sugar transport, and maintenance of the integrity of the hydraulic system of the plant. However, a global view of the size and dynamics of the water pools stored in plant tissues is still lacking. Here, we report global patterns of seasonal variations in ecosystem-scale plant water storage and their relationship with leaf phenology, based on space-borne measurements of L-band vegetation optical depth. We find that seasonal variations in plant water storage are highly synchronous with leaf phenology for the boreal and temperate forests, but asynchronous for the tropical woodlands, where the seasonal development of plant water storage lags behind leaf area by up to 180 days. Contrasting patterns of the time lag between plant water storage and terrestrial groundwater storage are also evident in these ecosystems. A comparison of the water cycle components in seasonally dry tropical woodlands highlights the buffering effect of plant water storage on the seasonal dynamics of water supply and demand. Our results offer insights into ecosystem-scale plant water relations globally and provide a basis for an improved parameterization of eco-hydrological and Earth system models.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2397-334X
Volume :
2
Issue :
9
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Nature ecology & evolution
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
30104750
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0630-3