Inferring plant physiologic parameters for root water uptake modelling from high frequency in-situ isotope measurements

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Seeger ◽  
Michael Rinderer ◽  
Markus Weiler
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Root Distribution ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
Plant Water Uptake ◽  
Fine Root Distribution ◽  
Isotope Measurements

<p>In the face of global climate change, a well-informed knowledge of plant physiologic key parameters is essential to predict the behavior of ecosystems in a changing environment. Many of these parameters may be determined with lab or pot experiments, but it could prove problematic to transfer results obtained in a such experiments with small trees to fully grown trees. Therefore, new approaches to determine relevant parameters for mature trees are still required. Regarding plant water uptake, parameters related to fine root distribution (maximum depth, depth distribution and rhizosphere radius) and parameters describing the physiological limits of root water uptake are important, but usually hard or costly to assess for fully grown trees.  In-situ isotope probes (Volkmann et al. 2016a  & 2016b) are a promising recent development that offer new possibilities for the investigation of plant water uptake and associated physiological parameters.</p><p>In this study we used in-situ stable water isotope probes in soil (six depths from 10 to 100 cm) and in tree xylem of mature (140 years) European beech trees (three heights between 0 and 8 m). With those probes, we monitored soil and xylem isotope signatures after an isotopically labeled (Deutrium-Excess = 100 ‰) irrigation pulse equivalent to 150 mm of precipitation and foursubsequent natural precipitation events over a period of twelve weeks with a high temporal resolution (six or more measurements per probe per day). Those measurements were complemented with measurements of soil moisture and sap flow dynamics. We interpolated our measured soil isotope and soil moisture data in order to obtain spatially and temporally continuous data for those soil parameters. Then we used this data as an input to the Feddes-Jarvis plant water uptake model, in order to predict the isotopic signature of plant water uptake at daily time steps. With the help of our observed isotopic signatures, we were able to directly constrain the critical water potential parameter of the Feddes model as well as the underlying fine root distribution. Furthermore, the observed dampening of the breakthrough curve of our Deuterium-labeling pulse allowed us to infer information on the rhizosphere  radius and water transport velocities in the fine roots and stem between the points of root water uptake and the eight meter stem height.</p><p>With our field experiment we showed that in-situ isotope measurements in soil profiles and in tree xylem sap can help to constrain plant water uptake modelling parameters. Future experiments might use this approach to scrutinize lab-scale derived hypothesizes regarding tree water uptake and to investigate the temporal and spatial dynamics of root water uptake in the field.</p><p> </p><p><em>Volkmann, T. H., Haberer, K., Gessler, A., & Weiler, M. (2016a). High‐resolution isotope measurements resolve rapid ecohydrological dynamics at the soil–plant interface. New Phytologist, 210(3), 839-849. </em></p><p><em>Volkmann, T. H., Kühnhammer, K., Herbstritt, B., Gessler, A., & Weiler, M. (2016b). A method for in situ monitoring of the isotope composition of tree xylem water using laser spectroscopy. Plant, cell & environment, 39(9), 2055-2063. </em></p><p><em>Jarvis, N. J. (1989). A simple empirical model of root water uptake. Journal of Hydrology, 107(1-4), 57-72. </em></p>

scholarly journals Impact of plant water uptake strategy on soil moisture and evapotranspiration dynamics during drydown

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriaan J. Teuling ◽  
Remko Uijlenhoet ◽  
François Hupet ◽  
Peter A. Troch
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
Plant Water Uptake

scholarly journals Plant Water Uptake Thresholds Inferred From Satellite Soil Moisture

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maoya Bassiouni ◽  
Stephen P. Good ◽  
Christopher J. Still ◽  
Chad W. Higgins
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
Plant Water Uptake

Quantifying how plants with different species-specific water-use strategies cope with the same drought-prone hydro-ecological conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepanshu Khare ◽  
Gernot Bodner ◽  
Mathieu Javaux ◽  
Jan Vanderborght ◽  
Daniel Leitner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Drought Stress ◽  
Water Potential ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
Soil Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Stomatal Control

<p>Plant transpiration and root water uptake are dependent on multiple traits that interact with site soil characteristics and environmental factors such as radiation, atmospheric temperature, relative humidity, and soil-moisture content. Models of root architecture and functions are increasingly employed to simulate root-soil interactions. Root water uptake is thereby affected by the root hydraulic architecture, soil moisture conditions, soil hydraulic properties, and the transpiration demand as controlled by atmospheric conditions. Stomatal conductance plays a vital role in regulating transpiration in plants. We performed simulations of plant water uptake for plants having different mechanisms to control transpiration, spanned by isohydric/anisohydric spectrum. Isohydric plants follow the strategy to close their stomata in order to maintain the leaf water potential at a constant level, while anisohydric plants leave their stomata open when leaf water potentials fall due to drought stress. Modelling the stomatal regulation effectively will result in a more reliable model that will regulate the excessive loss of water. We implemented hydraulic and chemical stomatal control<br>of root water uptake following the current approach where stomatal control is regulated by simulated water potential and/or chemical signal concentration. In order to maintain water uptake from dry soil, low plant water potentials are required, which may lead to reversible or permanent cavitation. We parameterise our model with field data, including climate data and soil hydraulic properties under different tillage conditions. This helps us to understand the behaviour of different crops under drought conditions and predict at which growing stage the stress hits the plant. We conducted the simulations for different scenarios to study the effect of hydraulic and chemical regulation on root system performance under drought stress.</p>

scholarly journals An optimality-based model of the coupled soil moisture and root dynamics

2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 913-932 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Schymanski ◽  
M. Sivapalan ◽  
M. L. Roderick ◽  
J. Beringer ◽  
L. B. Hutley
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Root Distribution ◽  
Root Respiration ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Soil Moisture Dynamics ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Vertical Root Distribution ◽  
Moisture Dynamics

Abstract. The main processes determining soil moisture dynamics are infiltration, percolation, evaporation and root water uptake. Modelling soil moisture dynamics therefore requires an interdisciplinary approach that links hydrological, atmospheric and biological processes. Previous approaches treat either root water uptake rates or root distributions and transpiration rates as given, and calculate the soil moisture dynamics based on the theory of flow in unsaturated media. The present study introduces a different approach to linking soil water and vegetation dynamics, based on vegetation optimality. Assuming that plants have evolved mechanisms that minimise costs related to the maintenance of the root system while meeting their demand for water, we develop a model that dynamically adjusts the vertical root distribution in the soil profile to meet this objective. The model was used to compute the soil moisture dynamics, root water uptake and fine root respiration in a tropical savanna over 12 months, and the results were compared with observations at the site and with a model based on a fixed root distribution. The optimality-based model reproduced the main features of the observations such as a shift of roots from the shallow soil in the wet season to the deeper soil in the dry season and substantial root water uptake during the dry season. At the same time, simulated fine root respiration rates never exceeded the upper envelope determined by the observed soil respiration. The model based on a fixed root distribution, in contrast, failed to explain the magnitude of water use during parts of the dry season and largely over-estimated root respiration rates. The observed surface soil moisture dynamics were also better reproduced by the optimality-based model than the model based on a prescribed root distribution. The optimality-based approach has the potential to reduce the number of unknowns in a model (e.g. the vertical root distribution), which makes it a valuable alternative to more empirically-based approaches, especially for simulating possible responses to environmental change.

Tracing plant water fluxes in ecosystems by stable isotopes along the soil-plant and plant-atmosphere interfaces

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Werner
Keyword(s):  
Water Uptake ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
Water Fluxes ◽  
Terrestrial Vegetation ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Impact

<p>Terrestrial vegetation is a main driver of ecosystem water fluxes, as plants mediate the water fluxes within the soil-vegetation-atmosphere continuum. Stable isotopologues of water are efficient tracer to follow the water transfer in soils, uptake by plants, transport in stems and release into the atmosphere through stomata. The development of in-situ methods coupled to isotope spectroscopy does now enable real-time in-situ water vapour isotopologue measurements revealing high spatial and temporal dynamics, such as adaptations in root water uptake depths (within hours to days) or the impact of transpirational fluxes on atmospheric moisture.</p><p>Examples will be given how isotopes can be used to inform the complex interplay between plant ecophysiological adaptations and hydrological processes. For example, root water uptake is not solely driven by soil water availability but has to be understood in the context of species-specific regulation of active zones in their rooting system determining the conductivity between soil and roots regulating uptake depths. The latter has also to be evaluated in context of the nutrient demand and the spatial nutrient availability. Similarly, plant water transport and losses are a fined tuned interplay between species-specific structural and functional adaptations and atmospheric processes.</p><p>Finally, first data of a large-scale ecosystem labelling experiment at the Biosphere 2 tropical rainforest of the B2 Wald, Atmosphere, and Live Dynamics (B2WALD) will be presented.</p>

scholarly journals X Water Worlds and how to investigate them: A review and future perspective on <i>in situ</i> measurements of water stable isotopes in soils and plants

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Beyer ◽  
Maren Dubbert
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Isotope Effects ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
In Situ Methods ◽  
Water Isotope

Abstract. The number of ecohydrological studies involving water stable isotopes has been increasing steadily due to technological (i.e. field deployable laser spectroscopy and cheaper instruments) and methodological (i.e. tracer approaches or improvements in root water uptake models) advances in recent years. This enables researchers from a broad scientific background to incorporate water isotope-based methods into their studies. Several isotope effects are currently not fully understood, but essential when investigating root water uptake depths of vegetation and disentangle isotope processes at the soil-vegetation-atmosphere continuum. In particular different viewpoints exist on i) extraction methods for soil and plant water and methodological artefacts potentially introduced by them; ii) the pools of water measured with those methods and iii) spatiotemporal issues related with water stable isotope research. In situ methods have been proposed as an innovative and necessary way to address these issues and are required in order to disentangle isotope effects and take them into account when studying root water uptake depths of plants and for studying soil-plant-atmosphere interaction based on water stable isotopes. Herein, we review the current status of in situ measurements of water stable isotopes in soils and plants, point out current issues and highlight potential for future research. Moreover, we put a strong focus and incorporate practical aspects into this review. Finally, we propose an integrated methodology for measuring both soil and plant water isotopes when carrying out studies at the soil-vegetation-atmosphere interface. For all in situ methods, extreme care needs to be taken particularly during set-up in order to obtain reliable data. In situ methods for soils are well established. For transpiration, reliable methods also exist but are not common in ecohydrological field studies due to the required effort. Little attention has been payed to in situ xylem water isotope measurements. Research needs to focus on improving and further developing those methods. There is a need for a consistent and combined (soils and plants) methodology for ecohydrological studies. Such systems should be designed and adapted to the environment to be studied. We further conclude that many studies currently might not rely on in situ methods extensively because of the technical difficulty. Hence, future research needs to aim on developing a simplified approach that provides a reasonable trade-off between practicability and precision/accuracy.

Monitoring tree species-specific water uptake strategies via continuous in-situ stable water isotope measurements

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Orlowski ◽  
Stefan Seeger ◽  
David Mennekes ◽  
Hugo de Boer ◽  
Markus Weiler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Uptake ◽  
Temporal Resolution ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Isotopic Signature ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
Destructive Sampling ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Isotope Measurements ◽  
Water Isotope

&lt;p&gt;Water isotope tracing techniques in combination with laser-based isotopic analyses have advanced our understanding of plant water uptake patterns providing opportunities to carry out observational studies at high spatio-temporal resolution. Studying these highly dynamic processes at the interface between soils and trees can be challenging under natural field conditions, as available water resources are difficult to control. On the other hand, the results of small pot experiments in the greenhouse using tree seedlings are often difficult to transfer to mature trees. Here, we setup a controlled outdoor large pot experiment with three different, 4-6 meter high and 20 year old trees: &lt;em&gt;Pinus pinea, Alnus &lt;span&gt;spaethii&lt;/span&gt; and Quercus suber.&lt;/em&gt; We took advantage of stable water isotope techniques by tracing plant water uptake from the root zone through the xylem via isotopically labelled irrigation water. We combined ecohydrological observations of sapflow, photosynthesis, soil moisture and temperature and soil matrix potential with high resolution measurements of water stable isotopes in soils and trees to understand how soil water is used by different tree species. We monitored the isotopic composition of soil and xylem water in high temporal resolution with in-situ isotope probes installed at different depths in the soil and different heights in the tree stem. We further compared the water isotopic composition of our in-situ monitoring setup with destructive sampling methods for soil and plant water (vapour equilibration method and cryogenic extraction).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our results from the continuous monitoring showed a distinct difference in the xylem sap isotopic signature between&lt;em&gt; Quercus&lt;/em&gt; on the one hand and &lt;em&gt;Alnus&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Pinus&lt;/em&gt; on the other hand. This is likely due to different water use strategies of these tree species. The tree xylem isotopic signature of &lt;em&gt;Alnus&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Pinus&lt;/em&gt; responded to the isotopic label within one day and six days at 15 cm and 150 cm stem height, respectively. The peak isotopic signature in the tree xylem due to the label application was similar to the isotopic signature of the soil in 30 cm (for &lt;em&gt;Alnus&lt;/em&gt;) and 15&amp;#160;cm (for &lt;em&gt;Pinus&lt;/em&gt;). &lt;em&gt;Quercus&lt;/em&gt; showed a delayed and much slower increase in the xylem isotopic signature in response to the label and the highest values were significantly lower than the corresponding soil isotopic signatures. Our methodological comparison showed that the isotopic signature of the destructive samples (from both methods) had a larger spread and this spread tended to become larger with subsequent labeling. Destructive soil samples showed a wider isotopic variation than destructive xylem samples. The in-situ isotope measurements in comparison showed a relative constant small to medium spread for soil and xylem isotopic measurements. Our in-situ isotope probes therefore seem to be a potential alternative or supplement to destructive sampling offering much higher temporal resolution. The continuation of the labeling experiments in 2020 will allow us to further study tree-species specific water uptake strategies, which will become important under future climatic conditions in terms of development of adaptation strategies for sustainable forest management.&lt;/p&gt;

Isotope labeling experiment to infer ecohydrological travel times

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Mennekes ◽  
Michael Rinderer ◽  
Stefan Seeger ◽  
Hugo de Boer ◽  
Natalie Orlowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Temporal Resolution ◽  
Water Vapor Pressure ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Field Conditions ◽  
High Temporal Resolution ◽  
Travel Times ◽  
Isotope Measurements

&lt;p&gt;Stable water isotopes are promising tracers to study soil-tree interactions and root water uptake. Traditionally, destructive sampling techniques are applied to measure the isotopic signature in soils and plant tissues but these methods are limited in their temporal resolution. For calculating ecohydrological travel times from soil water to transpiration, high frequent isotope measurements are required. Recently, in-situ water isotope probes have been successfully applied in beech trees to yield high-frequent isotope measurements under field conditions but the complexity and heterogeneity of natural field conditions can make a systematical method testing difficult. Here, we test whether the new probes are capable of capturing tree species-specific differences in root water uptake and associated travel times.&lt;br&gt;We test this in a controlled experiment using large pots with three 4-6 meter high and 20 year old coniferous and deciduous trees: &lt;em&gt;Pinus pinea&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Alnus&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;x spaethii&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Quercus&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;suber&lt;/em&gt; that are expected to have different water uptake strategies. We applied deuterated irrigation water to the homogeneous soils in the pots and traced the water flux from the soils through the trees with in-situ isotope probes in high temporal resolution.&lt;br&gt;This contribution presents preliminary results on ecohydrological travel times in relation to environmental parameters such as sap flow, photosynthetic activity, matrix potential, soil water content, water vapor pressure deficit and solar radiation.&lt;br&gt;Our in-situ isotope probes were capable to capture the breakthrough of the isotope tracer in all trees. The calculated travel times were shorter for the Pinus and Alnus compared to the Quercus which suggests differences in root water uptake. Detailed results from such controlled experiments are fundamental for testing new measurement techniques such as the in-situ isotope probes. Such results are important to better interpret results measured under natural and therefore more complex and heterogeneous field conditions.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals In situ measurements of soil and plant water isotopes: a review of approaches, practical considerations and a vision for the future

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 4413-4440
Author(s):  
Matthias Beyer ◽  
Kathrin Kühnhammer ◽  
Maren Dubbert
Keyword(s):  
Water Uptake ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Isotope Effects ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Water Isotopes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
In Situ Methods ◽  
Water Isotope

Abstract. The number of ecohydrological studies involving water stable isotope measurements has been increasing steadily due to technological (e.g., field-deployable laser spectroscopy and cheaper instruments) and methodological (i.e., tracer approaches or improvements in root water uptake models) advances in recent years. This enables researchers from a broad scientific background to incorporate water-isotope-based methods into their studies. Several isotope effects are currently not fully understood but might be essential when investigating root water uptake depths of vegetation and separating isotope processes in the soil–vegetation–atmosphere continuum. Different viewpoints exist on (i) extraction methods for soil and plant water and methodological artifacts potentially introduced by them, (ii) the pools of water (mobile vs. immobile) measured with those methods, and (iii) spatial variability and temporal dynamics of the water isotope composition of different compartments in terrestrial ecosystems. In situ methods have been proposed as an innovative and necessary way to address these issues and are required in order to disentangle isotope effects and take them into account when studying root water uptake depths of plants and for studying soil–plant–atmosphere interaction based on water stable isotopes. Herein, we review the current status of in situ measurements of water stable isotopes in soils and plants, point out current issues and highlight the potential for future research. Moreover, we put a strong focus and incorporate practical aspects into this review in order to provide a guideline for researchers with limited previous experience with in situ methods. We also include a section on opportunities for incorporating data obtained with described in situ methods into existing isotope-enabled ecohydrological models and provide examples illustrating potential benefits of doing so. Finally, we propose an integrated methodology for measuring both soil and plant water isotopes in situ when carrying out studies at the soil–vegetation–atmosphere continuum. Several authors have shown that reliable data can be generated in the field using in situ methods for measuring the soil water isotope composition. For transpiration, reliable methods also exist but are not common in ecohydrological field studies due to the required effort. Little attention has been paid to in situ xylem water isotope measurements. Research needs to focus on improving and further developing those methods. There is a need for a consistent and combined (soils and plants) methodology for ecohydrological studies. Such systems should be designed and adapted to the environment to be studied. We further conclude that many studies currently might not rely on in situ methods extensively because of the technical difficulty and existing methodological uncertainties. Future research needs to aim on developing a simplified approach that provides a reasonable trade-off between practicability and precision and accuracy.

scholarly journals An optimality-based model of the coupled soil moisture and root dynamics

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Schymanski ◽  
M. Sivapalan ◽  
M. L. Roderick ◽  
J. Beringer ◽  
L. B. Hutley
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Root Distribution ◽  
Root Respiration ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Soil Moisture Dynamics ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Vertical Root Distribution ◽  
Moisture Dynamics

Abstract. The main processes determining soil moisture dynamics are infiltration, percolation, evaporation and root water uptake. Modelling soil moisture dynamics therefore requires an interdisciplinary approach that links hydrological, atmospheric and biological processes. Previous approaches treat either root water uptake rates or root distributions and transpiration rates as given, and calculate the soil moisture dynamics based on the theory of flow in unsaturated media. The present study introduces a different approach to linking soil water and vegetation dynamics, based on vegetation optimality. Assuming that plants have evolved mechanisms that minimise costs related to the maintenance of the root system while meeting their demand for water, we develop a model that dynamically adjusts the vertical root distribution in the soil profile to meet this objective. The model was used to compute the soil moisture dynamics, root water uptake and fine root respiration in a tropical savanna over 12 months, and the results were compared with observations at the site and with a model based on a fixed root distribution. The optimality-based model reproduced the main features of the observations such as a shift of roots from the shallow soil in the wet season to the deeper soil in the dry season and substantial root water uptake during the dry season. At the same time, simulated fine root respiration rates never exceeded the upper envelope determined by the observed soil respiration. The model based on a fixed root distribution, in contrast, failed to explain the magnitude of water use during parts of the dry season and largely over-estimated root respiration rates. The observed surface soil moisture dynamics were also better reproduced by the optimality-based model than the model based on a prescribed root distribution. The optimality-based approach has the potential to reduce the number of unknowns in a model (e.g. the vertical root distribution), which makes it a valuable alternative to more empirically-based approaches, especially for simulating possible responses to environmental change.

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