Articles | Volume 28, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2683-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2683-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
26 Jun 2024
Research article |
| 26 Jun 2024
| 26 Jun 2024
The influence of hillslope topography on beech water use: a comparative study in two different climates
Ginevra Fabiani
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Catchment and Eco-Hydrology Group, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, Luxembourg
Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
Julian Klaus
Department of Geography, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Daniele Penna
Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
Forest Engineering Resources and Management Department, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
Related authors
No articles found.
Mortimer L. Bacher, Julian Klaus, Adam S. Ward, Jasmine Krause, Catalina Segura, and Clarissa Glaser
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1625, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1625, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Slug tracer experiments are biased toward faster flow paths, underscoring the need for tracers that reveal temporally longer timescales. We explore integrating solute tracers with naturally occurring radon to quantify flow paths of different timescales at the reach scale. Joint calibration of a transient storage model with both tracers better constrains model parameters, highlighting that this approach is critical for improving solute transport estimates in future studies.
Samuele Ceolin, Stanislaus J. Schymanski, Dagmar van Dusschoten, Robert Koller, and Julian Klaus
Biogeosciences, 22, 691–703, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-691-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-691-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated if and how roots of maize plants respond to multiple abrupt changes in soil moisture. We measured root lengths using a magnetic resonance imaging technique and calculated changes in growth rates after applying water pulses. The root growth rates increased in wetted soil layers within 48 hours and decreased in non-wetted layers, indicating fast adaptation of the root systems to moisture changes. Our findings could improve irrigation management and vegetation models.
Marco M. Lehmann, Josie Geris, Ilja van Meerveld, Daniele Penna, Youri Rothfuss, Matteo Verdone, Pertti Ala-Aho, Matyas Arvai, Alise Babre, Philippe Balandier, Fabian Bernhard, Lukrecija Butorac, Simon Damien Carrière, Natalie C. Ceperley, Zuosinan Chen, Alicia Correa, Haoyu Diao, David Dubbert, Maren Dubbert, Fabio Ercoli, Marius G. Floriancic, Teresa E. Gimeno, Damien Gounelle, Frank Hagedorn, Christophe Hissler, Frédéric Huneau, Alberto Iraheta, Tamara Jakovljević, Nerantzis Kazakis, Zoltan Kern, Karl Knaebel, Johannes Kobler, Jiří Kocum, Charlotte Koeber, Gerbrand Koren, Angelika Kübert, Dawid Kupka, Samuel Le Gall, Aleksi Lehtonen, Thomas Leydier, Philippe Malagoli, Francesca Sofia Manca di Villahermosa, Chiara Marchina, Núria Martínez-Carreras, Nicolas Martin-StPaul, Hannu Marttila, Aline Meyer Oliveira, Gaël Monvoisin, Natalie Orlowski, Kadi Palmik-Das, Aurel Persoiu, Andrei Popa, Egor Prikaziuk, Cécile Quantin, Katja T. Rinne-Garmston, Clara Rohde, Martin Sanda, Matthias Saurer, Daniel Schulz, Michael Paul Stockinger, Christine Stumpp, Jean-Stéphane Venisse, Lukas Vlcek, Stylianos Voudouris, Björn Weeser, Mark E. Wilkinson, Giulia Zuecco, and Katrin Meusburger
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-409, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-409, 2024
Revised manuscript under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
This study describes a unique large-scale isotope dataset to study water dynamics in European forests. Researchers collected data from 40 beech and spruce forest sites in spring and summer 2023, using a standardized method to ensure consistency. The results show that water sources for trees change between seasons and vary by tree species. This large dataset offers valuable information for understanding plant water use, improving ecohydrological models, and mapping water cycles across Europe.
Enrico Bonanno, Günter Blöschl, and Julian Klaus
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 6003–6028, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-6003-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-6003-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
There is an unclear understanding of which processes regulate the transport of water, solutes, and pollutants in streams. This is crucial since these processes control water quality in river networks. Compared to other approaches, we obtained clearer insights into the processes controlling solute transport in the investigated reach. This work highlights the risks of using uncertain results for interpreting the processes controlling water movement in streams.
Giulia Zuecco, Anam Amin, Jay Frentress, Michael Engel, Chiara Marchina, Tommaso Anfodillo, Marco Borga, Vinicio Carraro, Francesca Scandellari, Massimo Tagliavini, Damiano Zanotelli, Francesco Comiti, and Daniele Penna
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3673–3689, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3673-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3673-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We analyzed the variability in the isotopic composition of plant water extracted by two different methods, i.e., cryogenic vacuum distillation (CVD) and Scholander-type pressure chamber (SPC). Our results indicated that the isotopic composition of plant water extracted by CVD and SPC was significantly different. We concluded that plant water extraction by SPC is not an alternative for CVD as SPC mostly extracts the mobile plant water whereas CVD retrieves all water stored in the sampled tissue.
Christian Massari, Francesco Avanzi, Giulia Bruno, Simone Gabellani, Daniele Penna, and Stefania Camici
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 1527–1543, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1527-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1527-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Droughts are a creeping disaster, meaning that their onset, duration and recovery are challenging to monitor and forecast. Here, we provide further evidence of an additional challenge of droughts, i.e. the fact that the deficit in water supply during droughts is generally much more than expected based on the observed decline in precipitation. At a European scale we explain this with enhanced evapotranspiration, sustained by higher atmospheric demand for moisture during such dry periods.
Alexander Sternagel, Ralf Loritz, Julian Klaus, Brian Berkowitz, and Erwin Zehe
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1483–1508, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1483-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1483-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The key innovation of the study is a method to simulate reactive solute transport in the vadose zone within a Lagrangian framework. We extend the LAST-Model with a method to account for non-linear sorption and first-order degradation processes during unsaturated transport of reactive substances in the matrix and macropores. Model evaluations using bromide and pesticide data from irrigation experiments under different flow conditions on various timescales show the feasibility of the method.
Nicolas Björn Rodriguez, Laurent Pfister, Erwin Zehe, and Julian Klaus
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 401–428, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-401-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-401-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Different parts of water have often been used as tracers to determine the age of water in streams. The stable tracers, such as deuterium, are thought to be unable to reveal old water compared to the radioactive tracer called tritium. We used both tracers, measured in precipitation and in a stream in Luxembourg, to show that this is not necessarily true. It is, in fact, advantageous to use the two tracers together, and we recommend systematically using tritium in future studies.
James W. Kirchner, Sarah E. Godsey, Madeline Solomon, Randall Osterhuber, Joseph R. McConnell, and Daniele Penna
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5095–5123, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5095-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5095-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Streams and groundwaters often show daily cycles in response to snowmelt and evapotranspiration. These typically have a roughly 6 h time lag, which is often interpreted as a travel-time lag. Here we show that it is instead primarily a phase lag that arises because aquifers integrate their inputs over time. We further show how these cycles shift seasonally, mirroring the springtime retreat of snow cover to higher elevations and the seasonal advance and retreat of photosynthetic activity.
Cited articles
Allen, C. D., Macalady, A. K., Chenchouni, H., Bachelet, D., McDowell, N., Vennetier, M., Kitzberger, T., Rigling, A., Breshears, D. D., Hogg, E. T., Gonzalez, P., Fensham, R., Zhang, Z., Castro, J., Demidova, N., Lim, J.-H., Allard, G., Running, S. W., Semerci, A., and Cobb, N.: A global overview of drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks for forests, Forest Ecol. Manag., 259, 660–684, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.09.001, 2010.
Barbeta, A., Jones, S. P., Clavé, L., Wingate, L., Gimeno, T. E., Fréjaville, B., Wohl, S., and Ogée, J.: Unexplained hydrogen isotope offsets complicate the identification and quantification of tree water sources in a riparian forest, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2129–2146, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2129-2019, 2019.
Barrett, D. J., Hatton, T. J., Ash, J. E., and Ball, M. C.: Evaluation of the heat pulse velocity technique for measurement of sap flow in rainforest and eucalypt forest species of south-eastern Australia, Plant Cell Environ., 18, 463–469, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3040.1995.tb00381.x, 1995.
Bates, D., Mächler, M., Bolker, B., and Walker, S.: Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4, J. Stat. Softw., 67, 1–48, https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v067.i01, 2015.
Betsch, P., Bonal, D., Breda, N., Montpied, P., Peiffer, M., Tuzet, A., and Granier, A.: Drought effects on water relations in beech: The contribution of exchangeable water reservoirs, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 151, 531–543, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2010.12.008, 2011.
Bosch, D. D., Marshall, L. K., and Teskey, R.: Forest transpiration from sap flux density measurements in a Southeastern Coastal Plain riparian buffer system, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 187, 72–82, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2013.12.002, 2014.
Bréda, N. and Granier, A.: Intra- and interannual variations of transpiration, leaf area index and radial growth of a sessile oak stand (Quercus petraea), Ann. Sci. Forest., 53, 521–536, https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:19960232, 1996.
Bréda, N., Huc, R., Granier, A., and Dreyer, E.: Temperate forest trees and stands under severe drought: a review of ecophysiological responses, adaptation processes and long-term consequences, Ann. For. Sci., 63, 625–644, https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2006042, 2006.
Burgess, S. S. O., Adams, M. A., Turner, N. C., Beverly, C. R., Ong, C. K., Khan, A. A. H., and Bleby, T. M.: An improved heat pulse method to measure low and reverse rates of sap flow in woody plants, Tree Physiol., 21, 589–598, 2001.
Cavin, L. and Jump, A. S.: Highest drought sensitivity and lowest resistance to growth suppression are found in the range core of the tree Fagus sylvatica L. not the equatorial range edge, Glob. Change Biol., 23, 362–379, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13366, 2017.
Choat, B., Jansen, S., Brodribb, T. J., Cochard, H., Delzon, S., Bhaskar, R., Bucci, S. J., Feild, T. S., Gleason, S. M., Hacke, U. G., Jacobsen, A. L., Lens, F., Maherali, H., Martínez-Vilalta, J., Mayr, S., Mencuccini, M., Mitchell, P. J., Nardini, A., Pittermann, J., Pratt, R. B., Sperry, J. S., Westoby, M., Wright, I. J., and Zanne, A. E.: Global convergence in the vulnerability of forests to drought, Nature, 491, 752–755, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11688, 2012.
Coners, H. and Leuschner, C.: In situ measurement of fine root water absorption in three temperate tree species – Temporal variability and control by soil and atmospheric factors, Basic Appl. Ecol., 6, 395–405, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2004.12.003, 2005.
de la Casa, J., Barbeta, A., Rodríguez-Uña, A., Wingate, L., Ogée, J., and Gimeno, T. E.: Isotopic offsets between bulk plant water and its sources are larger in cool and wet environments, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 4125–4146, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4125-2022, 2022.
Dobrowski, S. Z.: A climatic basis for microrefugia: The influence of terrain on climate, Glob. Change Biol., 17, 1022–1035, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02263.x, 2011.
Elliott, K. J., Miniat, C. F., Pederson, N., and Laseter, S. H.: Forest tree growth response to hydroclimate variability in the southern Appalachians, Glob. Change Biol., 21, 4627–4641, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13045, 2015.
Fabiani, G., Penna, D., Barbeta, A., and Klaus, J.: Sapwood and heartwood are not isolated compartments: Consequences for isotope ecohydrology, Ecohydrology, 15, e2478, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2478, 2022a.
Fabiani, G., Schoppach, R., Penna, D., and Klaus, J.: Transpiration patterns and water use strategies of beech and oak trees along a hillslope, Ecohydrology, 15, 1–18, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2382, 2022b.
Fabiani, G., Schoppach, R., Moussa, A., Pfister, L., Penna, D., and Klaus, J.: STEP UP project: the Weierbach dataset 2019–2020, Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.8326112, 2023a.
Fabiani, G., Verdone, M., Manca di Villahermosa, F. S., Pfister, L., Klaus, J., and Penna, D.: STEP UP project: the Lecciona dataset 2021, Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.8328006, 2023b.
Fan, Y., Miguez-Macho, G., Jobbágy, E. G., Jackson, R. B., and Otero-Casal, C.: Hydrologic regulation of plant rooting depth, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 114, 10572–10577, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1712381114, 2017.
Gessler, A.: Water transport in trees—the importance of radial and circumferential transport, Tree Physiol., 1–3, https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpab131, 2021.
Gessler, A., Bächli, L., Rouholahnejad Freund, E., Treydte, K., Schaub, M., Haeni, M., Weiler, M., Seeger, S., Marshall, J., Hug, C., Zweifel, R., Hagedorn, F., Rigling, A., Saurer, M., and Meusburger, K.: Drought reduces water uptake in beech from the drying topsoil, but no compensatory uptake occurs from deeper soil layers, New Phytol., 233, 194–206, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17767, 2022.
Gimenez, B. O., Jardine, K. J., Higuchi, N., Negrón-Juárez, R. I., Sampaio-Filho, I. d. J., Cobello, L. O., Fontes, C. G., Dawson, T. E., Varadharajan, C., Christianson, D. S., Spanner, G. C., Araújo, A. C., Warren, J. M., Newman, B. D., Holm, J. A., Koven, C. D., McDowell, N. G., and Chambers, J. Q.: Species-specific shifts in diurnal sap velocity dynamics and hysteretic behavior of ecophysiological variables during the 2015–2016 El Niño event in the amazon forest, Front. Plant Sci., 10, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00830, 2019.
Giménez, C., Gallardo, M., and Thompson, R.: Plant–Water Relations, in: Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.05257-X, pp. 1–8, May, 2013.
Glaser, B., Klaus, J., Frei, S., Frentress, J., Pfister, L., and Hopp, L.: On the value of surface saturated area dynamics mapped with thermal infrared imagery for modeling the hillslope–riparian–stream continuum, Water Resour. Res., 52, 8317–8342, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015WR018414, 2016.
Gourdol, L., Clément, R., Juilleret, J., Pfister, L., and Hissler, C.: Exploring the regolith with electrical resistivity tomography in large-scale surveys: electrode spacing-related issues and possibility, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1785–1812, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1785-2021, 2021.
Gralher, B., Herbstritt, B., and Weiler, M.: Technical note: Unresolved aspects of the direct vapor equilibration method for stable isotope analysis (δ18O, δ2H) of matrix-bound water: unifying protocols through empirical and mathematical scrutiny, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5219–5235, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5219-2021, 2021.
Granier, A., Bréda, N., Biron, P., and Villette, S.: A lumped water balance model to evaluate duration and intensity of drought constraints in forest stands, Ecol. Model., 116, 269–283, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3800(98)00205-1, 1999.
Granier, A., Reichstein, M., Bréda, N., Janssens, I. A., Falge, E., Ciais, P., Grünwald, T., Aubinet, M., Berbigier, P., Bernhofer, C., Buchmann, N., Facini, O., Grassi, G., Heinesch, B., Ilvesniemi, H., Keronen, P., Knohl, A., Köstner, B., Lagergren, F., Lindroth, A., Longdoz, B., Loustau, D., Mateus, J., Montagnani, L., Nys, C., Moors, E., Papale, D., Peiffer, M., Pilegaard, K., Pita, G., Pumpanen, J., Rambal, S., Rebmann, C., Rodrigues, A., Seufert, G., Tenhunen, J., Vesala, T., and Wang, Q.: Evidence for soil water control on carbon and water dynamics in European forests during the extremely dry year: 2003, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 143, 123–145, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2006.12.004, 2007.
Green, S., Clothier, B., and Jardine, B.: Theory and Practical Application of Heat Pulse to Measure Sap Flow, Agron. J., 95, 1371–1379, https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2003.1371, 2003.
Grossiord, C., Sevanto, S., Borrego, I., Chan, A. M., Collins, A. D., Dickman, L. T., Hudson, P. J., McBranch, N., Michaletz, S. T., Pockman, W. T., Ryan, M., Vilagrosa, A., and McDowell, N. G.: Tree water dynamics in a drying and warming world, Plant Cell Environ., 40, 1861–1873, https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.12991, 2017a.
Grossiord, C., Sevanto, S., Dawson, T. E., Adams, H. D., Collins, A. D., Dickman, L. T., Newman, B. D., Stockton, E. A., and McDowell, N. G.: Warming combined with more extreme precipitation regimes modifies the water sources used by trees, New Phytol., 213, 584–596, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14192, 2017b.
Gutierrez Lopez, J., Tor-ngern, P., Oren, R., Kozii, N., Laudon, H., and Hasselquist, N. J.: How tree species, tree size, and topographical location influenced tree transpiration in northern boreal forests during the historic 2018 drought, Glob. Change Biol., 27, 3066–3078, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15601, 2021.
Hahm, W. J., Dietrich, W. E., and Dawson, T. E.: Controls on the distribution and resilience of Quercus garryana: ecophysiological evidence of oak's water-limitation tolerance, Ecosphere, 9, e02218, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2218, 2018.
Hawthorne, S. and Miniat, C. F.: Topography may mitigate drought effects on vegetation along a hillslope gradient, Ecohydrology, 11, e1825, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1825, 2018.
Hissler, C., Martínez-Carreras, N., Barnich, F., Gourdol, L., Iffly, J. F., Juilleret, J., Klaus, J., and Pfister, L.: The Weierbach experimental catchment in Luxembourg: A decade of critical zone monitoring in a temperate forest – from hydrological investigations to ecohydrological perspectives, Hydrol. Process., 35, 1–7, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14140, 2021.
Hochberg, U., Rockwell, F. E., Holbrook, N. M., and Cochard, H.: Iso/Anisohydry: A Plant–Environment Interaction Rather Than a Simple Hydraulic Trait, Trends Plant Sci., 23, 112–120, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2017.11.002, 2018.
Hogg, E. H., Brandt, J. P., and Michaelian, M.: Impacts of a regional drought on the productivity, dieback, and biomass of western Canadian aspen forests, Can. J. Forest Res., 38, 1373–1384, https://doi.org/10.1139/X08-001, 2008.
Houston Durrant, T., de Rigo, D., and Caudullo, G.: Fagus sylvatica and other beeches in Europe: distribution, habitat, usage and threats, in: European Atlas of Forest Tree Species, edited by: San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., Houston Durrant, T., and Mauri, A., Publ. Off. EU, Luxembourg, ISBN 978-92-76-17290-1, 2016.
Hoylman, Z. H., Jencso, K. G., Hu, J., Martin, J. T., Holden, Z. A., Seielstad, C. A., and Rowell, E. M.: Hillslope Topography Mediates Spatial Patterns of Ecosystem Sensitivity to Climate, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 123, 353–371, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JG004108, 2018.
Jencso, K. G., McGlynn, B. L., Gooseff, M. N., Wondzell, S. M., Bencala, K. E., and Marshall, L. A.: Hydrologic connectivity between landscapes and streams: Transferring reach- and plot-scale understanding to the catchment scale, Water Resour. Res., 45, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008WR007225, 2009.
Kannenberg, S. A., Guo, J. S., Novick, K. A., Anderegg, W. R., Feng, X., Kennedy, D., Konings, A. G., Martínez-Vilalta, J., and Matheny, A. M.: Opportunities, challenges and pitfalls in characterizing plant water-use strategies, Funct. Ecol., 36, 24–37, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13945, 2022.
Klaus, J. and Jackson, C. R.: Interflow Is Not Binary: A Continuous Shallow Perched Layer Does Not Imply Continuous Connectivity, Water Resour. Res., 54, 5921–5932, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR022920, 2018.
Klaus, J., Chun, K. P., and Stumpp, C.: Temporal trends in δ18O composition of precipitation in Germany: Insights from time series modelling and trend analysis, Hydrol. Process., 29, 2668–2680, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10395, 2015.
Klaus, J., Monk, W. A., Zhang, L., and Hannah, D. M.: Ecohydrological interactions during drought, Ecohydrology, 15, 1–7, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2456, 2022.
Köcher, P., Horna, V., and Leuschner, C.: Stem water storage in five coexisting temperate broad-leaved tree species: Significance, temporal dynamics and dependence on tree functional traits, Tree Physiol., 33, 817–832, https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpt055, 2013.
Kreuzwieser, J. and Rennenberg, H.: Molecular and physiological responses of trees to waterlogging stress, Plant Cell Environ., 37, 2245–2259, https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.12310, 2014.
Kumagai, T., Tateishi, M., Shimizu, T., and Otsuki, K.: Transpiration and canopy conductance at two slope positions in a Japanese cedar forest watershed, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 148, 1444–1455, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2008.04.010, 2008.
Li, K. and Knighton, J.: Characterizing the heterogeneity of eastern hemlock xylem water isotopic compositions: Implications for the design of plant water uptake studies, Ecohydrology, 16, e2571, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2571, 2023.
Magh, R.-K., Eiferle, C., Burzlaff, T., and Dannenmann, M.: Competition for water rather than facilitation in mixed beech-fir forests after drying-wetting cycle, J. Hydrol., 587, 124944, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.124944, 2020.
Martínez-Vilalta, J. and Garcia-Forner, N.: Water potential regulation, stomatal behaviour and hydraulic transport under drought: deconstructing the iso/anisohydric concept, Plant Cell Environ., 40, 962–976, https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.12846, 2017.
Martínez-Vilalta, J., Poyatos, R., Aguadé, D., Retana, J., and Mencuccini, M.: A new look at water transport regulation in plants, New Phytol., 204, 105–115, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.12912, 2014.
Mary, B., Kaffas, K., Censini, M., Manca di Villahermosa, F. S., Dani, A., Verdone, M., Preti, F., Trucchi, P., Penna, D., and Cassiani, G.: Supporting subsurface preferential flow in a small forested catchment from geophysical data and hydrological modelling, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 April 2023, EGU23-5954, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5954, 2023.
Matheny, A. M., Garrity, S. R., and Bohrer, G.: The calibration and use of capacitance sensors to monitor stem water content in trees, JOVE-J. Vis. Exp., 2017, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.3791/57062, 2017.
McDowell, N., Pockman, W. T., Allen, C. D., Breshears, D. D., Cobb, N., Kolb, T., Plaut, J., Sperry, J., West, A., Williams, D. G., and Yepez, E. A.: Mechanisms of plant survival and mortality during drought: why do some plants survive while others succumb to drought?, New Phytol., 178, 719–739, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02436.x, 2008.
Meier, I. C. and Leuschner, C.: Belowground drought response of European beech: Fine root biomass and carbon partitioning in 14 mature stands across a precipitation gradient, Glob. Change Biol., 14, 2081–2095, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01634.x, 2008.
Méndez-Toribio, M., Ibarra-Manríquez, G., Navarrete-Segueda, A., and Paz, H.: Topographic position, but not slope aspect, drives the dominance of functional strategies of tropical dry forest trees, Environ. Res. Lett., 12, 085002, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa717b, 2017.
Meusburger, K., Trotsiuk, V., Schmidt-Walter, P., Baltensweiler, A., Brun, P., Bernhard, F., Gharun, M., Habel, R., Hagedorn, F., Köchli, R., Psomas, A., Puhlmann, H., Thimonier, A., Waldner, P., Zimmermann, S., and Walthert, L.: Soil-plant interactions modulated water availability of Swiss forests during the 2015 and 2018 droughts, Glob. Change Biol., pp. 0–3, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16332, 2022. Murphy, P. C., Knowles, J. F., Moore, D. J., Anchukaitis, K., Potts, D. L., and Barron-Gafford, G. A.: Topography influences species-specific patterns of seasonal primary productivity in a semiarid montane forest, Tree Physiol., 40, 1343–1354, https://doi.org/10.1093/TREEPHYS/TPAA083, 2020.
Oberhuber, W. and Kofler, W.: Topographic influences on radial growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) at small spatial scales, Plant Ecol., 146, 231–240, 2000.
Obladen, N., Dechering, P., Skiadaresis, G., Tegel, W., Keßler, J., Höllerl, S., Kaps, S., Hertel, M., Dulamsuren, C., Seifert, T., Hirsch, M., and Seim, A.: Tree mortality of European beech and Norway spruce induced by 2018–2019 hot droughts in central Germany, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 307, 108 482, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108482, 2021.
Orlowski, N., Breuer, L., and Mcdonnell, J. J.: Critical issues with cryogenic extraction of soil water for stable isotope analysis, Ecohydrology, 9, 3–10, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1722, 2016.
Peck, E. C.: The sap of moisture in wood, US Dept. Agr. For. Serv. For. Prod. Lab., 1953.
Penna, D., Borga, M., Norbiato, D., and Dalla Fontana, G.: Hillslope scale soil moisture variability in a steep alpine terrain, J. Hydrol., 364, 311–327, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2008.11.009, 2009.
Penna, D., Stenni, B., Šanda, M., Wrede, S., Bogaard, T. A., Michelini, M., Fischer, B. M. C., Gobbi, A., Mantese, N., Zuecco, G., Borga, M., Bonazza, M., Sobotková, M., Čejková, B., and Wassenaar, L. I.: Technical Note: Evaluation of between-sample memory effects in the analysis of δ2H and δ18O of water samples measured by laser spectroscopes, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 3925–3933, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3925-2012, 2012.
Penna, D., Mantese, N., Hopp, L., Dalla Fontana, G., and Borga, M.: Spatio-temporal variability of piezometric response on two steep alpine hillslopes, Hydrol. Process., 29, 198–211, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10140, 2015.
Pfister, L., Bonanno, E., Fabiani, G., Gourdol, L., Hissler, C., Huck, V., Iffly, J. F., Keim, R., Martínez-Carreras, N., Mestdagh, X., Montemagno, A., Penna, D., Schymanski, S., and Zehe, E.: Fast motion view of a headwater creek—A hydrological year seen through time-lapse photography, Hydrol. Process., 37, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15026, 2023.
Poca, M., Coomans, O., Urcelay, C., Zeballos, S. R., Bodé, S., and Boeckx, P.: Isotope fractionation during root water uptake by Acacia caven is enhanced by arbuscular mycorrhizas, Plant Soil, 441, 485–497, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-019-04139-1, 2019.
R Core Team: R: A language and environment for statistical computing, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria, https://www.R-project.org/ (last access: 10 June 2024), 2021.
Renner, M., Hassler, S. K., Blume, T., Weiler, M., Hildebrandt, A., Guderle, M., Schymanski, S. J., and Kleidon, A.: Dominant controls of transpiration along a hillslope transect inferred from ecohydrological measurements and thermodynamic limits, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 2063–2083, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2063-2016, 2016.
Rodriguez, N. B. and Klaus, J.: Catchment Travel Times From Composite StorAge Selection Functions Representing the Superposition of Streamflow Generation Processes, Water Resour. Res., 55, 9292–9314, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR024973, 2019.
Salomón, R. L., Peters, R. L., Zweifel, R., Sass-Klaassen, U. G. W., Stegehuis, A. I., Smiljanic, M., Poyatos, R., Babst, F., Cienciala, E., Fonti, P., Lerink, B. J. W., Lindner, M., Martinez-Vilalta, J., Mencuccini, M., Nabuurs, G.-J., van der Maaten, E., von Arx, G., Bär, A., Akhmetzyanov, L., Balanzategui, D., Bellan, M., Bendix, J., Berveiller, D., Blaženec, M., Čada, V., Carraro, V., Cecchini, S., Chan, T., Conedera, M., Delpierre, N., Delzon, S., Ditmarová, L'., Dolezal, J., Dufrêne, E., Edvardsson, J., Ehekircher, S., Forner, A., Frouz, J., Ganthaler, A., Gryc, V., Güney, A., Heinrich, I., Hentschel, R., Janda, P., Ježík, M., Kahle, H.-P., Knüsel, S., Krejza, J., Kuberski, Ł., Kučera, J., Lebourgeois, F., Mikoláš, M., Matula, R., Mayr, S., Oberhuber, W., Obojes, N., Osborne, B., Paljakka, T., Plichta, R., Rabbel, I., Rathgeber, C. B. K., Salmon, Y., Saunders, M., Scharnweber, T., Sitková, Z., Stangler, D. F., Stereńczak, K., Stojanović, M., Střelcová, K., Světlík, J., Svoboda, M., Tobin, B., Trotsiuk, V., Urban, J., Valladares, F., Vavrčík, H., Vejpustková, M., Walthert, L., Wilmking, M., Zin, E., Zou, J., and Steppe, K.: The 2018 European heatwave led to stem dehydration but not to consistent growth reductions in forests, Nat. Commun., 13, 28, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27579-9, 2022.
Schoppach, R., Chun, K., He, Q., Fabiani, G., and Klaus, J.: Species-specific control of DBH and landscape characteristics on tree-to-tree variability of sap velocity, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 307, 108 533, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2021.108533, 2021.
Schreel, J. D. M., Steppe, K., Roddy, A. B., and Poca, M.: Does back-flow of leaf water introduce a discrepancy in plant water source tracing through stable isotopes?, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss. [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2023-13, 2023.
Schwantes, A. M., Parolari, A. J., Swenson, J. J., Johnson, D. M., Domec, J. C., Jackson, R. B., Pelak, N., and Porporato, A.: Accounting for landscape heterogeneity improves spatial predictions of tree vulnerability to drought, New Phytol., 220, 132–146, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15274, 2018.
Smith, D. and Allen, S.: Measurement of sap flow in plant stems, J. Exp. Bot., 47, 1833–1844, https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/47.12.1833, 1996.
Song, L., Zhu, J., Li, X., Wang, K., Wang, G., and Sun, H.: Transpiration of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica trees at different positions of sand dunes in a semiarid sandy region of Northeast China, Trees-Struct. Funct., 36, 749–762, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-021-02247-z, 2022.
Steppe, K., De Pauw, D. J., Doody, T. M., and Teskey, R. O.: A comparison of sap flux density using thermal dissipation, heat pulse velocity and heat field deformation methods, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 150, 1046–1056, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2010.04.004, 2010.
Stojnić, S., Suchocka, M., Benito-Garzón, M., Torres-Ruiz, J. M., Cochard, H., Bolte, A., Cocozza, C., Cvjetković, B., De Luis, M., Martinez-Vilalta, J., Ræbild, A., Tognetti, R., and Delzon, S.: Variation in xylem vulnerability to embolism in European beech from geographically marginal populations, Tree Physiol., 38, 173–185, https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpx128, 2018.
Tai, X., Mackay, D. S., Anderegg, W. R. L., Sperry, J. S., and Brooks, P. D.: Plant hydraulics improves and topography mediates prediction of aspen mortality in southwestern USA, New Phytol., 213, 113–127, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14098, 2017.
Thorburn, P. J., Hatton, T. J., and Walker, G. R.: Combining measurements of transpiration and stable isotopes of water to determine ground-water discharge from forests, J. Hydrol., 150, 563–587, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(93)90126-T, 1993.
Tijdeman, E., Blauhut, V., Stoelzle, M., Menzel, L., and Stahl, K.: Different drought types and the spatial variability in their hazard, impact, and propagation characteristics, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2099–2116, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2099-2022, 2022.
Tromp-van Meerveld, H. J. and McDonnell, J. J.: On the interrelations between topography, soil depth, soil moisture, transpiration rates and species distribution at the hillslope scale, Adv. Water Resour., 29, 293–310, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2005.02.016, 2006.
Tyree, M. and Zimmermann, M. H.: Xylem structure and the ascent of sap, in: 2nd Edn., Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04931-0, 2002.
Tyree, M. T. and Yang, S.: Water-storage capacity of Thuja, Tsuga and Acer stems measured by dehydration isotherms – The contribution of capillary water and cavitation, Planta, 182, 420–426, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02411394, 1990.
Volkmann, T. H., Kühnhammer, K., Herbstritt, B., Gessler, A., and Weiler, M.: A method for in situ monitoring of the isotope composition of tree xylem water using laser spectroscopy, Plant Cell Environ., 39, 2055–2063, https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.12725, 2016.
Walthert, L., Ganthaler, A., Mayr, S., Saurer, M., Waldner, P., Walser, M., Zweifel, R., and von Arx, G.: From the comfort zone to crown dieback: Sequence of physiological stress thresholds in mature European beech trees across progressive drought, Sci. Total Environ., 753, 141 792, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141792, 2021.
Wassenaar, L., Hendry, M., Chostner, V., and Lis, G.: High Resolution Pore Water δ2H and δ18O Measurements by H2O(liquid)-H2O(vapor) Equilibration Laser Spectroscopy, Environ. Sci. Technol., 42, 9262–9267, https://doi.org/10.1021/es802065s, 2008.
Weemstra, M., Eilmann, B., Sass-Klaassen, U. G., and Sterck, F. J.: Summer droughts limit tree growth across 10 temperate species on a productive forest site, Forest Ecol. Manag., 306, 142–149, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2013.06.007, 2013.
Western, A. W., Grayson, R. B., Blöschl, G., Willgoose, G. R., and McMahon, T. A.: Observed spatial organization of soil moisture and its relation to terrain indices, Water Resour. Res., 35, 797–810, https://doi.org/10.1029/1998WR900065, 1999.
Xiao, D., Brantley, S. L., and Li, L.: Vertical Connectivity Regulates Water Transit Time and Chemical Weathering at the Hillslope Scale, Water Resour. Res., 57, 1–21, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR029207, 2021.
Zimmermann, J., Link, R. M., Hauck, M., Leuschner, C., and Schuldt, B.: 60-year record of stem xylem anatomy and related hydraulic modification under increased summer drought in ring- and diffuse-porous temperate broad-leaved tree species, Trees, 35, 919–937, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-021-02090-2, 2021.
Short summary
There is a limited understanding of the role that topography and climate play in tree water use. Through a cross-site comparison in Luxembourg and Italy, we investigated beech water use along slopes in different climates. Our findings indicate that in landscapes characterized by stronger hydraulic and climatic gradients there is greater spatial variation in tree physiological responses. This highlights how differing growing conditions across landscapes can lead to contrasting tree performances.
There is a limited understanding of the role that topography and climate play in tree water use....
