Contrasting impact of extreme soil and atmospheric dryness on the functioning of trees and forests
OPEN ACCESS
Loading...
Author / Producer
Date
2024-03-15
Publication Type
Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
Citations
Altmetric
OPEN ACCESS
Data
Rights / License
Abstract
Recent studies indicate an increase in the frequency of extreme compound dryness days (days with both extreme soil AND air dryness) across central Europe in the future, with little information on their impact on the functioning of trees and forests. This study aims to quantify and assess the impact of extreme soil dryness, extreme air dryness, and extreme compound dryness on the functioning of trees and forests. For this, >15 years of ecosystem-level (carbon dioxide and water vapor fluxes) and 6–10 years of tree-level measurements (transpiration and growth) each from a montane mixed deciduous forest (CH-Lae) and a subalpine evergreen coniferous forest (CH-Dav) in Switzerland, is used. The results showed extreme air dryness limitation on CO2 fluxes and extreme soil dryness limitations on water vapor fluxes. Additionally, CH-Dav was mainly affected by extreme air dryness whereas CH-Lae was affected by both extreme soil dryness and extreme air dryness. The impact of extreme compound dryness on net CO2 uptake (about 75 % decrease) was more due to higher increased ecosystem respiration (40 % and 70 % increase at CH-Dav and CH-Lae, respectively) than decreased gross primary productivity (10 % and 40 % decrease at CH-Dav and CH-Lae, respectively). A significant negative impact on evapotranspiration and transpiration was only observed at CH-Lae during extreme soil and compound dryness (about 25 % decrease). Furthermore, with some differences, the tree-level impact on tree water deficit, transpiration, and growth were consistent with the ecosystem-level impact on carbon uptake and evapotranspiration. Finally, the impact of extreme dryness showed no significant relationship with tree allometry (diameter and height) but across different tree species. The projected future is likely to expose these forest areas to more extreme and frequent dryness conditions, thus compromising the functioning of trees and forests, thereby calling for management interventions to increase the adaptive capacity and resistance of these forests.
Permanent link
Publication status
published
Editor
Book title
Journal / series
Volume
916
Pages / Article No.
169931
Publisher
Elsevier
Event
Edition / version
Methods
Software
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
carbon uptake; evapotranspiration; stem growth; transpiration; vapor pressure deficit; soil moisture
Organisational unit
03648 - Buchmann, Nina / Buchmann, Nina
Notes
Funding
ETH-27 19-1 - Forest Vulnerability to Extreme and Repeated Climatic Stress (FEVER) (ETHZ)
198227 - ICOS-CH Phase 3 (SNF)
198094 - Unravel the changing contributions of abiotic vs. biotic drivers of ecosystem gas exchange under weather extremes (SNF)
198227 - ICOS-CH Phase 3 (SNF)
198094 - Unravel the changing contributions of abiotic vs. biotic drivers of ecosystem gas exchange under weather extremes (SNF)