Water-Use Characteristics and Physiological Response of Moso Bamboo to Flash Droughts

Minxia Zhang, Shulin Chen, Hong Jiang, Yong Lin, Jinmeng Zhang, Xinzhang Song and Guomo Zhou
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Minxia Zhang: International Institutes for Earth system Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Shulin Chen: College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210023, China
Hong Jiang: International Institutes for Earth system Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Yong Lin: College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330000, China
Jinmeng Zhang: International Institutes for Earth system Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Xinzhang Song: State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin’an 311300, China
Guomo Zhou: State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin’an 311300, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: Frequent flash droughts can rapidly lead to water shortage, which affects the stability of ecosystems. This study determines the water-use characteristics and physiological mechanisms underlying Moso bamboo response to flash-drought events, and estimates changes to water budgets caused by extreme drought. We analyzed the variability in forest canopy transpiration versus precipitation from 2011–2013. Evapotranspiration reached 730 mm during flash drought years. When the vapor pressure deficit > 2 kPa and evapotranspiration > 4.27 mm·day −1 , evapotranspiration was mainly controlled through stomatal opening and closing to reduce water loss. However, water exchange mainly occurred in the upper 0–50 cm of the soil. When soil volumetric water content of 50 cm was lower than 0.17 m 3 ·m −3 , physiological dehydration occurred in Moso bamboo to reduce transpiration by defoliation, which leads to water-use efficiency decrease. When mean stand density was <3500 trees·ha −1 , the bamboo forest can safely survive the flash drought. Therefore, we recommend thinning Moso bamboo as a management strategy to reduce transpiration in response to future extreme drought events. Additionally, the response function of soil volumetric water content should be used to better simulate evapotranspiration, especially when soil water is limited.

Keywords: flash droughts; Moso bamboo forest; evapotranspiration; water budget (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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