Components of stand water balance of a larch plantation after thinning during the extremely wet and dry years in the Loess Plateau, China
Forest thinning is often used as a strategy to augment water supply by decreasing stand evapotranspiration. To study the influence of such thinning on the water balance of a Larch (Larix principis-upprechtii Mayr.) plantation in the water-limited Loess Plateau of Northwest China, this study analyzed...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989420308489 |
| _version_ | 1819057816110891008 |
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| author | Lihong Xu Gongxiang Cao Yunni Wang Jia Hao Yanhui Wang Pengtao Yu Zebin Liu Wei Xiong Xiao Wang |
| author_facet | Lihong Xu Gongxiang Cao Yunni Wang Jia Hao Yanhui Wang Pengtao Yu Zebin Liu Wei Xiong Xiao Wang |
| author_sort | Lihong Xu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Forest thinning is often used as a strategy to augment water supply by decreasing stand evapotranspiration. To study the influence of such thinning on the water balance of a Larch (Larix principis-upprechtii Mayr.) plantation in the water-limited Loess Plateau of Northwest China, this study analyzed the components of the stand water balance after thinning during an extremely wet and dry year using the water balance approach. Tree transpiration (Et) was measured by tree sap flow, which was scaled to the plot level. The canopy interception loss (Ec) was estimated by subtracting the throughfall and stemflow from the gross precipitation. Unerstory evapotranspiration (Eu) was measured by weighing micro-lysimeters in each plot. Changes in the soil moisture were manually measured by the drying method. The results showed that thinning enhanced the stand-level soil water moisture due to the increased throughfall in the Larch plantation. Thinning induced decreases in Et and Ec, while increasing Eu and water yield during the observation periods. With regard to the components of evapotranspiration (ET), thinning increased the contribution of Eu to ET, and decreased the contribution of Et and Ec to ET. The decrease in LAI due to thinning also led to an increase in water yield and a decrease in both Et and Ec. Only high-intensity thinning can maintain the water yield function under the extreme drought. Under the current conditions, thinning to less than 844 stems/hm2 may be a very good option to increase the water yield. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T13:45:19Z |
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| id | doaj.art-3cdf641093e04fa4aee114b84d22c2d6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T13:45:19Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-3cdf641093e04fa4aee114b84d22c2d62022-12-21T19:01:53ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942020-12-0124e01307Components of stand water balance of a larch plantation after thinning during the extremely wet and dry years in the Loess Plateau, ChinaLihong Xu0Gongxiang Cao1Yunni Wang2Jia Hao3Yanhui Wang4Pengtao Yu5Zebin Liu6Wei Xiong7Xiao Wang8Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, ChinaResearch Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China; Inner Mongolia Academy of Forestry Science, Hohhot, 010010, ChinaResearch Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China; Inner Mongolia Academy of Forestry Science, Hohhot, 010010, ChinaResearch Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China; Urban Management Bureau of Futian District, Shenzhen, 518049, ChinaResearch Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China; Corresponding author. Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Beijing, 100091, China.Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, ChinaResearch Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, ChinaResearch Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, ChinaResearch Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, ChinaForest thinning is often used as a strategy to augment water supply by decreasing stand evapotranspiration. To study the influence of such thinning on the water balance of a Larch (Larix principis-upprechtii Mayr.) plantation in the water-limited Loess Plateau of Northwest China, this study analyzed the components of the stand water balance after thinning during an extremely wet and dry year using the water balance approach. Tree transpiration (Et) was measured by tree sap flow, which was scaled to the plot level. The canopy interception loss (Ec) was estimated by subtracting the throughfall and stemflow from the gross precipitation. Unerstory evapotranspiration (Eu) was measured by weighing micro-lysimeters in each plot. Changes in the soil moisture were manually measured by the drying method. The results showed that thinning enhanced the stand-level soil water moisture due to the increased throughfall in the Larch plantation. Thinning induced decreases in Et and Ec, while increasing Eu and water yield during the observation periods. With regard to the components of evapotranspiration (ET), thinning increased the contribution of Eu to ET, and decreased the contribution of Et and Ec to ET. The decrease in LAI due to thinning also led to an increase in water yield and a decrease in both Et and Ec. Only high-intensity thinning can maintain the water yield function under the extreme drought. Under the current conditions, thinning to less than 844 stems/hm2 may be a very good option to increase the water yield.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989420308489ThinningWater balanceEvapotranspirationWater yieldExtreme wet and droughtLoess plateau |
| spellingShingle | Lihong Xu Gongxiang Cao Yunni Wang Jia Hao Yanhui Wang Pengtao Yu Zebin Liu Wei Xiong Xiao Wang Components of stand water balance of a larch plantation after thinning during the extremely wet and dry years in the Loess Plateau, China Global Ecology and Conservation Thinning Water balance Evapotranspiration Water yield Extreme wet and drought Loess plateau |
| title | Components of stand water balance of a larch plantation after thinning during the extremely wet and dry years in the Loess Plateau, China |
| title_full | Components of stand water balance of a larch plantation after thinning during the extremely wet and dry years in the Loess Plateau, China |
| title_fullStr | Components of stand water balance of a larch plantation after thinning during the extremely wet and dry years in the Loess Plateau, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Components of stand water balance of a larch plantation after thinning during the extremely wet and dry years in the Loess Plateau, China |
| title_short | Components of stand water balance of a larch plantation after thinning during the extremely wet and dry years in the Loess Plateau, China |
| title_sort | components of stand water balance of a larch plantation after thinning during the extremely wet and dry years in the loess plateau china |
| topic | Thinning Water balance Evapotranspiration Water yield Extreme wet and drought Loess plateau |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989420308489 |
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