Dew water-uptake pathways in Negev desert plants: a study using stable isotope tracers

Hill, Amber J.; Dawson, Todd E.; Dody, Avraham; Rachmilevitch, Shimon

doi:10.1007/s00442-021-04940-9

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…As a result of this dependency on the third layer, epiphytic biomass and diversity are frequently higher in humid montane forests characterised by frequent occult precipitation events and relatively low evaporative demand (Zotz, 2016). Another example of segregation along the atmospheric resource‐axis comes from hyper‐arid areas, such as the Atacama and Namib deserts, where rainfall events are sporadic and may wet plant canopies, but rarely result in a substantial increase in soil moisture (Hill et al, 2015, 2021). Many ground‐rooted plant species growing in such environments appear to obtain both water and nutrients primarily from fog and dew rather than from rainwater (e.g.…”

Section: How Does Accessing Atmospheric Resources Contribute To Hydro...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another example of segregation along the atmospheric resourceaxis comes from hyper-arid areas, such as the Atacama and Namib deserts, where rainfall events are sporadic and may wet plant canopies, but rarely result in a substantial increase in soil moisture (Hill et al, 2015(Hill et al, , 2021. Many ground-rooted plant species growing in such environments appear to obtain both water and nutrients primarily from fog and dew rather than from rainwater (e.g.…”

Section: Spatial Hydrological Niche Segregationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Revisiting plant hydrological niches: The importance of atmospheric resources for ground‐rooted plants

et al. 2022

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Occult precipitation events (fog, dew and light rain) can alter plant water and nutritional status, both directly through the aerial uptake of surface water and nutrients, and indirectly via redistribution of atmospheric resources to the soil. However, current frameworks that explain niche segregation, species interactions and coexistence still consider that ground‐rooted plants obtain resources almost exclusively via root absorption from soil. Here, we expand the plant hydrological niches model to incorporate both soil and atmospheric resource‐axes, thus providing a more complete picture of how ground‐rooted terrestrial plants obtain, remobilise, share and compete for water and soluble nutrients. First, we describe how plants with different water acquisition strategies access directly or indirectly atmospheric resources. Then, we discuss how the use of such resources may promote spatiotemporal niche segregation, contributing to shape species distribution and abundance within plant communities. We illustrate this argument with examples from arid, mesic and wet vegetation types. Finally, we examine how climate and land‐use changes may influence plant hydrological niches, potentially altering community structure. Synthesis. Understanding how available atmospheric resources influences niche segregation in plant communities is a crucial step towards better predictions of species responses (e.g. changes in distribution, abundance and interactions) to climate change.

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Section: How Does Accessing Atmospheric Resources Contribute To Hydro...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Spatial Hydrological Niche Segregationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revisiting plant hydrological niches: The importance of atmospheric resources for ground‐rooted plants

et al. 2022

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“…However, we established that for F. bungeana, the percentage utilization of soil water was highest in the 0-30 cm soil layer, and was not restricted by either root hydraulic conductivity or the soil water potential of this layer, which consequently posed the question as to which absorption path is operational under these conditions. The findings of numerous studies have revealed that dew uptake by plants occurs in most deserts where water is limited by the scarcity of precipitation (Hill et al, 2015;Dawson and Goldsmith, 2018;Berry et al, 2019;Hill et al, 2021). For example, Hill et al (2015) found that some dominant desert plants derive approximately 50% of their water requirements from dew (Hill et al, 2015), and several studies have provided evidence to indicate direct entry of dew water into leaves (Cavallaro et al, 2020), water uptake pathways into leaves through the cuticle (Gouvra and Grammatikopoulos, 2003;Goldsmith et al, 2017), and water uptake through stems (Breshears et al, 2008;Mason et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussion Variation In Water Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Hill et al (2015) found that some dominant desert plants derive approximately 50% of their water requirements from dew (Hill et al, 2015), and several studies have provided evidence to indicate direct entry of dew water into leaves (Cavallaro et al, 2020), water uptake pathways into leaves through the cuticle (Gouvra and Grammatikopoulos, 2003;Goldsmith et al, 2017), and water uptake through stems (Breshears et al, 2008;Mason et al, 2016). Hill et al (2021) also demonstrated that desert plants utilize dew on leaves (including direct absorption of dew by leaves and root absorption of dew falling onto the surface soil), transfer this water to the roots, and subsequent transport the water to the stems via different routes (Hill et al, 2021). It is thus conceivable that the input of dew with the same isotopic values as the upper soil causes a negative correlation between the proportion of water absorbed from the 0-30 cm soil layer and the soil potential of this layer, whereas the direct absorption of water via the leaves would account for the lack of correlation between the water source and hydraulic conductivity of the root system.…”

Section: Discussion Variation In Water Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When the amounts water absorbed by the root system are insufficient to maintain plant growth, plants may experience severe water shortages and succumb to physiological damage ( Huang and Zhang, 2016 ). To mitigate such water deficit-induced damage, some plants can absorb condensate water through their leaves, thereby enhancing plant water potential ( Hill et al., 2015 ; Dawson and Goldsmith, 2018 ; Berry et al., 2019 ; Hill et al., 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Water use strategies of Ferula bungeana on mega-dunes in the Badain Jaran Desert

Qin

Si²,

Jia³

et al. 2022

Front. Plant Sci.

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In desert ecosystems, ephemeral plants have developed specialized water use strategies in response to long-term natural water stress. To examine the water use strategies of desert ephemeral plants under natural extreme drought conditions, we investigated the water absorption sources, water potential, hydraulic conductivity, and water use efficiency of Ferula bungeana at different elevations on the slopes of mega-dunes in the Badain Jaran Desert, Inner Mongolia, during a period of extreme drought. We found that the water utilized by F. bungeana was mostly absorbed from the 0–60 cm soil layers (80.47 ± 4.28%). With progression of the growing season, the source of water changed from the 0–30 cm soil layer to the 30-60 cm layer. The water potentials of the leaves, stems, and roots of F. bungeana were found to be characterized by clear diurnal and monthly variation, which were restricted by water availability and the hydraulic conductivity of different parts of the plant. The root hydraulic conductivity of F. bungeana was found to be considerably greater than that of the canopy, both of which showed significant diurnal and monthly variation. The water use efficiency of F. bungeana under extreme drought conditions was relatively high, particularly during the early and late stages of the growing season. Variations in water availability led to the regulation of water uptake and an adjustment of internal water conduction, which modified plant water use efficiency. These observations tend to indicate that the water use strategies of F. bungeana are mainly associated with the growth stage of plants, whereas the distribution pattern of plants on mega-dunes appeared to have comparatively little influence. Our findings on the water use of ephemeral plants highlight the adaptive mechanisms of these plants in desert habitats and provide a theoretical basis for selecting plants suitable for the restoration and reconstruction of desert ecosystems.

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The CZ as an Ecological Problem: How the Interplay of Biotic and Abiotic Actors Determines the Functioning of Earth’s Living Skin

Billings,

Sullivan,

Hirmas

et al. 2024

Advances in Critical Zone Science

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Dew water-uptake pathways in Negev desert plants: a study using stable isotope tracers

Cited by 8 publications

References 60 publications

Revisiting plant hydrological niches: The importance of atmospheric resources for ground‐rooted plants

Revisiting plant hydrological niches: The importance of atmospheric resources for ground‐rooted plants

Water use strategies of Ferula bungeana on mega-dunes in the Badain Jaran Desert

The CZ as an Ecological Problem: How the Interplay of Biotic and Abiotic Actors Determines the Functioning of Earth’s Living Skin

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