Inexpensive throughfall exclusion experiment for single large trees

Abstract

Premise Drought‐induced tree mortality is an emergent threat to forests worldwide, particularly to large trees. Drought‐manipulation experiments involving throughfall exclusion (TFE) tend to focus on large plots that can be expensive to establish and maintain and may be unsuitable for large trees or indigenous forests. We set out to establish a relatively inexpensive TFE method in a natural forest with large trees. Methods We designed a novel TFE method and installed it in the Waitākere Range of West Auckland, New Zealand, to study the southern conifer kauri (Agathis australis) under long‐term simulated drought. We measured fluxes of water (sap flow) and carbon (stem increment and litterfall) as indicators of drought effects. Results Throughfall was cut off to a 22.25‐m2 area around individual boles, causing reduced soil moisture and reduced sap flow in droughted trees. Discussion Our new TFE method centered on individual, large trees in native forest and is highly customizable to fit other forest and species types. It can be used to assess physiological responses to drought of individual trees independent of stem size.

Addressing Gender Inequities in Forest Science and Research

“…Dr Macinnis-Ng is interested in the ecophysiology of trees under global change. Her current focus is on carbon and water fluxes of native forests of New Zealand [128][129][130][131]. She also contributes to global analyses of forest dieback [132,133] and ecosystem function [134].…”

Plant–environment interactions from the lens of plant stress, reproduction, and mutualisms

“…The three manuscripts contributed to Applications in Plant Sciences (APPS) in this cross-journal special feature focus specifically on methods in the fields of plant responses to climate change, plant-pollinator interactions, and paleobotany and paleoclimates. Cranston et al (2020) took a novel manipulative approach in a complicated field setting to examine the impacts of drought on large trees. This newly developed methodology is flexible and inexpensive; thus, it can be applied to a variety of study systems in areas that are difficult to access.…”

Novel methodologies to disentangle plant–environment interactions

“…However, these approaches are often expensive, labor intensive, and only suitable for certain types of plant species. Cranston et al (2020) specifically discuss the difficulties in simulating drought conditions in a dense mature forest composed of large trees. To study the impacts of drought on the charismatic conifer Agathis australis (D. Don) Loudon, the authors developed a novel, inexpensive http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/AppsPlantSci © 2020 Chambers methodology that may be used in a variety of forest systems where the goal is to limit natural precipitation.…”

“…Cranston et al. () specifically discuss the difficulties in simulating drought conditions in a dense mature forest composed of large trees. To study the impacts of drought on the charismatic conifer Agathis australis (D. Don) Loudon, the authors developed a novel, inexpensive methodology that may be used in a variety of forest systems where the goal is to limit natural precipitation.…”