Plant water sources in the cold semiarid ecosystem of the upper Kherlen River catchment in Mongolia: A stable isotope approach

Li, Shenggong; Romero‐Saltos, Hugo; Tsujimura, Maki; Sugimoto, Akihiro; Sasaki, Lisa; Davaa, Gombo; Oyunbaatar, Dambaravjaa

doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2006.07.020

Cited by 87 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…1). Li et al (2007a) showed by the analysis of δ 18 O and δD (deuterium) signatures in precipitation, soil, and shoot water that forests of Siberian larch in northern Mongolia primarily depend on surface water from the current precipitation. Carbon assimilated at the end of the growing season is apparently used for wood formation in the following growing season, explaining the increase of tree-ring width with increasing precipitation in September and even October of the year prior to tree-ring formation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate response of tree-ring width in Larix sibirica growing in the drought-stressed forest-steppe ecotone of northern Mongolia

Dulamsuren

Hauck

Leuschner

et al. 2011

Annals of Forest Science

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& Introduction Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) has its southern distribution limit in Mongolia in an area of rapidly rising temperatures. Direct effects of climate on tree-ring formation due to drought stress or indirect effects via the control of insect herbivore populations are little studied.& Methods The hypotheses were tested that stem increment of Siberian larch is reduced by (1) drought during the growing season and (2) high snow cover, as the latter is thought to protect hibernating herbivores, including gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). & Results Tree-ring width increases with decreasing summer temperature, increasing precipitation during the growing season and decreasing winter precipitation. & Conclusions The susceptibility of stem wood formation to drought during the growing season suggests that a future climate warming will decrease productivity of Siberian larch, thus affecting its existence within the forest-steppe ecotone of Mongolia. Narrow tree rings in years following winters with low snowfall support the hypothesis that winter precipitation exerts an indirect effect on the growth of Siberian larch by controlling the survival rates of gypsy moth eggs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate response of tree-ring width in Larix sibirica growing in the drought-stressed forest-steppe ecotone of northern Mongolia

Dulamsuren

Hauck

Leuschner

et al. 2011

Annals of Forest Science

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“…soil water from varying depths, stream water, ground-water, etc.) (Asbjornsen et al 2007;Brunel et al 1995;Li et al 2007;Mensforth et al 1994). Furthermore, linear mixing models based on mass balance equations can determine the contributions of each potential water source to stem water (White et al 1985;Phillips and Gregg 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root distribution of Nitraria sibirica with seasonally varying water sources in a desert habitat

et al. 2015

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In water-limited environments, the water sources used by desert shrubs are critical to understanding hydrological processes. Here we studied the oxygen stable isotope ratios (δ (18)O) of stem water of Nitraria sibirica as well as those of precipitation, groundwater and soil water from different layers to identify the possible water sources for the shrub. The results showed that the shrub used a mixture of soil water, recent precipitation and groundwater, with shallow lateral roots and deeply penetrating tap (sinker) roots, in different seasons. During the wet period (in spring), a large proportion of stem water in N. sibirica was from snow melt and recent precipitation, but use of these sources declined sharply with the decreasing summer rain at the site. At the height of summer, N. sibirica mainly utilized deep soil water from its tap roots, not only supporting the growth of shoots but also keeping the shallow lateral roots well-hydrated. This flexibility allowed the plants to maintain normal metabolic processes during prolonged periods when little precipitation occurs and upper soil layers become extremely dry. With the increase in precipitation that occurs as winter approaches, the percentage of water in the stem base of a plant derived from the tap roots (deep soil water or ground water) decreased again. These results suggested that the shrub's root distribution and morphology were the most important determinants of its ability to utilize different water sources, and that its adjustment to water availability was significant for acclimation to the desert habitat.

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“…If samples of all potential water sources can be obtained and the water within the plant's xylem sap is also extracted, it is possible to assess which sources of water are being used (Dawson et al 2002). In order to identify the most possible sources of water transpired by plants, stable hydrogen and/or oxygen isotopic compositions of stem water are compared with those of potential water sources (Brunel et al 1995;Asbjornsen et al 2007;Li et al 2007). As contributions of water from different water sources could account for the same stem water stable isotope values recorded in the plant, actual plant water sources may be misinterpreted based only on this direct inference approach (Asbjornsen et al 2007).…”

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confidence: 99%

Seasonal water use patterns of woody species growing on the continuous dolostone outcrops and nearby thin soils in subtropical China

et al. 2010

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In karst regions, forests often grow on bedrock outcrops, however the water sources used by the forest vegetation are not known. This study aimed at investigating whether there were seasonal shifts (dry/wet season) of water sources for plants growing on the continuous dolostone outcrops, and comparing their differences with those growing on nearby thin soils in karst areas of southwest China. Rainwater, soil water within 0-30 cm depths, spring water (as a reflection of local deep water sources) and plant xylem water were sampled in March (late dry season) and July (mid rainy season) 2009, respectively. A direct inference approach and the IsoSource mixing model were used to estimate the contributions of different sources to the plant xylem water. On the outcrops, the deciduous tree species Radermachera sinica mainly used deep water sources during the dry season and a mixture of rainwater and deep water sources during the wet season. By contrast, the deciduous small shrub Alchornea trewioides largely relied on recent rainwater during both dry and wet seasons. Three non-deciduous species (Sterculia euosma, Schefflera octophylla and Ficus orthoneura) appear to rely on deep water sources during the wet seasons. In nearby thin soils, R. sinica mainly utilized deep water in the dry season and a mixture of soil water and deep water in the wet season. A. trewioides relied on the same water sources (rainwater-derived soil water) in the different seasons. The above results indicate that inter-specific differences in rooting patterns and leaf phenologies may lead to the differences in the sources of water used by coexisting plant species in karst regions.

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Plant water sources in the cold semiarid ecosystem of the upper Kherlen River catchment in Mongolia: A stable isotope approach

Cited by 87 publications

References 47 publications

Climate response of tree-ring width in Larix sibirica growing in the drought-stressed forest-steppe ecotone of northern Mongolia

Climate response of tree-ring width in Larix sibirica growing in the drought-stressed forest-steppe ecotone of northern Mongolia

Root distribution of Nitraria sibirica with seasonally varying water sources in a desert habitat

Seasonal water use patterns of woody species growing on the continuous dolostone outcrops and nearby thin soils in subtropical China

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