7 research outputs found

    Spatial uncertainty in sap velocity measurements and tree water use upscaling in american beech

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    4 páginas.-- 3 figuras.-- 10 referencias.-- Póster presentado en el XI Simposio Hispano-Portugués de Relaciones Hídricas en las Plantas, Sevilla 17-20 Sep. (2012)We examined the variation insap velocity radially, azimuthally, at different heights and across different tree sizes for the species Fagus grandifolia. The results demonstrate that the main sources of variability are radial variability and tree size. The implications for scaling up routine point measurements of sap velocity to the whole-tree andstand levels are discussed.This work was funded by the University of New Hampshire. We thank the US Forest Service at BEF and Hubbard Brook for the facilitation of research activities and permission to access sites.N

    Linking changes in radial profiles of sap flux density with the response of water vapour exchange to water deficit

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    8 páginas, 5 figuras, 1 tabla, 19 referencias.-- IX International Workshop on Sap Flow, celebrado del 4-7 de junio 2013, en Gante, Bélgica.Knowledge of temporal variations in radial profiles of sap flux density (Js) and its relation to canopy water vapour exchange would help to improve our understanding of plant water relations. In this study we aimed to test if there is a consistent radial profile of Js in olive trees under optimal soil water availability and severe water stress conditions. Furthermore, if the radial profile of Js is not consistent through time we aimed to assess whether this radial variability can be explained through differential water exchange response to evaporative demand (D) of sun-exposed, new foliage and shade, old foliage. We measured sap flux density in the trunk of 6-year-old olive trees under two different irrigation treatments: a full irrigation treatment and a treatment replacing 30% of the of irrigation needs. We related the hourly radial profiles characterized with the Beta probability distribution function with independent water vapour exchange measurements at different exposures in the tree canopy (sun-exposed, young foliage and shade, old foliage). Results showed that under well irrigated conditions the shape of the radial profile of Js hardly varied, but under water deficit situations most of the sap appears to be conducted deeper into the sapwood and Js is also more variable throughout the sapwood. Accordingly, results demonstrated that in shade, old foliage water vapour exchange varied less than in sun-exposed new foliage. As a result, in days under severe water deficit, the contribution of shade old foliage to the whole tree transpiration was greater. Radial profile changes and canopy measurements were found to respond in a similar way to D. During conditions of low D and soil water deficit it was observed a greater contribution of the inner xylem to total stem flow and shade, old leaves to canopy gas exchange.Peer reviewe

    Variability of the radial profile of sap velocity in Pinus patula from contrasting stands within the seasonal cloud forest zone of Veracruz, Mexico

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    Characterizing the variability of the radial profiles of sap velocity (v s) is a critical step to improve upscaling point measurements of v s to whole-tree sap flow. One promising approach is the use of a probability distribution function (pdf) to model radial profiles of v s, because shape parameters could potentially be generalized to trees of the same species based on the premise that the shape remain consistent regardless of the tree size and age, and over time, even though the magnitude of v s may vary with environmental conditions. The objective of this study was to characterize and assess the variability of the radial profile and to examine the validity of the premises underlying this approach by applying it to Pinus patula, one of the most widely planted tree species in the uplands of central-eastern Mexico. We measured v s with the Heat Ratio method at various sapwood depths in 18 P. patula trees with a dbh between 7.3 and 59.7cm and age between of 10 and 34 years, over a period of 1.5 years. Trees were growing in two stands: a mature forest stand and a young plantation. By fitting the Beta-pdf to hourly radial profiles of v s, we derived a lumped shape parameter (Ï?) to denote the radial position relative to sapwood depth with average v s and a scaling parameter (c s). The typical radial profile was unimodal, asymmetrical and with peak v s generally within the outermost 20-33% of the sapwood depth. However, tree-to-tree variability in Ï? was considerable among trees within the same stand and also across stands. Long-term and day-to-day variation of Ï? was marginal. The hourly dynamics of the radial profile, characterized by c s, can be explained by a linear combination of incoming shortwave radiation, vapor pressure deficit, the hour of day and their interaction (r 2=0.74). An independent field evaluation confirmed that a radial profile of fixed shape can be effectively used to estimate whole-tree sap flow with relatively low bias (4-26% underestimation) relative to cut-tree water uptake, particularly for trees for which v s observations covered at least 60% of the sapwood depth. Our findings emphasize the importance of conducting multiple v s point measurements covering most of the sapwood depth for accurate characterization of the radial profile, and demonstrate the utility of fitting a pdf to point v s measurements in order to assess the variability of v s radial profiles as well as to compute sap flow at the whole-tree level.Peer Reviewe

    Suppression of transpiration due to cloud immersion in a seasonally dry Mexican Weeping Pine plantation

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    Cloud immersion affects the water budget of fog-affected forests not only by introducing an additional source of water (via cloud water interception by the canopy), but also by suppressing plant transpiration. The latter effect is often overlooked and not routinely quantified, restricting a complete understanding of the net hydrological effect of cloud immersion and the possible consequences of projected reductions in cloud immersion under drier and warmer climates in tropical montane regions in the coming decades. This paper describes an approach to quantify the suppression of stand-level tree transpiration (

    Water balance, nutrient and carbon export from a heath forest catchment in central Amazonia, Brazil

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    Carbon storage values in the Amazon basin have been studied through different approaches in the last decades in order to clarify whether the rainforest ecosystem is likely to act as a sink or source for carbon in the near future. This water balance, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrient export study were carried out in a micro-scale heath forest (Campina) catchment in central Amazonia, Brazil. For a 1-year study period (18 March 2007 until 19 March 2008), rainfall amounted to 3054mm; of which, 1532mm was evaporated by the forest (4.1mmday-1). Rainfall interception loss amounted to 15.6% of gross rainfall. Surface runoff amounted to 485mm, whereas another 1071mm was discharged as regional groundwater outflow. Accumulated DOC exports in surface runoff amounted to 15.3gm-2year-1, whereas the total carbon exported was 55.9gm-2. This is much higher than that observed for a nearby tall rainforest catchment in central Amazonia (DOC export<20gm-2). As Campina heath forest areas cover a significant proportion of the Amazon Basin, these differences in ecosystem hydrological carbon exports should be taken into account in future studies assessing the carbon budget for the Amazon Basin. Macro-nutrient exports were low, but those of calcium and potassium were higher than those observed for tall rainforest in the Amazon, which may be caused by a lower retention capacity of the heath forest ecosystem

    Ecohydrological advances and applications in plant-water relations research: a review

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    Aims The field of ecohydrology is providing new theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches for understanding the complex interactions and feedbacks between vegetation and hydrologic flows at multiple scales. Here we review some of the major scientific and technological advances in ecohydrology as related to understanding the mechanisms by which plant–water relations influence water fluxes at ecosystem, watershed and landscape scales. Important Findings We identify several cross-cutting themes related to the role of plant– water relations in the ecohydrological literature, including the contrasting dynamics of water-limited and water-abundant ecosystems, transferring information about water fluxes across scales, understanding spatiotemporal heterogeneity and complexity, ecohydrological triggers associated with threshold behavior and shifts between alternative stable states and the need for long-term data sets at multiple scales. We then show how these themes are embedded within three key research areas where improved understanding of the linkages between plant–water relations and the hydrologic cycle have led to important advances in the field of ecohydrology: upscaling water fluxes from the leaf to the watershed and landscape, effects of plant–soil interactions on soil moisture dynamics and controls exerted by plant water use patterns and mechanisms on streamflow regime. In particular, we highlight several pressing environmental challenges facing society today where ecohydrology can contribute to the scientific knowledge for developing sound management and policy solutions.We conclude by identifying key challenges and opportunities for advancing contributions of plant–water relations research to ecohydrology in the future

    Global Impact of COVID-19 on Stroke Care and IV Thrombolysis

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    OBJECTIVE: To measure the global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of IV thrombolysis (IVT), IVT transfers, and stroke hospitalizations over 4 months at the height of the pandemic (March 1 to June 30, 2020) compared with 2 control 4-month periods. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, observational, retrospective study across 6 continents, 70 countries, and 457 stroke centers. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes or classifications in stroke databases. RESULTS: There were 91,373 stroke admissions in the 4 months immediately before compared to 80,894 admissions during the pandemic months, representing an 11.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] -11.7 to -11.3, p &lt; 0.0001) decline. There were 13,334 IVT therapies in the 4 months preceding compared to 11,570 procedures during the pandemic, representing a 13.2% (95% CI -13.8 to -12.7, p &lt; 0.0001) drop. Interfacility IVT transfers decreased from 1,337 to 1,178, or an 11.9% decrease (95% CI -13.7 to -10.3, p = 0.001). Recovery of stroke hospitalization volume (9.5%, 95% CI 9.2-9.8, p &lt; 0.0001) was noted over the 2 later (May, June) vs the 2 earlier (March, April) pandemic months. There was a 1.48% stroke rate across 119,967 COVID-19 hospitalizations. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was noted in 3.3% (1,722/52,026) of all stroke admissions. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a global decline in the volume of stroke hospitalizations, IVT, and interfacility IVT transfers. Primary stroke centers and centers with higher COVID-19 inpatient volumes experienced steeper declines. Recovery of stroke hospitalization was noted in the later pandemic months. © 2021 American Academy of Neurology
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