Spatial variation and temporal persistence of grapevine response to a soil texture gradient

Studying the water transport in the soil-plant system requires information on the spatio-temporal variability of both subsystems and the ability to assess the impact of the soil heterogeneity and of the biological responses on the coupling between vegetation and its substrate. This study was conducted for 2 years in a vineyard in the Aude Valley, France, by measuring the particle size distribution of the topsoil, the instantaneous isotopic ratios (18O/16O, 2H/1H) of leaf water, annual shoot biomass production, and interannual persistence of this biomass along a 360 m transect. The resultant spatial series were analysed for their correlations and converted to spectra. Changes in the isotopic ratios along the transect reflect the soil texture gradient, suggesting that the vines root deeper on the gravel layers than elsewhere. This could provide a mechanism for the partial decoupling between soil and vegetation, and thus explain the strong temporal persistence of the vegetation pattern, the low overall correlation between biomass production and soil texture. The spectra show that this correlation concentrates at specific scales which correspond to a minimum variability in the shoot biomass. In this case, therefore, soil texture plays only a minor role in determining the spatial heterogeneity of shoot biomass in gravepine. (Résumé d'auteur

Hydrological behaviour of the granitic Strengbach catchment (Vosges massif, Eastern France) during a flood event

A field campaign combining monitoring devices and determination of isotopes and chemical elements has been performed during a summer thunderstorm in the small granitic Strengbach catchment (Vosges, France). The collected ground data were used in a hydrological modelling exercise including two conceptual rainfallrunoff models (GR4, TOPMODEL). The predominant role in flood generation of pre-event water coming from the superficial layers of the water saturated area has been shown and a conceptual scheme has been proposed derived from the field observations. The two tested modelling structures and assumptions are not able to take into account fully the complexity of the physical processes involved in flood generation

Hydrograph separation using isotopic, chemical and hydrological approaches (Strengbach catchment, France)

The streamflow components were determined in a small catchment located in Eastern France for a 40 mm rain event using isotopic and chemical tracing with particular focus on the spatial and temporal variations of catchment sources. Precipitation, soil solution, springwater and streamwaters were sampled and analysed for stable water isotopes (18O and 2H), major chemical parameters (SO4, NO3, Cl2, Na1, K1, Ca21, Mg21, NH4, H1, H4SiO4, alkalinity and conductivity), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and trace elements (Al, Rb, Sr, Ba, Pb and U). 18O, Si, DOC, Ba and U were finally selected to assess the different contributing sources using mass balance equations and end-member mixing diagrams. Isotopic hydrograph separation shows that the pre-event water only contributes to 2% at the beginning of the stormflow to 13% at the main peak flow. DOC associated to Si and U to Ba allow to identify the different contributing areas (upper layers of the saturated areas, deep layers of the hillslope and rainwater). The streamflow (70%) originates from the deep layers of the hillslope, the remaining being supplied by the small saturated areas. The combination of chemical (both trace and major elements) and isotopic tracers allows to identify the origin of water pathways. During the first stage of the storm event, a significant part of the runoff (30±39%) comes from the small extended saturated areas located down part of the basin (overland runoff then groundwater ridging). During the second stage, the contribution of waters from the deep layers of the hillslope in the upper subcatchment becomes more significant. The final state is characterised by a balanced contribution between aquifers located in moraine and downslopes. Indeed, this study demonstrates the interest of combining a variety of hydrometric data, geochemical and isotopic tracers to identify the components of the streamwater in such conditions

Sources and export of particle-borne organic matter during a monsoon flood in a catchment of northern Laos

International audienceThe yields of the tropical rivers of Southeast Asia supply large quantities of carbon to the ocean. The origin and dynamics of particulate organic matter were studied in the Houay Xon River catchment located in northern Laos during the first erosive flood of the rainy season in May 2012. This cultivated catchment is equipped with three successive gauging stations draining areas ranging between 0.2 and 11.6 km2 on the main stem of the permanent stream, and two additional stations draining 0.6 ha hillslopes. In addition, the sequential monitoring of rainwater, overland flow and suspended organic matter compositions was conducted at the 1 m2 plot scale during a storm. The composition of particulate organic matter (total organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations, δ13C and δ15N) was determined for suspended sediment, soil surface (top 2 cm) and soil subsurface (gullies and riverbanks) samples collected in the catchment (n = 57, 65 and 11, respectively). Hydrograph separation of event water was achieved using water electric conductivity and δ18O measurements for rainfall, overland flow and river water base flow (n = 9, 30 and 57, respectively). The composition of particulate organic matter indicates that upstream suspended sediments mainly originated from cultivated soils labelled by their C3 vegetation cover (upland rice, fallow vegetation and teak plantations). In contrast, channel banks characterized by C4 vegetation (Napier grass) supplied significant quantities of sediment to the river during the flood rising stage at the upstream station as well as in downstream river sections. The highest runoff coefficient (11.7%), sediment specific yield (433 kg ha−1), total organic carbon specific yield (8.3 kg C ha−1) and overland flow contribution (78–100%) were found downstream of reforested areas planted with teaks. Swamps located along the main stream acted as sediment filters and controlled the composition of suspended organic matter. Total organic carbon specific yields were particularly high because they occurred during the first erosive storm of the rainy season, just after the period of slash-and-burn operations in the catchment

Profondeur d'extraction racinaire et signature isotopique de l'eau prélevée par les racines des couverts végétaux

International audienceNous cherchons à identifier la profondeur à laquelle l'eau est extraite par les racines dans les sols. En effet, à l'état isotopique stationnaire dans le réservoir d'eau foliaire, la transpiration introduit dans l'atmosphère une vapeur dont la signature isotopique est identique à celle de l'eau racinaire. Dans les modèles isotopiques de circulation générale atmosphérique, il est classiquement admis que la signature de la transpiration appartient à la droite des eaux météoriques. Ceci suppose que l'eau prélevée par les racines ait échappé à l'évaporation du sol et soit donc issue des couches profondes du sol. Lors d'une expérimentation réalisée sur des plants de maïs (Nemours, Seine-et-Marne), cette profondeur d'extraction a été déterminée à partir de la comparaison entre la signature de l'eau mesurée au niveau du premier entre-noeud des tiges des végétaux et le profil isotopique de l'eau dans le sol. Lorsque le flux de transpiration atteint une valeur maximale, la plante prélève de l'eau issue des précipitations, qui conserve son caractère non évaporatoire après s'être rapidement infiltrée dans les couches profondes du sol. Lors de cette expérience, ceci ne concerne que 55% de la vapeur d'eau émise par le couvert végétal, le restant présentant un caractère évaporatoire plus ou moins marqué en fonction des conditions environnementales. Cette expérience invalide, en régions tempérées, l'hypothèse retenue dans les modèles isotopiques de circulation générale atmosphérique. En effet, seule la moitié de la quantité de vapeur d'eau émise par la plante au cours de la journée présente une signature identique à celle de l'eau des précipitations prélevées dans les couches profondes du sol

Modeling of biospheric CO2 gross fluxes via oxygen isotopes in a spruce forest canopy: a 222Rn calibrated box model approach

One-dimensional box model estimates of biospheric CO2 gross fluxes are presented. The results are based on measurements performed during the EUROSIBERIAN CARBONFLUX intensive campaign between July 27 to August 1, 1999 in a natural Picea abies forest in Russia. CO2 mixing ratios and stable isotope ratios of CO2 were measured on flask samples taken in two heights within the canopy. Simultaneously, soil and leaf samples were collected and analysed to derive the 18O/16O ratio of the respective water reservoirs and the 13C/12C ratio of the leaf tissue. The main objective of this project was to investigate biospheric gas exchange with soil and vegetation and, thereby, take advantage of the potential of the 18O/16O ratio in atmospheric CO2. Via exchange of oxygen isotopes with associated liquid water reservoirs, leaf CO2 assimilation fluxes generally enrich while soil CO2 respiration fluxes generally deplete the 18O/16O ratio of atmospheric CO2. In the model, we parameterised intra canopy transport by exploiting soil-borne 222Rn as a tracer for turbulent transport. Our approach showed that, in principle, a net ecosystem CO2 flux can be separated into assimilation and respiration fluxes using oxygen isotopes. However, quantitative partitioning is highly sensitive to the respective discrimination factors, and, therefore, also on the parameterisation of internal leaf CO2 concentrations and gradients

Nära till naturen : en diskussion om riktlinjer för grundtillgång på friluftsmarker nära tätorter /

This study tested a method to quantify and locate hydraulic lift (HL, defined as the passive upward water flow from wetter to dryer soil zones through the plant root system) by combining an experiment using the stable water isotope 1H218O as a tracer with a soil–plant water flow model. Our methodology consisted in (i) establishing the initial conditions for HL in a large rhizobox planted with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), (ii) labeling water in the deepest soil layer with an 18O-enriched solution, (iii) monitoring the water O isotopic composition in soil layers to find out changes in the upper layers that would reflect redistribution of 18O-enriched water from the bottom layers by the roots, and (iv) comparing the observed soil water O isotopic composition to simulation results of a three-dimensional model of water flow and isotope transport in the soil–root system. Our main findings were that (i) the depth and strength of the observed changes in soil water O isotopic composition could be well reproduced with a modeling approach (RMSE = 0.2‰, i.e., equivalent to the precision of the isotopic measurements), (ii) the corresponding water volume involved in HL was estimated to account for 19% of the plant transpiration of the following day, i.e., 0.45 mm of water, and was in agreement with the observed soil water content changes, and (iii) the magnitude of the simulated HL was sensitive to both plant and soil hydraulic properties

Applications des méthodes de traçage isotopiques (18O,2H) et chimiques pour l'étude des transferts d'eau par ruissellement (investigations à l'échelle de petites parcelles)

PARIS-BIUSJ-Thèses (751052125) / SudocPARIS-BIUSJ-Sci.Terre recherche (751052114) / SudocSudocFranceF

APPORTS DE LA BIOGEOCHIMIE ISOTOPIQUE A L'ANALYSE DES INTERACTIONS EAU-SOL-RACINE

PARIS-BIUSJ-Physique recherche (751052113) / SudocCentre Technique Livre Ens. Sup. (774682301) / SudocSudocFranceF

Seasonal variations in soil, grass and shrub water status in a West African humid savanna

International audienc