A multi-species synthesis of physiological mechanisms in drought-induced tree mortality

Widespread tree mortality associated with drought 92 has been observed on all forested continents, and global change is expected to exacerbate vegetation vulnerability. Forest mortality has implications for future biosphere-atmosphere interactions of carbon, water, and energy balance, and is poorly represented in dynamic vegetation models. Reducing uncertainty requires improved mortality projections founded on robust physiological processes. However, the proposed mechanisms of drought-induced mortality, including hydraulic failure and carbon starvation, are unresolved. A growing number of empirical studies have investigated these mechanisms, but data have not been consistently analyzed across species and biomes using a standardized physiological framework. Here we show that xylem hydraulic failure was ubiquitous across multiple tree taxa at drought induced mortality. All species assessed had 60% or higher loss of xylem hydraulic conductivity, consistent with proposed theoretical and modelled survival thresholds. We found diverse responses in non-structural carbohydrate reserves at mortality, indicating that evidence supporting carbon starvation was not universal. Reduced non-structural carbohydrates were more common for gymnosperms than angiosperms, associated with xylem hydraulic vulnerability, and may have a role in reducing hydraulic function. Our finding that hydraulic failure at drought-induced mortality was persistent across species indicates that substantial improvement in vegetation modelling can be achieved using thresholds in hydraulic function

A multi-species synthesis of physiological mechanisms in drought-induced tree mortality

Widespread tree mortality associated with drought 92 has been observed on all forested continents, and global change is expected to exacerbate vegetation vulnerability. Forest mortality has implications for future biosphere-atmosphere interactions of carbon, water, and energy balance, and is poorly represented in dynamic vegetation models. Reducing uncertainty requires improved mortality projections founded on robust physiological processes. However, the proposed mechanisms of drought-induced mortality, including hydraulic failure and carbon starvation, are unresolved. A growing number of empirical studies have investigated these mechanisms, but data have not been consistently analyzed across species and biomes using a standardized physiological framework. Here we show that xylem hydraulic failure was ubiquitous across multiple tree taxa at drought induced mortality. All species assessed had 60% or higher loss of xylem hydraulic conductivity, consistent with proposed theoretical and modelled survival thresholds. We found diverse responses in non-structural carbohydrate reserves at mortality, indicating that evidence supporting carbon starvation was not universal. Reduced non-structural carbohydrates were more common for gymnosperms than angiosperms, associated with xylem hydraulic vulnerability, and may have a role in reducing hydraulic function. Our finding that hydraulic failure at drought-induced mortality was persistent across species indicates that substantial improvement in vegetation modelling can be achieved using thresholds in hydraulic function

Estimation of the determinents of bicycle mode share for the journey to work using census data

A model is presented that relates the proportion of bicycle journeys to work for English and Welsh electoral wards to relevant socio-economic, transport and physical variables. A number of previous studies have exploited existing disaggregate data sets. This study uses UK 2001 census data, is based on a logistic regression model and provides complementary evidence based on aggregate data for the determinants of cycle choice. It suggests a saturation level for bicycle use of 43%. Smaller proportions cycle in wards with more females and higher car ownership. The physical condition of the highway, rainfall and temperature each have an effect on the proportion that cycles to work, but the most significant physical variable is hilliness. The proportion of bicycle route that is off-road is shown to be significant, although it displays a low elasticity (+0.049) and this contrasts with more significant changes usually forecast by models constructed from stated preference based data. Forecasting shows the trend in car ownership has a significant effect on cycle use and offsets the positive effect of the provision of off-road routes for cycle traffic but only in districts that are moderately hilly or hilly. The provision of infrastructure alone appears insufficient to engender higher levels of cycling

Optical Detection Of Charge Redistribution In A δ Modulation-doped Gaas-alxga1-xas Heterojunction

We have investigated magnetically-induced charge redistribution within a δ modulation-doped GaAs-AlxGa1-xAs heterojunction structure by studying the photoluminescence due to electrons from the two-dimensional (2D) electron system recombining with photoexcited holes. At well defined values of magnetic field, charge transfer occurs between this 2D electron system and the V-shaped potential well formed in the AlxGa1-xAs by Si δ modulation-doping. This redistribution of charge is observed as discontinuities in the photoluminescence energies. From these measurements we have derived the characteristic transfer time for electrons to move between these two wells. © 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.1094267271Clark, R.G., High Magnetic Fields in Semiconductor Physics III (1992) Springer Series in Solid State Sciences, 101, p. 231. , edited by G. Landwehr, Springer-Verlag, Berlin and references thereinGoldberg, B.B., (1992) Surf. Sci., 263, p. 9. , and references thereinGoldys, E.M., (1992) Phys. Rev. B, 46, p. 7957. , and references thereinEllis, M.K., (1992) Phys. Rev. B, 45, p. 13765. , and reference thereinKukushkin, I.V., (1992) Phys. Rev. B, 45, p. 30. , and references thereinKukushkin, I.V., Von Klitzing, K., Ploog, K., Timofeev, V.B., (1989) Phys. Rev. B, 40, p. 7788Pulsford, N.J., Kukushkin, I.V., Hawrylak, P., Ploog, K., Haug, R.J., Von Klitzing, K., Timofeev, V.B., (1992) Phys. Stat. Sol., 173, p. 271Hayne, M., Usher, A., Plaut, A.S., Ploog, K., (1994) Phys. Rev. B, 50, p. 17208Domínguez-Adame, F., Méndez, B., Maciá, E., (1994) Semicond. Sci. Technol., 9, p. 263Dite, A.F., Kukushkin, I.V., Timofeev, V.B., Filin, A.I., Klitzing, V.K., (1991) Pis'ma Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz., 54, p. 393(1991) JETP Lett., 54, p. 389Aspnes, D.E., Kelso, S.M., Logan, R.A., Bhat, R., (1986) J. Appl. Phys., 60, p. 75