School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences - Research Publications
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ItemTree water-use strategies to improve stormwater retention performance of biofiltration systems(PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2018-11-01)Biofiltration systems are highly valued in urban landscapes as they remove pollutants from stormwater runoff whilst contributing to a reduction in runoff volumes. Integrating trees in biofilters may improve their runoff retention performance, as trees have greater transpiration than commonly used sedge or herb species. High transpiration rates will rapidly deplete retained water, creating storage capacity prior to the next runoff event. However, a tree with high transpiration rates in a biofilter system will likely be frequently exposed to drought stress. Selecting appropriate tree species therefore requires an understanding of how different trees use water and how they respond to substrate drying. We selected 20 tree species and quantified evapotranspiration (ET) and drought stress (leaf water potential; Ψ) in relation to substrate water content. To compare species, we developed metrics which describe: (i) maximum rates of ET under well-watered conditions, (ii) the sensitivity of ET and (iii) the response of Ψ to declining substrate water content. Using these three metrics, we classified species into three groups: risky, balanced or conservative. Risky and balanced species showed high maximum ET, whereas conservative species always had low ET. As substrates dried, the balanced species down-regulated ET to delay the onset of drought stress; whereas risky species did not. Therefore, balanced species with high ET are more likely to improve the retention performance of biofiltration systems without introducing significant drought risk. This classification of tree water use strategies can be easily integrated into water balance models and improve tree species selection for biofiltration systems.
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ItemDoes the turgor loss point characterize drought response in dryland plants?(WILEY, 2017-08)The water potential at turgor loss point (Ψtlp ) has been suggested as a key functional trait for determining plant drought tolerance, because of its close relationship with stomatal closure. Ψtlp may indicate drought tolerance as plants, which maintain gas exchange at lower midday water potentials as soil water availability declines also have lower Ψtlp . We evaluated 17 species from seasonally dry habitats, representing a range of life-forms, under well-watered and drought conditions, to determine how Ψtlp relates to stomatal sensitivity (pre-dawn water potential at stomatal closure: Ψgs0 ) and drought strategy (degree of isohydry or anisohydry; ΔΨMD between well-watered conditions and stomatal closure). Although Ψgs0 was related to Ψtlp , Ψgs0 was better related to drought strategy (ΔΨMD ). Drought avoiders (isohydric) closed stomata at water potentials higher than their Ψtlp ; whereas, drought tolerant (anisohydric) species maintained stomatal conductance at lower water potentials than their Ψtlp and were more dehydration tolerant. There was no significant relationship between Ψtlp and ΔΨMD . While Ψtlp has been related to biome water availability, we found that Ψtlp did not relate strongly to stomatal closure or drought strategy, for either drought avoiders or tolerators. We therefore suggest caution in using Ψtlp to predict vulnerability to drought.
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ItemStable isotopes in leaf water of terrestrial plants(WILEY, 2016-05)Leaf water contains naturally occurring stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in abundances that vary spatially and temporally. When sufficiently understood, these can be harnessed for a wide range of applications. Here, we review the current state of knowledge of stable isotope enrichment of leaf water, and its relevance for isotopic signals incorporated into plant organic matter and atmospheric gases. Models describing evaporative enrichment of leaf water have become increasingly complex over time, reflecting enhanced spatial and temporal resolution. We recommend that practitioners choose a model with a level of complexity suited to their application, and provide guidance. At the same time, there exists some lingering uncertainty about the biophysical processes relevant to patterns of isotopic enrichment in leaf water. An important goal for future research is to link observed variations in isotopic composition to specific anatomical and physiological features of leaves that reflect differences in hydraulic design. New measurement techniques are developing rapidly, enabling determinations of both transpired and leaf water δ(18) O and δ(2) H to be made more easily and at higher temporal resolution than previously possible. We expect these technological advances to spur new developments in our understanding of patterns of stable isotope fractionation in leaf water.
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ItemAn ecoclimatic framework for evaluating the resilience of vegetation to water deficit(WILEY, 2016-05)The surge in global efforts to understand the causes and consequences of drought on forest ecosystems has tended to focus on specific impacts such as mortality. We propose an ecoclimatic framework that takes a broader view of the ecological relevance of water deficits, linking elements of exposure and resilience to cumulative impacts on a range of ecosystem processes. This ecoclimatic framework is underpinned by two hypotheses: (i) exposure to water deficit can be represented probabilistically and used to estimate exposure thresholds across different vegetation types or ecosystems; and (ii) the cumulative impact of a series of water deficit events is defined by attributes governing the resistance and recovery of the affected processes. We present case studies comprising Pinus edulis and Eucalyptus globulus, tree species with contrasting ecological strategies, which demonstrate how links between exposure and resilience can be examined within our proposed framework. These examples reveal how climatic thresholds can be defined along a continuum of vegetation functional responses to water deficit regimes. The strength of this framework lies in identifying climatic thresholds on vegetation function in the absence of more complete mechanistic understanding, thereby guiding the formulation, application and benchmarking of more detailed modelling.
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ItemLife span and structure of ephemeral root modules of different functional groups from a desert system(WILEY, 2016-07)The terminal branch orders of plant root systems have been proposed as short-lived 'ephemeral' modules specialized for resource absorption. The occurrence of ephemeral root modules has so far only been reported for a temperate tree species and it is unclear if the concept also applies to other woody (shrub, tree) and herb species. Fine roots of 12 perennial dicotyledonous herb, shrub and tree species were monitored for two growing seasons using a branch-order classification, sequential sampling and rhizotrons in the Taklamakan desert. Two root modules existed in all three plant functional groups. Among the first five branch orders, the first two (perennial herbs, shrubs) or three (trees) root orders were ephemeral and had a primary anatomical structure, high nitrogen (N) concentrations, high respiration rates and very short life spans of 1-4 months, whereas the last two branch orders in all functional groups were perennial, with thicker diameters, no or collapsed cortex, distinct secondary growth, low N concentrations, low respiration rates, but much longer life spans. Ephemeral, short-lived root modules and long-lived, persistent root modules seem to be a general feature across many plant functional groups and could represent a basic root system design.
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ItemRelationships between plant drought response, traits, and climate of origin for green roof plant selection(WILEY, 2018-10)The ideal species for green or vegetated roofs should have high water use after rainfall to maximize stormwater retention but also survive periods with low water availability in dry substrates. Shrubs have great potential for green roofs because they have higher rates of water use, and many species are also drought tolerant. However, not all shrub species will be suitable and there may be a trade-off between water use and drought tolerance. We conducted a glasshouse experiment to determine the possible trade-offs between shrub water use for stormwater management and their response to drought conditions. We selected 20 shrubs from a wide range of climates of origin, represented by heat moisture index (HMI) and mean annual precipitation (MAP). Under well-watered (WW) and water-deficit (WD) conditions, we assessed morphological responses to water availability; evapotranspiration rate (ET) and midday water potential (ΨMD ) were used to evaluate species water use and drought response. In response to WD, all 20 shrubs adjusted their morphology and physiology. However, there were no species that simultaneously achieved high rates of water use (high ET) under WW and high drought tolerance (low ΨMD ) under WD conditions. Although some species which had high water use under WW conditions could avoid drought stress (high ΨMD ). Water use was strongly related to plant biomass, total leaf area, and leaf traits (specific leaf area [SLA] and leaf area ratio [LAR]). Conversely, drought response (ΨMD ) was not related to morphological traits. Species' climate of origin was not related to drought response or water use. Drought-avoiding shrubs (high ΨMD ) could optimize rainfall reduction on green roofs. Water use was related to biomass, leaf area, and leaf traits; thus, these traits could be used to assist the selection of shrubs for stormwater mitigation on green roofs. The natural distribution of species was not related to their water use or drought response, which suggests that shrubs from less arid climates may be suitable for use on green roofs. Selecting species based on traits and not climate of origin could both improve green roof performance and biodiversity outcomes by expanding the current plant palette.
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ItemResearch frontiers for improving our understanding of drought-induced tree and forest mortality(WILEY, 2018-04)Accumulating evidence highlights increased mortality risks for trees during severe drought, particularly under warmer temperatures and increasing vapour pressure deficit (VPD). Resulting forest die-off events have severe consequences for ecosystem services, biophysical and biogeochemical land-atmosphere processes. Despite advances in monitoring, modelling and experimental studies of the causes and consequences of tree death from individual tree to ecosystem and global scale, a general mechanistic understanding and realistic predictions of drought mortality under future climate conditions are still lacking. We update a global tree mortality map and present a roadmap to a more holistic understanding of forest mortality across scales. We highlight priority research frontiers that promote: (1) new avenues for research on key tree ecophysiological responses to drought; (2) scaling from the tree/plot level to the ecosystem and region; (3) improvements of mortality risk predictions based on both empirical and mechanistic insights; and (4) a global monitoring network of forest mortality. In light of recent and anticipated large forest die-off events such a research agenda is timely and needed to achieve scientific understanding for realistic predictions of drought-induced tree mortality. The implementation of a sustainable network will require support by stakeholders and political authorities at the international level.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableThe relationships between termite mound CH4/CO2 emissions and internal concentration ratios are species specific(COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH, 2013)Abstract. We investigated the relative importance of CH4 and CO2 fluxes from soil and termite mounds at four different sites in the tropical savannas of northern Australia near Darwin and assessed different methods to indirectly predict CH4 fluxes based on CO2 fluxes and internal gas concentrations. The annual flux from termite mounds and surrounding soil was dominated by CO2 with large variations among sites. On a carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) basis, annual CH4 flux estimates from termite mounds were 5- to 46-fold smaller than the concurrent annual CO2 flux estimates. Differences between annual soil CO2 and soil CH4 (CO2-e) fluxes were even greater, soil CO2 fluxes being almost three orders of magnitude greater than soil CH4 (CO2-e) fluxes at site. The contribution of CH4 and CO2 emissions from termite mounds to the total CH4 and CO2 emissions from termite mounds and soil in CO2-e was less than 1%. There were significant relationships between mound CH4 flux and mound CO2 flux, enabling the prediction of CH4 flux from measured CO2 flux; however, these relationships were clearly termite species specific. We also observed significant relationships between mound flux and gas concentration inside mound, for both CH4 and CO2, and for all termite species, thereby enabling the prediction of flux from measured mound internal gas concentration. However, these relationships were also termite species specific. Using the relationship between mound internal gas concentration and flux from one species to predict mound fluxes from other termite species (as has been done in the past) would result in errors of more than 5-fold for mound CH4 flux and 3-fold for mound CO2 flux. This study highlights that CO2 fluxes from termite mounds are generally more than one order of magnitude greater than CH4 fluxes. There are species-specific relationships between CH4 and CO2 fluxes from a mound, and between the inside mound concentration of a gas and the mound flux emission of the same gas, but these relationships vary greatly among termite species. Thus, there is no generic relationship that will allow for the accurate prediction of CH4 fluxes from termite mounds of all species, but given the data limitations, the above methods may still be used with caution.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableSoil Methane Uptake Increases under Continuous Throughfall Reduction in a Temperate Evergreen, Broadleaved Eucalypt Forest(SPRINGER, 2017-03)Soils in temperate forests ecosystems are the greatest terrestrial CH₄ sink globally. Global and regional circulation models predict decreased average rainfall, increased extreme rainfall events and increased temperatures for many temperate ecosystems. However, most studies of soil CH₄ uptake have only considered extended periods of drought rather than an overall decrease in rainfall amount. We measured soil CH₄ uptake from March 2010 to March 2012 after installing passive rainfall reduction systems to intercept approximately 40% of throughfall in a temperate broadleaf evergreen eucalypt forest in south-eastern Australia. Throughfall reduction caused an average reduction of 15.1 ± 6.4% (SE) in soil volumetric water content, a reduction of 19.8 ± 6.9% in soil water-filled pore space (%WFPS) and a 20.1 ± 6.8% increase in soil air-filled porosity. In response to these changes, soil CH₄ uptake increased by 54.7 ± 19.3%. The increase in soil CH₄ uptake could be explained by increased diffusivity in drier soils, whilst the activity of methanotrophs remained relatively unchanged. It is likely that soil CH₄ uptake will increase if rainfall reduces in temperate broadleaf evergreen forests of Australia as a consequence of climate change.