Change of trunk sap flow of Ginkgo biloba L. and its response to inhibiting transpiration treatment

Abstract

For this paper, GREENSPAN sap flow system was used to monitor the dynamics of trunk sap flow of Gingkgo biloba. Results indicate that sap flow velocity is significantly different among different heights, depths, and directions of the trunk. Sap flow velocity at the upper position of the trunk is higher than that of the middle and lower position, but cumulative flux is not significantly different among the upper, middle and lower sections. Sap flow velocity at 10 mm reached the most and that at 20 mm the least. However, sap flow velocity at 5 mm and 15 mm was similar and was second among the four depths. Results also showed that sap flow velocity of the south was the highest, and that of the west was next. An Automatic Weather Station of HOBO was synchronously applied to measure these meteorological parameters, and the relationship between these parameters and the changes of trunk sap flow velocity were analyzed. We found that the change of sap flow velocity was a single-crest curve on clear days and multi-crest curve on cloudy and rainy days. In addition, it is also revealed that by stepwise regression analyses photosynthetical active radiation (PAR), temperature and wind speed are the main environmental factors affecting sap flow velocity. The efficient methods of reducing water transpiration of trees, including leaf pruning, overshadowing and antitranspirant spraying, were found by investigating the effects on inhibiting transpiration, which indicated that spraying of antitranspirants, leaf pruning and overshadowing could significantly reduce transpiration but the effects of leaf pruning and overshadowing were far better than that of antitranspirant spraying.