Effects of water stress on water use efficiency and water balance components of Hippophae rhamnoides and Caragana intermedia in the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum

Abstract

Hippophae rhamnoides (Sea buckthorn) and Caragana intermedia (Intermediate peashrub), which are nitrogen-fixing and perennial temperate shrubs, are extensively used in the agroforestry systems in the loess areas of China. In this study, artificially controlled water gradient experiments were carried out with both shrubs, based on four levels of water supply (normal precipitation, slight drought, drought, and extreme drought). The results showed significant impacts of drought on net photosynthesis rate, biomass accumulation, and biomass allocation in both species. Water use efficiency (WUE) varied with different species, scales, and water stress intensities. WUE at the leaf scale (WUEi) was highest under moderate water stress, while the WUE at the community scale (WUEb) decreased with increasing water stress. We observed alteration in the diel and seasonal transpiration of both species in response to water stress. The night-time transpiration accounted for a small but significant proportion of the water balance, and its importance tended to increase with increasing drought. Both species experienced water deficits under all treatments. Soil moisture of H. rhamnoides declined more severely than that of C. intermedia. The ratio of transpiration to evapotranspiration (T/ET) ranged from 50 to 80% for both species in the growing season. The T/ET and WUEi of H. rhamnoides were comparatively smaller under severe water stress but increased under moist conditions. Our data suggest that H. rhamnoides uses water resources more efficiently under favorable water conditions, and C. intermedia shows competitive advantages under drought conditions. Moreover, possible strategies to maintain water balance in the water-limited agroforestry systems are discussed.