Evaluating drought-induced mortality risk for Robinia pseudoacacia plantations along the precipitation gradient on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Abstract

Extensive afforestation with exotic species like Robinia pseudoacacia on the Chinese Loess Plateau are facing high drought-induced mortality risk due to the large fluctuations in annual precipitation and severe soil desiccation. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of drought-induced mortality for R. pseudoacacia plantations on the Loess Plateau based on plant hydraulics. We modified the routines of soil-plant-atmosphere water transfer in the Biome BioGeochemistry model (Biome-BGC) using a plant hydraulic model based on the supply-demand theory. The modified model efficiently captured the dynamics of canopy transpiration, soil moisture, leaf water potential, and regional variation in leaf area index in R. pseudoacacia stands on the Loess Plateau. We simulated the 50-year (1968–2017) plant hydraulic dynamics at 14 sites along a precipitation gradient on the Loess Plateau. The results indicated that annual average percentage loss of whole-plant hydraulic conductance (APLK) showed strong temporal variation due to climatic variability, which was positively correlated with annual potential evapotranspiration (PET) and the aridity index (the ratio of PET to annual precipitation). Along the precipitation gradient, the maximum APLK increased linearly with decreasing mean annual precipitation (MAP) and could exceed 60% at sites with MAP <446.1 mm. The sustainable growth of R. pseudoacacia plantations at these sites would face a severe threat. We analyzed the effect of soil desiccation on drought-induced mortality risk further. Soil desiccation increased the sensitivity of plant hydraulic safety to precipitation variability considerably, and the effect was more significant in areas with lower MAP. These quantitative findings should be helpful for evaluating and promoting the sustainability of plantation forests on the Loess Plateau.