Abstract
<strong class="journal-contentHeaderColor">Abstract.</strong> In water-limited areas, planted trees can result in severe deep-layer (> 200 cm) soil desiccation due to excessive root water uptake in deep soils, threatening the sustainability of trees <em>per se</em>. However, it remains unclear about the limitation in relation to both degree and depth of deep-layer soil moisture (DSM) beyond which root water uptake ceases as well as its dependence on tree species and its effect on tree’s xylem hydraulic conductivity. Based on the published data and multiple field samplings on China’s Loess Plateau, we found that the permanent wilting point (PWP) is a good indicator of the degree limitation of DSM irrespective of tree species, with the corresponding maximum depth of soil moisture use reaching 18.0–22.0 m for these planted trees and even 25 m for black locust in the driest site. Furthermore, when the degree and depth limitations were reached, the percent loss of xylem hydraulic conductivity of planted tree’s shoots reached 74.9–96.5 %, indicating that tree mortality may occur. The findings will help to predict the sustainability of planted trees in semiarid regions with thick vadose zone.
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