Soil water regimes and water extraction patterns under two semi‐arid shrub (Atriplex spp.) communities

Abstract

AbstractSoil water regimes and water extraction patterns estimated over a period of two years are described for two plantation communities of semi‐arid shrubs, Atriplex vesicaria Hew. ex Benth. and A. nummularia Lindl., growing on the same soil type under identical climatological conditions near Deniliquin, New South Wales.In spite of poor water flow properties of the soil, surface run‐off was negligible.About 90% of the extractable water was stored in the top (45 cm) soil layer. Both species withstood exceedingly low water potentials, although A, vesicaria reduced soil water to a much lower water potential than did A. nummularia. Water potentials at depths below 60 cm were always – 15 bars and remained constant. Water extracted beyond –15 bars amounted to 41% more than the water available within conventionally accepted water potential limits (between –0.3 to – 15 bars). During Slimmer, the plant water potential of A. vesicaria fell to much lower values than that of A. nummularia. Relationships between relative leaf water content and plant water potential differed between the two species, and the suggestion is made that at low plant water potential, leaf targidity of A. vesicaria would be higher, and thus this species would have a higher tolerance to desiccation.On a yearly, half‐yearly and even a quarterly basis, evapotranspiration (FT) of the two communities did not differ. Fortnightly FT rates were similar during winter but during early summer, the initial ET rate of A. vesicaria was higher than that of A. nummularia; A, nummularia can therefore conserve water for later use. These differences in water extraction patterns and evapotranspiration were associated with differential rooting characteristics and probably differential stomatal functioning. The relationships between fortnightly ET/FO (ratio of actual evapotranspiration to that from a Class A pan) and profile water content, for both communities, were linear but different.