The dynamics of nocturnal sap flow components of a typical revegetation shrub species on the semiarid Loess Plateau, China.

Abstract

The components of nighttime sap flux (En), which include transpiration (Qn) and stem water recharge (Rn), play important roles in water balance and drought adaptation in plant communities in water-limited regions. However, the quantitative and controlling factors of En components are unclear. This study used the heat balance method to measure sap flow density in Vitex negundo on the Loess Plateau for a normal precipitation year (2021) and a wetter year (2022). The results showed that the mean values were 1.04 and 2.34g h-1 cm-2 for Qn, 0.19 and 0.45g h-1 cm-2 for Rn in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and both variables were greater in the wetter year. The mean contributions of Qn to En were 79.76% and 83.91% in 2021 and 2022, respectively, indicating that the En was mostly used for Qn. Although the vapor pressure deficit (VPD), air temperature (Ta) and soil water content (SWC) were significantly correlated with Qn and Rn on an hourly time scale, they explained a small fraction of the variance in Qn on a daily time scale. The main driving factor was SWC between 40-200cm on a monthly time scale for the Qn and Rn variations. Rn was little affected by meteorological and SWC factors on a daily scale. During the diurnal course, Qn and Rn initially both declined after sundown because of decreasing VPD and Ta, and Qn was significantly greater than Rn, whereas the two variables increased when VPD was nearly zero and Ta decreased, and Rn was greater than Qn. These results provided a new understanding of ecophysiological responses and adaptation of V. negundo plantations to increasing drought severity and duration under climate changes.