Water uptake patterns of tropical canopy trees in Borneo: species-specific and temporal variation and relationships with aboveground traits

Abstract

Root water uptake depth and its temporal variation are important determinants of tree mortality, resource partitioning and drought resistance; however, their effects on tropical trees remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated interspecific differences in water uptake depth and its temporal variation using stable isotope analysis and examined the relationships between water uptake depth and aboveground traits in a humid aseasonal tropical rainforest in Borneo. Species-specific differences in water uptake depth were examined for six dominant dipterocarp species. Temporal variation in water uptake depth for various canopy trees was assessed in three periods with different soil moisture conditions. We then examined the relationships between water uptake depth and aboveground traits including wood density, maximum tree height, flowering frequency and growth rate. Dipterocarpus globosus appeared to be more reliant on deep water resources than the other dipterocarp species. Water uptake from the soil layers varied among the three sampling periods. Trees generally utilized deeper soil water during the second driest sampling period, when temperatures were lowest. During the driest and wettest sampling periods, species with higher flowering frequencies tended to preferentially uptake deep soil water. These results suggest that low temperature and soil moisture promote increased deep soil water uptake in the study region. Dynamic relationships between water uptake patterns and aboveground tree traits may be related to resource partitioning among co-existing species.