Dew formation characteristics of meadow plants canopy at different heights in Hulunbuir grassland, China

Abstract

A plant's foliar uptake of dew can mitigate the adverse effects caused by drought stress. However, in grassland ecosystems, it is inconclusive whether the dew condensation characteristics of plants at different heights are consistent. In this study, we wanted to know whether plant height had a significant effect on the formation of dew. In addition, we wanted to understand the difference of dew formation between C3 plant Leymus chinensis (LC) and C4 plant Cleistogenes squarrosa (CS) which have different heights and can succeed each other in the community. In nine dew nights, we measured the amount of dew formed on simulated condensation surface (different heights) and two plants at the same time. The results showed that in the height range of 5–80 cm, the dew amount increases with the canopy height, but its increase rate gradually slows down and approaches zero. The shorter CS (5–15 cm) has a similar dew amount (0.095 mm) as LC (40–70 cm) due to its compact structure of the leaves with pubescence and the more stable micro-meteorological conditions. The CS can obtain more potential dew per unit organic matter, and this may be one of the potential mechanisms for the succession from LC communities to CS communities under drought stress.

Relationship Between Soil Weed Seed Bank and Soil Properties in Arable Farmlands in University of Port Harcourt and Environs in Rivers State-Nigeria

“…This phenomenon occurs where dews or precipitation settles on the leaf's surfaces of plants, absorb and which encourages the survival of plant species which might lead to fruit/or seed formation before the plant dry out to face severe drought. This corroborates Ye and Peng (2011) and Xie et al (2021) in their findings that dew serves as sources of water for plant species survival in some places of low seasonal rainfall especially in arid and semi-arid environment.…”

Interseeded cover crops did not cause corn yield loss in eastern North Dakota

“…Short grass becomes wet due to the partial condensation of water vapor evaporating from the soil during cool calm nights (Monteith, 1957). Xie et al (2021) found that as plant height increased, dew formation also increased, but was limited within a species in grassland. Between species, the grass with slender leaf structure accumulated similar dew at lower leaf heights compared to broader leaf species, indicating that surface area is very important in dew formation.…”