Evaluating subsurface flow connectivity in a pine-covered hillslope with stemflow infiltration and ground-penetrating radar surveys

Prima, Simone Di; Fernandes, Gersende; Marras, Elisa; Giadrossich, Filippo; Stewart, Ryan D.; Najm, Majdi Abou; Winiarski, Thierry; Mourier, Brice; Angulo-Jaramillo, Rafaël; Comegna, Alessandro; Campo, Antônio; Lassabatère, Laurent

doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.129527

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In natural forest settings, preferential infiltration of stemflow along coarse roots and macropores has been documented using geophysical methods, like ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography [71,72], high-resolution spatiotemporal monitoring via soil volumetric water content probes [73,74], tracing dyes [73,75,76], and a combination of these approaches [71,73]. Even in agriculture, such as with potatoes, similar deep infiltration patterns have been observed [4].…”

Section: Whither Stemflow?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Three Fundamental Challenges to the Advancement of Stemflow Research and Its Integration into Natural Science

Van Stan,

Pinos

2023

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Plant canopies divert a portion of precipitation to the base of their stems through “stemflow”, a phenomenon that influences the canopy water balance, soil microbial ecology, and intrasystem nutrient cycling. However, a comprehensive integration of stemflow into theoretical and numerical models in natural science remains limited. This perspective examines three unresolved, fundamental questions hindering this integration, spanning the canopy to the soil. First, the precise source area within the canopy that generates stemflow is undefined. Thus, we asked, “whence stemflow?” Current common assumptions equate it to the entire tree canopy, a potentially misleading simplification that could affect our interpretation of stemflow variability. Second, we asked what are the various conditions contributing to stemflow generation—beyond rain, to dew and intercepted ice melt—and could the exclusion of these volumes consequently obscure an understanding of the broader implications of stemflow? Third, we explored ”whither stemflow?” This question extends beyond how much stemflow infiltrates where, into what uptakes it and from where. Addressing these questions is constrained by current observational and analytical methods. Nevertheless, by confronting these challenges, the stemflow research community stands to make significant strides in comprehending this unique hydrological component and situating it within the broader context of natural science.

show abstract