Soil water and temperature dynamics in shrub-encroached grasslands and climatic implications: Results from Inner Mongolia steppe ecosystem of north China

Li, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Siyi; Haiying, Peng; Hu, Xia; Ying-jie, MA

doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2012.11.001

Cited by 107 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Shrub encroachment is emerging as a widespread global phenomenon in arid and semi‐arid regions (Van Auken, ; D'Odorico et al ., ; Eldridge et al ., ; Li et al ., ), which is reported to be triggered by climate change, grazing, and/or fire management practices (Neilson, ; Archer et al ., ; Coetzee et al ., ) and has important biogeochemical and ecohydrological consequences (Archer et al ., ; Huxman et al ., ; Scott et al ., ). Shrub encroachment results in a shift in plant community composition and alters environmental microclimates, creating a positive feedback with plant growth leading to its expansion (He et al ., ; D'Odorico et al ., ; Li et al ., ). Shrub encroachment is generally associated with reductions in ecosystem functioning (Van Auken, , ; Archer, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Divergent evapotranspiration partition dynamics between shrubs and grasses in a shrub‐encroached steppe ecosystem

Wang

et al. 2018

New Phytologist

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Previous evapotranspiration (ET) partitioning studies have usually neglected competitions and interactions between antagonistic plant functional types. This study investigated whether shrubs and grasses have divergent ET partition dynamics impacted by different water-use patterns, canopy structures, and physiological properties in a shrub-encroached steppe ecosystem in Inner Mongolia, China. The soil water-use patterns of shrubs and grasses have been quantified by an isotopic tracing approach and coupled into an improved multisource energy balance model to partition ET fluxes into soil evaporation, grass transpiration, and shrub transpiration. The mean fractional contributions to total ET were 24 ± 13%, 20 ± 4%, and 56 ± 16% for shrub transpiration, grass transpiration, and soil evaporation respectively during the growing season. Difference in ecohydrological connectivity and leaf development both contributed to divergent transpiration partitioning between shrubs and grasses. Shrub-encroachment processes result in larger changes in the ET components than in total ET flux, which could be well explained by changes in canopy resistance, an ecosystem function dominated by the interaction of soil water-use patterns and ecosystem structure. The analyses presented here highlight the crucial effects of vegetation structural changes on the processes of land-atmosphere interaction and climate feedback.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Divergent evapotranspiration partition dynamics between shrubs and grasses in a shrub‐encroached steppe ecosystem

Wang

et al. 2018

New Phytologist

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“…In past decades, the observed increase of the air temperature has resulted in relatively dramatic variations in the mid-latitude mountain snow covers at watershed scales in the northern hemisphere (Jalut et al, 2009;McCabe and Wolock, 2009) and the variations have in turn resulted in changes of the mountainous streamflow and downstream hydrology (Anthony et al, 2007;Immerzeel et al, 2010;Sui et al, 2010;Li et al, 2013). Consequently, the resulted changes in streamflow and hydrology affect the regional water supply and the associated food security (Chen et al, 2008;Schaner et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Spatiotemporal characteristics of alpine snow and ice melt under a changing regional climate: A case study in Northwest China

Wang

et al. 2015

Quaternary International

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“…Although previous scholars have proposed that micro-topography drives differences in soil water condition and causes differences in plant growth on a cropped hillslope [39], there has been an absence of quantitative and systematic investigations of water balance at the micro-landform scale in the dune-interdune landscape. Such analyses would help to reveal the mechanisms of soil water movement and provide practical water management measures for similar areas.…”

Section: Effect Of Micro-topography On Hydrological Budgetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative Investigations of Water Balances of a Dune-Interdune Landscape during the Growing Season in the Horqin Sandy Land, Northeastern China

Zhou

Guan

et al. 2017

Sustainability

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Dune-interdune is the main landscape pattern of desert areas, such as the Horqin sandy land of Northeastern China. Exploring the temporal and spatial variation of the water balance is crucial for efficient vegetation restoration at the micro-landform scale. The SWMS-2D model was used to estimate the seasonal variations of the water balance including evapotranspiration, soil water storage changes, lateral flow and drainage, and to examine the effects of micro-landforms (i.e., the top, upper, down, and bottom positions of the dune slope, and the interdune lowland area) on these components from May to October 2013 and 2015. Results showed that the soil water content was sensitive to rainfall pulses, particularly large precipitation events. Over 70% of the total evapotranspiration occurred from June to August, with a maximum daily value of 6.56 mm. At a monthly scale, evapotranspiration was not synchronous with precipitation. The ratio of evapotranspiration to precipitation was 1.84, 0.39, 2.49, 0.93, 2.26, and 1.14 in May, June, July, August, September, and October 2013 (a wet year), respectively; and 2.40, 1.11, 0.69, 2.14, 1.07, and 1.11 in 2015 (a dry year), respectively. The components of the water balance were significantly different among different micro-landforms. Evapotranspiration of a lowland area was greater than that in other micro-landforms, and the value in the wet year (2013) was significantly greater than that in the dry year (2015). However, water consumption in the lowland area was similar in both years. At the top, upper, down, and bottom positions of the dune slope, the ratio of evapotranspiration to precipitation in the wet year (2013) was 96%, 97%, 86%, and 96%, respectively; while in the dry year (2015), the ratio was 103%, 103%, 88%, and 104%. Therefore, in the dry year, evapotranspiration was generally larger than precipitation, indicating that almost all water from precipitation was evaporated. The lateral flow of the root zone from top to bottom accounted for only a small portion of water budget at the growing season scale. The results could be generalized to other similar region with corresponding model calibration, and would help to reveal seasonal variations of water balance components under the local topography, climate, soil, and vegetation conditions.

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Soil water and temperature dynamics in shrub-encroached grasslands and climatic implications: Results from Inner Mongolia steppe ecosystem of north China

Cited by 107 publications

References 44 publications

Divergent evapotranspiration partition dynamics between shrubs and grasses in a shrub‐encroached steppe ecosystem

Divergent evapotranspiration partition dynamics between shrubs and grasses in a shrub‐encroached steppe ecosystem

Spatiotemporal characteristics of alpine snow and ice melt under a changing regional climate: A case study in Northwest China

Quantitative Investigations of Water Balances of a Dune-Interdune Landscape during the Growing Season in the Horqin Sandy Land, Northeastern China

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