Transpiration of a hybrid poplar plantation in Saxony (Germany) in response to climate and soil conditions

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate transpiration and its main driving factors on the example of a hybrid poplar plantation with the clone Populus maximowiczii 9 P. nigra, cv. Max 1 on a site in the hilly loess region of Saxony (Germany). Transpiration was measured using sap flow techniques during the 2007 and 2008 growing season. At the same time, throughfall, soil moisture dynamics and soil physical properties were also measured. Total transpiration rates amounted to 486 mm and 463 mm, respectively, during the 2 years. Maximum daily transpiration rates reached 6.7 mm/day, while an average of 2.2 mm/day for the entire growing season was recorded. The main controlling factors for stand transpiration included the evaporative demand, water availability and soil temperature. The information was implemented into a simple empirical model for the prediction of transpiration. It can be concluded that large-scale establishment of poplar plantations will result in a distinct reduction in groundwater recharge. On the other hand, surface run-off and soil erosion may decrease. Due to limited water availability in the late growing season, the growth potential of the tested clone cannot fully be exploited at many sites in Germany.

Genotypic variation in transpiration of coppiced poplar during the third rotation of a short‐rotation bio‐energy culture

“…The daily average maximum E c value and even the highest daily E c value obtained by genotype Grimminge were within the range of 4.8–10.7 mm/day reported for poplar stands of different genotypes, stand age, and locations in temperate regions of Europe (Fischer et al., 2013). Similar E c values (average and maximum of 2.2 and 6.7 mm/day, respectively) to those displayed in the present study were reported for a poplar plantation of P. maximowiczii  ×  P. nigra using the THB method for measuring sap flow (Petzold et al., 2011). The total canopy transpiration of our study (441 mm/year on average) can only be compared with the transpiration results reported for a poplar plantation in Germany (Petzold et al., 2011) using sap flow measurements (THB method) throughout the growing season (475 mm/year), although the differences among genotypes were notable.…”

“…Similar E c values (average and maximum of 2.2 and 6.7 mm/day, respectively) to those displayed in the present study were reported for a poplar plantation of P. maximowiczii  ×  P. nigra using the THB method for measuring sap flow (Petzold et al., 2011). The total canopy transpiration of our study (441 mm/year on average) can only be compared with the transpiration results reported for a poplar plantation in Germany (Petzold et al., 2011) using sap flow measurements (THB method) throughout the growing season (475 mm/year), although the differences among genotypes were notable. Genotypes Bakan and Koster transpired 30% less (340 mm/year on average) and Grimminge 30% more (618 mm/year) than the genotypes in the study of Petzold et al.…”

“…Genotypes Bakan and Koster transpired 30% less (340 mm/year on average) and Grimminge 30% more (618 mm/year) than the genotypes in the study of Petzold et al. (2011). Other studies cannot be compared to ours as sap flow measurements were only taken over a short period of time (days or weeks; Hinckley et al., 1994; Hall et al., 1998; Allen et al., 1999) and no data of transpiration for the entire growing season are available.…”

“…Different sap flow methods and techniques have been used to measure tree and stand transpiration of poplar, including the stem heat balance (SHB) method (Allen, Hall, & Rosier, 1999; Bloemen et al., 2017; Hall & Allen, 1997; Hall, Allen, Rosier, & Hopkins, 1998; Tricker et al., 2009; Zhang, Simmonds, Morison, & Payne, 1997), the trunk tissue heat balance (THB) method (Hinckley et al., 1994; Petzold, Schwarzel, & Feger, 2011), the heat field deformation (HFM) method (Meiresonne et al., 1999) and the thermal dissipation (TD) method (Kim, Oren, & Hinckley, 2008; Lambs & Muller, 2002; Schmidt‐Walter, Richter, Herbst, Schuldt, & Lamersdorf, 2014; Xi, Di, Wang, Duan, & Jia, 2017). These studies related to poplar stands of longer rotations (Kim et al., 2008; Meiresonne et al., 1999; Petzold et al., 2011; Xi et al., 2017; Zhang et al., 1997), to uncoppiced, single‐stemmed SRC poplar (Bloemen et al., 2017; Hinckley et al., 1994; Schmidt‐Walter et al., 2014; Tricker et al., 2009) as well as to coppiced, multistemmed (Allen et al., 1999; Hall et al., 1998; Tricker et al., 2009) poplars. In all the afore mentioned studies, in particular in the ones on multistemmed SRC poplars, the recorded sap flow measurements, used to obtain stand transpiration, were carried out over a short time period (maximum of eight (Tricker et al., 2009) or 9 weeks (Hall et al., 1998)).…”

The impact of poplar tree plantations for biomass production on the aquifer water budget and base flow in a Mediterranean basin

“…However, this method requires expensive equipment and only provides a local estimate of evapotranspiration. ET can also be calculated by sap flow rates that are strongly related to transpiration; the aquifer transpiration by an individual tree can be estimated and scaled to the stand level (Allen et al, 1999;Boronina et al, 2005;Meiresonne et al, 1999;Petzold et al, 2010;Zhang et al, 1999). Additionally, ET can be simulated by water balance modelling.…”