Intra-Annual Variation of Stem Radius of Larix principis-rupprechtii and Its Response to Environmental Factors in Liupan Mountains of Northwest China

Zebin Liu; Yanhui Wang; Ao Tian; Pengtao Yu; Wei Xiong; Lihong Xu; Yarui Wang

doi:10.3390/f8100382

Forests (Oct 2017)

Intra-Annual Variation of Stem Radius of Larix principis-rupprechtii and Its Response to Environmental Factors in Liupan Mountains of Northwest China

Zebin Liu,
Yanhui Wang,
Ao Tian,
Pengtao Yu,
Wei Xiong,
Lihong Xu,
Yarui Wang

Affiliations

Zebin Liu: Key Laboratory of Forestry Ecology and Environment of the State Forestry Administration of China, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Yanhui Wang: Key Laboratory of Forestry Ecology and Environment of the State Forestry Administration of China, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Ao Tian: Key Laboratory of Forestry Ecology and Environment of the State Forestry Administration of China, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Pengtao Yu: Key Laboratory of Forestry Ecology and Environment of the State Forestry Administration of China, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Wei Xiong: Key Laboratory of Forestry Ecology and Environment of the State Forestry Administration of China, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Lihong Xu: Key Laboratory of Forestry Ecology and Environment of the State Forestry Administration of China, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Yarui Wang: Key Laboratory of Forestry Ecology and Environment of the State Forestry Administration of China, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f8100382
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8, no. 10
p. 382

Abstract

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Fine-resolution studies on the stem radius variation at short timescale can provide useful information about the tree growth process and the major environmental variables that trigger and drive stem radius variation. This study investigated the stem radius variation of Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr growing in the semi-humid Liupan Mountains of Northwest China at daily and seasonal scales using high-resolution automatic band dendrometers from May to October in 2015. The results showed that the stem radius variation of Larix principis-rupprechtii has a clear diurnal pattern which can be divided into contraction, recovery, and increment phases; and also a seasonal pattern which can be divided into three stages: (1) the rapid growth stage in spring (stage 1) with the radius increment of 94.0% of the total in the entire growing period; (2) the persistent shrinkage stage in the dry summer (stage 2) with a negative diurnal radius increment for most days, and a significantly larger amplitude of stem contraction and recovery than other stages; (3) the minimal growth stage in autumn (stage 3), mainly caused by the lowering temperature and leaf area. The amplitude of stem contraction was significantly correlated with air temperature (both the mean and highest value) in all three stages: vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in stage 1; relative humidity (RH), VPD and soil moisture (Ms) in stage 2; and soil temperature (Ts) in stage 3. This indicates that the stem radius contraction was mainly controlled by the factors influencing tree transpiration rate in spring and autumn stages, but jointly controlled by the factors influencing both the tree transpiration rate and the soil moisture availability in the dry summer stage. The factors controlling the stem radius recovery was similar to the stem contraction. The amplitude of stem increment was significantly correlated with the rainfall amount and air temperature (both the mean and highest value) in stage 1 and 3, Ms in stage 2, and the lowest air temperature and Ts in stage 3. This indicates that temperature and precipitation were the key factors controlling the stem radius increment in the spring and autumn stages, and soil moisture was the main factor limiting the stem radius increment in the dry summer stage at the study site with semi-humid climate in Northwest China.

Published in Forests

ISSN: 1999-4907 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Botany: Plant ecology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/

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