Does optimality partitioning theory fail for belowground traits? Insights from geophysical imaging of a drought‐release experiment in a Scots Pine forest
We investigate the impact of a 20-yr irrigation on root water uptake (RWU) and drought stress release in a naturally dry Scots pine forest. We use a combination of electrical resistivity tomography to image RWU, drone flights to image the crown stress and sensors to monitor soil water content. Our findings suggest that increased water availability enhances root growth and resource use efficiency, potentially increasing trees' resistance to future drought conditions by enabling water uptake from deeper soil layers. This research highlights the significant role of ecological memory and legacy effects in determining tree responses to environmental changes.
Authors
- Arthur Geßler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1910-9589)
- Katrin Di Bella Meusburger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4623-6249)
- MARCUS C. SCHAUB (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0158-8892)
- Hansruedi Maurer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0131-1006)
- Alexis Shakas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6572-4040)
- Florian Wagner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7407-9741)
- Jonas Gisler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8975-7845)
- Kamini Singha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0605-3774)
- Holger Griess
- Petra D’Odorico (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9954-8508)
- Roman Hediger
- Giulia de Pasquale
Institutions
- Colorado School of Mines (US)
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (CH)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- Centro de Recursos Educativos Avanzados (CL)
- RWTH Aachen University (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- New Phytologist
- Published
- 2024-11-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20245
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.41
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung