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Use of 2H and 18O stable isotopes to investigate water sources for different ages of Populus euphratica along the lower Heihe River

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Ecological Research

Abstract

Investigation of the water sources used by trees of different ages is essential to formulate a conservation strategy for the riparian tree, P. euphratica. This study addressed the contributions of different potential water sources to P. euphratica based on levels of stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes (δ18O, δ2H) in the xylem of different aged P. euphratica, as well as in soil water and groundwater along the lower Heihe River. We found significant differences in δ18O values in the xylem of different aged P. euphratica. Specifically, the δ18O values of young, mature and over-mature forests were −5.368(±0.252) ‰, −6.033(± 0.185) ‰ and −6.924 (± 0.166) ‰, respectively, reflecting the reliance of older trees on deeper sources of water with a δ18O value closer to that of groundwater. Different aged P. euphratica used different water sources, with young forests rarely using groundwater (mean <15 %) and instead primarily relying on soil water from a depth of 0–50 cm (mean >45 %), and mature and over-mature forests using water from deeper than 100 cm derived primarily from groundwater.

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Acknowledgments

This study was jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants No. 41371515) and the National Science and Technology support plan (2014BAC15B02).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China

    Shubao Liu, Yaning Chen, Yapeng Chen & Gonghuan Fang

  2. Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Risk Warning, Xinjiang Academy of Environmental Protection Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830011, China

    Shubao Liu & Jarre Heng A. Hati

  3. United States Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA

    Jonathan M. Friedman

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  1. Shubao Liu
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  2. Yaning Chen
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  3. Yapeng Chen
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  4. Jonathan M. Friedman
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  5. Jarre Heng A. Hati
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  6. Gonghuan Fang
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Correspondence to Yaning Chen.

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Liu, S., Chen, Y., Chen, Y. et al. Use of 2H and 18O stable isotopes to investigate water sources for different ages of Populus euphratica along the lower Heihe River. Ecol Res 30, 581–587 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-015-1270-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-015-1270-6

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