Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evidences and magnitude of nighttime transpiration derived from Populus euphratica in the extreme arid region of China

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Plant Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Extensive research has found that nighttime transpiration (E n) is positively correlated to the vapour pressure deficit (VPD), that suggested E n was highest during the night under high temperatures and low humidity along with high soil water availability, typically for the riparian forest in the extreme arid region of China. This study used the heat ratio method to measure sap velocity (V s) for mature and saplings Populus euphratica Oliv., and then E n was conservatively calculated as total nocturnal sap flow (F s, the product of V s and sapwood area A s) between 01:00 to 06:00. A gas exchange system was used to measure the leaf transpiration rate (T r) and stomatal conductance (g s) of saplings. For mature trees, nighttime V s was extensive and logarithmic correlated to VPD (similar to daytime). For saplings, g s and T r was extensive in different months, and also a strong logarithmic relationship was found between V s and VPD for both daytime and nighttime periods. Both of stem sap flow and leaf gas exchange suggusted the occurrence of E n, whether mature or sapling trees. E n contribution to daily transpiration (E d) was high just as expected for P. euphratica, which was confirmed by proportional E n to E d (E n/E d) means taken in 2012 (24.99%) and 2013 (34.08%). Compared to mature trees, E n/E d of saplings in 2013 was lower with means of 12.06%, that supported further by the shorter duration times and less T r,n (16.64%) and g s,n (26.45%) of leaf, suggesting that E n magnitude is associated to individual the tree size, that effect to stored water of individual trees, although this hypothesis requires further research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alvarado-Barrientos MS, Holwerda F, Geissert DR, Muñoz-Villers LE, Gotsch SG, Asbjornsen H, Dawson TE (2014) Nighttime transpiration in a seasonally dry tropical montane cloud forest environment. Trees 29:259–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbeta A, Ogaya R, Peñuelas J (2012) Comparative study of diurnal and nocturnal sap flow of Quercus ilex and Phillyrea latifolia in a Mediterranean holm oak forest in Prades (Catalonia, NE Spain). Trees 26:1651–1659

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbour MM, Buckley TN (2007) The stomatal response to evaporative demand persists at night in Ricinus communis plants with high nocturnal conductance. Plant Cell Environ 30:711–721

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barbour MM, Cernusak LA, Whitehead D, Griffin KL, Turnbull MH, Tissue DT, Farquhar GD (2005) Nocturnal stomatal conductance and implications for modelling delta 18O of leaf-respired CO2 in temperate tree species. Funct Plant Biol 32:1107–1121

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benyon RG (1999) Nighttime water use in an irrigated Eucalyptus grandis plantation. Tree Physiol 19:853–859

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bucci SJ, Scholz FG, Goldstein G, Meinzer FC, Hinojosa JA, Hoffmann WA, Franco AC (2004) Processes preventing nocturnal equilibration between leaf and soil water potential in tropical savanna woody species. Tree Physiol 24:1119–1127

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burgess SSO, Adams MA, Turner NC, Beverly CR, Ong CK, Khan AAH, Bleby TM (2001) An improved heat pulse method to measure low and reverse rates of sap flow in woody plants. Tree Physiol 21:589–598

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell GS, Norman JM (1998) An Introduction to Environmental Biophysics. Springer, Verlag New York, Inc.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Caird MA, Richards JH, Donovan LA (2007) Nighttime stomatal conductance and transpiration in C3 and C4 plants. Plant Physiol 143:4–10

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cavender-Bares J, Sack L, Savage J (2007) Atmospheric and soil drought reduce nocturnal conductance in live oaks. Tree physiol 27:611–620

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Christman MA, Donovan LA, Richards JH (2009) Magnitude of nighttime transpiration does not affect plant growth or nutrition in well-watered Arabidopsis. Physiol Plantarum 136:264–273

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daley MJ, Phillips NG (2006) Interspecific variation in nighttime transpiration and stomatal conductance in a mixed New England deciduous forest. Tree Physiol 26:411–419

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson TE, Burgess SSO, Tu KP, Oliveira RS, Santiago LS, Fisher JB, Simonin KA, Ambrose AR (2007) Nighttime transpiration in woody plants from contrasting ecosystems. Tree Physiol 27:561–575

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Domec JC, Ogee J, Noormets A, Jouangy J, Gavazzi M, Treasure E, Sun G, McNulty SG, King JS (2012) Interactive effects of nocturnal transpiration and climate change on the root hydraulic redistribution and carbon and water budgets of southern United States pine plantations. Tree Physiol 32:707–723

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Donovan LA, Richards JH, Linton MJ (2003) Magnitude and mechanisms of disequilibrium between predawn plant and soil water potentials. Ecology 84:463–470

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher JB, Baldocchi DD, Misson L, Dawson TE, Goldstein AH (2007) What the towers don’t see at night: nocturnal sap flow in trees and shrubs at two AmeriFlux sites in California. Tree Physiol 27:597–610

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein G, Meinzer FC, Bucci SJ, Scholz FG, Franco AC, Hoffmann WA (2008) Water economy of Neotropical savanna trees: six paradigms revisited. Tree Physiol 28:395–404

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hogg EH, Hurdle PA (1997) Sap flow in trembling aspen implications for stomatal responses to vapor pressure deficit. Tree Physiol 17:501–509

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Howard AR, van Iersel MW, Richards JH, Donovan LA (2009) Night-time transpiration can decrease hydraulic redistribution. Plant Cell Environ 32:1060–1070

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ludwig F, Jewitt RA, Donovan LA (2006) Nutrient and water addition effects on day-and night-time conductance and transpiration in a C3 desert annual. Oecologia 148:219–225

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moore GW, Cleverly JR, Owens M, K. (2008) Nocturnal transpiration in riparian Tamarix thickets authenticated by sap flux, eddy covariance and leaf gas exchange measurements. Tree Physiol 28:521–528

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Neumann RB, Cardon ZG (2012) The magnitude of hydraulic redistribution by plant roots: a review and synthesis of empirical and modeling studies. New Phytol 194:337–352

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Novick KA, Oren R, Stoy PC, Siqueira MBS, Katul GG (2009) Nocturnal evapotranspiration in eddy-covariance records from three co-located ecosystems in the Southeastern U.S.: Implications for annual fluxes. Agr Forest Meteorol 149:1491–1504

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogle K, Lucas RW, Bentley LP, Cable JM, Barron-Gafford GA, Griffith A, Ignace D, Jenerette GD, Tyler A, Huxman TE, Loik ME, Smith SD, Tissue DT (2012) Differential daytime and night-time stomatal behavior in plants from North American deserts. New Phytol 194:464–476

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oren R, Sperry JS, Ewers BE, Pataki DE, Phillips N, Megonigal JP (2001) Sensitivity of mean canopy stomatal conductance to vapor pressure deficit in a flooded Taxodium distichum L.forest: hydraulic and non-hydraulic effects. Oecologia 126:21–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng S, Piao S, Ciais P, Myneni RB, Chen A, Chevallier F, Dolman AJ, Janssens IA, Penuelas J, Zhang G, Vicca S, Wan S, Wang S, Zeng H (2013) Asymmetric effects of daytime and night-time warming on Northern Hemisphere vegetation. Nature 501:88–92

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pfautsch S, Keitel C, Turnbull TL, Braimbridge MJ, Wright TE, Simpson RR, O’Brien JA, Adams MA (2011) Diurnal patterns of water use in Eucalyptus victrix indicate pronounced desiccationrehydration cycles despite unlimited water supply. Tree Physiol 31:1041–1051

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips NG, Lewis JD, Logan BA, Tissue DT (2010) Inter-and intraspecific variation in nocturnal water transport in Eucalyptus. Tree Physiol 30:586–596

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips NG, Ryan MG, Bond BJ, McDowell NG, Hinckley TM, ÈERMÁK J (2003) Reliance on stored water increases with tree size in three species in the Pacific Northwest. Tree Physiol 23:237–245

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosado BHP, Oliveira RS, Joly CA, Aidar MPM, Burgess SSO (2012) Diversity in nighttime transpiration behavior of woody species of the Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil. Agr Forest Meteorol 58:13–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Si JH, Feng Q, Yu TF, Zhao CY (2015) Nighttime sap flow and its driving forces for Populuseuphratica in a desert riparian forest, Northwest, China. J Arid Land 7:665–674

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snyder KA, Richards JH, Donovan LA (2003) Night-time conductance in C3 and C4 species: do plants lose water at night? J Exp Bot 54:861–865

  • Yu T, Feng Q, Si J, Xi H, Li Z, Chen A (2013) Hydraulic redistribution of soil water by roots of two desert riparian phreatophytes in northwest China’s extremely arid region. Plant Soil 372:297–308

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeppel M, Logan BA, Lewis JD, Phillips NG, Tissue DT (2013) Why lose water at night Disentangling the mystery of nocturnal sap flow, transpiration and stomatal conductance–When, Where, Who? In IX International Workshop on Sap Flow 991:307–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeppel M, Tissue D, Taylor D, Macinnis-Ng C, Eamus D (2010) Rates of nocturnal transpiration in two evergreen temperate woodland species with differing water-use strategies. Tree Physiol 30:988–1000

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zeppel MJ, Lewis JD, Chaszar B, Smith RA, Medlyn BE, Huxman TE, Tissue DT (2012) Nocturnal stomatal conductance responses to rising [CO2], temperature and drought. New Phytol 193:929–938

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zeppel MJ, Lewis JD, Medlyn B, Barton CV, Duursma RA, Eamus D, Adams MA, Phillips N, Ellsworth DS, Forster MA, Tissue DT (2011) Interactive effects of elevated CO2 and drought on nocturnal water fluxes in Eucalyptus saligna. Tree Physiol 31:932–944

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu GF, Li X, Su YH, Huang CL (2010) Parameterization of a coupled CO2 and H2O gas exchange model at the leaf scale of Populus euphratica. Hydrol Earth Syst Sc 14:419–431

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Tengfei Yu, Qi Feng, Jianhua Si, Xiaoyou Zhang & Chunyan Zhao

  2. Alax Desert Eco-hydrology Experimental Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Tengfei Yu, Qi Feng, Jianhua Si & Xiaoyou Zhang

  3. ICT International Pty Ltd, Armidale, NSW, 2350, Australia

    Downey Alec

Authors
  1. Tengfei Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qi Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jianhua Si
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xiaoyou Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Downey Alec
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Chunyan Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qi Feng.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yu, T., Feng, Q., Si, J. et al. Evidences and magnitude of nighttime transpiration derived from Populus euphratica in the extreme arid region of China. J. Plant Biol. 59, 648–657 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12374-015-0536-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12374-015-0536-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation