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Modeled hydraulic redistribution in tree–grass, CAM–grass, and tree–CAM associations: the implications of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM)

  • Physiological ecology - Original research
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Abstract

Past studies have largely focused on hydraulic redistribution (HR) in trees, shrubs, and grasses, and recognized its role in interspecies interactions. HR in plants that conduct crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), however, remains poorly investigated, as does the effect of HR on transpiration in different vegetation associations (i.e., tree–grass, CAM–grass, and tree–CAM associations). We have developed a mechanistic model to investigate the net direction and magnitude of HR at the patch scale for tree–grass, CAM–grass, and tree–CAM associations at the growing season to yearly timescale. The modeling results show that deep-rooted CAM plants in CAM–grass associations could perform hydraulic lift at a higher rate than trees in tree–grass associations in a relatively wet environment, as explained by a significant increase in grass transpiration rate in the shallow soil layer, balancing a lower transpiration rate by CAM plants. By comparison, trees in tree–CAM associations may perform hydraulic descent at a higher rate than those in tree–grass associations in a dry environment. Model simulations also show that hydraulic lift increases the transpiration of shallow-rooted plants, while hydraulic descent increases that of deep-rooted plants. CAM plants transpire during the night and thus perform HR during the day. Based on these model simulations, we suggest that the ability of CAM plants to perform HR at a higher rate may have different effects on the surrounding plant community than those of plants with C3 or C4 photosynthetic pathways (i.e., diurnal transpiration).

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Acknowledgments

This study is supported by China Scholarship Council. The clarity and strength of the paper were improved by comments of the handing editor (Todd Dawson) and anonymous reviewers to whom we are grateful. We also would like to thank Paolo D’odorico for his edits of the paper and Mark Bartlett for his help in CAM modeling.

Author contribution statement

KLY developed the idea, designed and developed the model, and wrote the manuscript. AF originally conceived the idea and wrote the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA

    Kailiang Yu & Adrianna Foster

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  1. Kailiang Yu
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  2. Adrianna Foster
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Correspondence to Kailiang Yu.

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Communicated by Todd E. Dawson.

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Yu, K., Foster, A. Modeled hydraulic redistribution in tree–grass, CAM–grass, and tree–CAM associations: the implications of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). Oecologia 180, 1113–1125 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-015-3518-9

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