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Difference between the transpiration rates of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) and Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forests in a subtropical climate in Taiwan

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Ecological Research

Abstract

Bamboo forests have been expanding rapidly in Asian countries for the past 50 years. Whether natural or artificial, this expansion involves the replacement of other vegetation types by bamboo, which could impact the local water cycle. Previous studies in Japan have reported that bamboo forests have higher transpiration than coniferous forests under temperate climates, but it is unknown whether this finding applies to subtropical climates. Thus, we examined whether a Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest exhibits higher transpiration in a subtropical climate. We used the sap-flux method to estimate the stand transpiration (E) of Moso bamboo and Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forests in Taiwan. As was observed in the Japanese studies, annual E for bamboo (478 mm) was higher than that for cedar (122 mm), although we found a difference in the seasonality of E between the Taiwanese and Japanese sites. Canopy conductance (Gc) for bamboo was higher than that for cedar in Taiwan, which was reported previously for Japan. Gc for bamboo in Taiwan was comparable to that in Japan, despite a difference in the leaf area index (LAI). Gc for cedar in Taiwan was lower than that in Japan. This difference in Gc between Taiwan and Japan corresponded to differences in the sapwood area and LAI. These findings suggest a significant change in E and, therefore, the terrestrial water and carbon cycle, regardless of different climates, when Japanese cedar forests are replaced by Moso bamboo forests.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology (Grant Nos. 103-2313-B-002-009-MY3 and 100-2313-B-002-033-MY3) and partly by a Grant for Environmental Research Projects from the Sumitomo Foundation. We are grateful to the staff of the Experimental Forest, National Taiwan University, for providing samples. We thank Dr. Wei-Li Liang (National Taiwan University) for helpful comments. We also appreciate two anonymous reviewers’ helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Experimental Forest of National Taiwan University, No. 12, Section 1, Qianshan Road, Zhushan Town, Nantou County, Taiwan

    Sophie Laplace

  2. Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8302, Japan

    Hikaru Komatsu

  3. Yoshidahonmachi, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, 606-8501, Japan

    Hikaru Komatsu

  4. Department of Geography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 445 Saunders Hall, 2424 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Han Tseng

  5. School of Forestry and Resource Conservation of National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City, Taiwan

    Tomonori Kume

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  1. Sophie Laplace
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Correspondence to Sophie Laplace.

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Laplace, S., Komatsu, H., Tseng, H. et al. Difference between the transpiration rates of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) and Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forests in a subtropical climate in Taiwan. Ecol Res 32, 835–843 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-017-1512-x

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