Authors: José Luis Andrade Frederick C Meinzer Guillermo Goldstein Stefan A Schnitzer
Publish Date: 2004/12/09
Volume: 19, Issue: 3, Pages: 282-289
Abstract
Water uptake and transport were studied in eight liana species in a seasonally dry tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island Panama Stable hydrogen isotope composition δD of xylem and soil water soil volumetric water content θv and basal sap flow were measured during the 1997 and 1998 dry seasons Sap flow of several neighboring trees was measured to assess differences between lianas and trees in magnitudes and patterns of daily sap flow Little seasonal change in θv was observed at 90–120 cm depth in both years Mean soil water δD during the dry season was −19‰ at 0–30 cm −34‰ at 30–60 cm and −50‰ at 90–120 cm Average values of xylem δD among the liana species ranged from –28‰ to –44‰ during the middle of the dry season suggesting that water uptake was restricted to intermediate soil layers 30–60 cm By the end of the dry season all species exhibited more negative xylem δD values –41‰ to –62‰ suggesting that they shifted to deeper water sources Maximum sap flux density in cooccurring lianas and trees were comparable at similar stem diameter DBH Furthermore lianas and trees conformed to the same linear relationship between daily sap flow and DBH Our observations that lianas tap shallow sources of soil water at the beginning of the dry season and that sap flow is similar in lianas and trees of equivalent stem diameter do not support the common assumptions that lianas rely primarily on deep soil water and that they have higher rates of sap flow than cooccurring trees of similar stem sizeThis research was supported by National Science Foundation grant IBN9419500 SS was partially supported by NSF grant DEB9527729 and the Garden Club of Allegheny County We thank Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute for providing facilities and logistical support and Sandra Bucci Christian Cruz José Luis Justavino and Luis Mejía for field assistance Dr Eric Graham and one anonymous reviewer provided helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript
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