Abstract
We used a soil water simulation model and remotely sensed data to study the long-term dynamics of transpiration, evaporation, drainage and net primary production across a precipitation gradient in Northwestern Patagonia (Argentina). The proportion of precipitation transpired, the precipitation use efficiency and the transpiration use efficiency were constant across the gradient that covered a range of 150 to 600 mm. The proportion of water evaporated was higher than the proportion drained at the driest extreme of the gradient. The opposite relationship was observed at the wet extreme. Two important characteristics of arid-semiarid systems dominated by winter precipitation emerged from our analyses: the importance of drainage losses and the asynchrony between evaporation and transpiration fluxes. These characteristics of the water dynamics influence the relative abundance of plant functional types and are crucial to generate heterogeneity at the landscape level. The coefficient of variation (CV) of transpiration, evaporation and ANPP was, in general, lower than the CV of annual precipitation. This pattern suggests a buffering capacity of the ecosystem. The ecosystem would be able to damp at the functional level inter-annual changes in the availability of resources.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 133-143 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Plant Ecology |
| Volume | 150 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2000 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- NOAA/AVHRR
- Normalized difference vegetation index
- Primary production
- Simulation models
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Forestry
- Plant Science
- Ecology
Cite this
Long-term dynamics of water and carbon in semi-arid ecosystems : A gradient analysis in the Patagonian steppe. / Paruelo, Jose M.; Sala, Osvaldo; Beltrán, Adriana B.
In: Plant Ecology, Vol. 150, No. 1-2, 2000, p. 133-143.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Long-term dynamics of water and carbon in semi-arid ecosystems
T2 - A gradient analysis in the Patagonian steppe
AU - Paruelo, Jose M.
AU - Sala, Osvaldo
AU - Beltrán, Adriana B.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - We used a soil water simulation model and remotely sensed data to study the long-term dynamics of transpiration, evaporation, drainage and net primary production across a precipitation gradient in Northwestern Patagonia (Argentina). The proportion of precipitation transpired, the precipitation use efficiency and the transpiration use efficiency were constant across the gradient that covered a range of 150 to 600 mm. The proportion of water evaporated was higher than the proportion drained at the driest extreme of the gradient. The opposite relationship was observed at the wet extreme. Two important characteristics of arid-semiarid systems dominated by winter precipitation emerged from our analyses: the importance of drainage losses and the asynchrony between evaporation and transpiration fluxes. These characteristics of the water dynamics influence the relative abundance of plant functional types and are crucial to generate heterogeneity at the landscape level. The coefficient of variation (CV) of transpiration, evaporation and ANPP was, in general, lower than the CV of annual precipitation. This pattern suggests a buffering capacity of the ecosystem. The ecosystem would be able to damp at the functional level inter-annual changes in the availability of resources.
AB - We used a soil water simulation model and remotely sensed data to study the long-term dynamics of transpiration, evaporation, drainage and net primary production across a precipitation gradient in Northwestern Patagonia (Argentina). The proportion of precipitation transpired, the precipitation use efficiency and the transpiration use efficiency were constant across the gradient that covered a range of 150 to 600 mm. The proportion of water evaporated was higher than the proportion drained at the driest extreme of the gradient. The opposite relationship was observed at the wet extreme. Two important characteristics of arid-semiarid systems dominated by winter precipitation emerged from our analyses: the importance of drainage losses and the asynchrony between evaporation and transpiration fluxes. These characteristics of the water dynamics influence the relative abundance of plant functional types and are crucial to generate heterogeneity at the landscape level. The coefficient of variation (CV) of transpiration, evaporation and ANPP was, in general, lower than the CV of annual precipitation. This pattern suggests a buffering capacity of the ecosystem. The ecosystem would be able to damp at the functional level inter-annual changes in the availability of resources.
KW - NOAA/AVHRR
KW - Normalized difference vegetation index
KW - Primary production
KW - Simulation models
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034492312&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0034492312&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1023/A:1026578403956
DO - 10.1023/A:1026578403956
M3 - Article
VL - 150
SP - 133
EP - 143
JO - Plant Ecology
JF - Plant Ecology
SN - 1385-0237
IS - 1-2
ER -