FLAME · Future ResiLient Forest in a ChAnging ClimatE: isotope observations and mechanistic modeling of soil water residence time and vegetation water uptake dynamics
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2022-07-01 → 2024-06-30
- EU contribution
- €203,149
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Future ResiLient Forest in a ChAnging ClimatE: isotope observations and mechanistic modeling of soil water residence time and vegetation water uptake dynamics
The FLAME project addresses a critical gap in understanding the dynamics of subsurface water storage and its role in forest ecosystems under changing environmental conditions. The central question is how the seasonal origins, turnover times of water used by plants, and water uptake depths will shift in response to climate change. This is essential for predicting vegetation resilience, particularly under drought stress. The interdisciplinary nature of FLAME bridges hydrology and ecology to provide an integrated view of vegetation response to drought, with a focus on European temperate forests. The project employs newly developed high-frequency, in-situ measurements of stable water isotopes (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) in soil and tree xylem to trace the origins of water used by plants. This data, combined with mechanistic modeling, will improve our understanding of how forest ecosystems will function under future climate scenarios. This study presents in-situ observations of water isotopes (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) in tree xylem, soil, and atmosphere providing insights into the sources of water that trees utilize throughout seasonal cycles. By comparing isotopic signatures in different soil layers and within tree xylem, we aim to elucidate how trees modulate their water uptake in response to varying soil moisture availability. Our results offer valuable information on the adaptability of trees to climate variability and their resilience in a changing climate and help understanding the tree hydraulic strategies and their potential responses to ongoing environmental shifts. The specific objectives are FLAMES include: 1. Identify the seasonal origins and turnover time of water used by plants — Track water uptake depths and sources, and how these are altered over time and in response to environmental changes. 2. Determine precipitation partitioning and soil water storage variation over time and their effects on vegetation water uptake patterns. 3. Assess the dynamic response and eco-hydrological connectivity of vegetation— Test the resilience of forests under different environmental scenarios.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The time that precipitated water resides in soil (residence time) varies from a few days to several months or even years, and increases with soil depth. How much of the water used by plants originates from the growing season precipitation and how much of it comes from previous events or seasons largely depends on storage capacity, permeability, and residence time of precipitation in soil. It is unclear how the dynamics of subsurface water storage and release, the seasonal origins and turnover time of water used by plants, and plant water uptake depths will change when environmental conditions change (e.g. receding groundwater, more frequent droughts). Yet, they are the most crucial in predicting vegetation resilience in response to drought. Studying the resilience of different plant species to climate change will facilitate promotion of climate-smart forest as conservation, afforestation, and restoration practices at several scales.Previous studies have attempted to improve the mechanistic understanding of ecosystem response to dry conditions or climate change by focusing either on vegetation water availability1 or plant physiological adaptation strategies2-4, but the combined effects of shifting terrestrial water availability and atmospheric demand have not been mechanistically investigated. In order to understand terrestrial ecosystems’ response to a changing climate, it is crucial to characterize precipitation partitioning in terrestrial systems, species-specific water uptake strategies, and plants' adaptive water use efficiency, all in a coupled framework. FLAME will use a newly developed high-frequency in-situ measurements of stable water isotopes (18O and 2H) in soil and xylem as a unique natural signature to trace the origin of vegetation water uptake and its residence time in subsurface. It will combine these observations with a high resolution physically-based water and vegetation uptake model to track water.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITAT ZURICH · ZurichCoordinatorSwitzerland
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union