Effects of different water isotope input methods based on Bayesian model MixSIAR on water uptake characteristic analysis results in apple orchards

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2021.0472

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Accurately quantifying the contribution of shallow, middle and deep soil water sources to the root water uptake is the prerequisite for understanding water uptake strategy of plants. This paper evaluates the effects of different water isotopes input methods on plant water sources analysis results in Bayesian mixing model MixSIAR.

Methods Soil and plant xylem samples were taken five times from May to September in 2019 in two apple (Malus pumila) orchards at 7- and 18-year age in Changwu Tableland of Shaanxi Province. Soil water contents and isotope ratios (δ²H and δ¹⁸O) were measured, and the different input methods of single isotope (²H and ¹⁸O), dual isotopes (²H & ¹⁸O) and xylem hydrogen corrected dual isotopes (²H(+8.1) & ¹⁸O) coupled with MixSIAR model were used to estimate the contribution ratio of different soil layers (0-0.4, 0.4-2, >2 m root depth) to orchards root water uptake.

Important findings The results showed that compared to the ²H isotope method, the contribution from soil layer below 2 m was lower and that from the surface 0-0.4 m was higher using the ¹⁸O isotope method, which was close to the ²H(+8.1) & ¹⁸O isotope method. Compared with ²H & ¹⁸O dual isotopes method, the contribution ratio from surface 0-0.4 m soil layer was higher using the ²H(+8.1) & ¹⁸O method when the surface soil water isotope was enriched, and that was lower when the surface soil water isotope was depleted. The corrected apple xylem hydrogen isotopes were closer to the evaporation line of soil water isotopes, thus the analysis methods of ¹⁸O and ²H(+8.1) & ¹⁸O accorded more with the isotope mass balance during root water uptake than ²H and ²H & ¹⁸O methods. Soil water contents in 0-2 m in 18 years old apple orchard showed greater seasonal variation than that in 7 years old apple orchard, and are more dependent on 0-0.4 m surface soil water. For the root water uptakes in 7- and 18-year apple orchard, the yearly-averaged contributions of deep soil water were 19% and 23%, respectively, showing no significant difference. We suggest that more attention should be drawn on the influence of different isotope input methods when using water stable isotopes to estimate plant water sources contribution in future studies.

Key words: stable hydrogen isotope, stable oxygen isotope, MixSIAR, xylem hydrogen isotope correction, Changwu Tableland, apple orchard

LU Chen-Xi, XU Man, SHI Xue-Jin, ZHAO Cheng, TAO Ze, LI Min, SI Bing-Cheng. Effects of different water isotope input methods based on Bayesian model MixSIAR on water uptake characteristic analysis results in apple orchards[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2023, 47(2): 238-248.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2021.0472

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2023/V47/I2/238

Figures/Tables 6

Fig. 1 Precipitation (P) and the precipitation isotope ratio (δ2H, δ18O) distribution during the sampling periods in Changwu. In A, the gray arrows represent the sampling time.

Fig. 2 Profile distribution of fine root length density in 7- (A) and 18-year (B) apple orchards in Changwu.

Fig. 3 Profile distribution of soil water contents in 7- (A) and 18-year (B) apple orchards at different sampling periods in Changwu.

Fig. 4 Seasonal variations of average soil water contents in different soil layers in 7- (A) and 18-year (B) apple orchards (mean ± SD) in Changwu. The root depths of the 7- and 18-year apple orchards were 8 and 21 m, respectively, therefore the sampling depths were 8 and 21 m, respectively.

Fig. 5 Distribution of soil water isotope ratios in different soil layers and xylem water isotope ratios in 7- (A) and 18-year (B) apple orchards at different sampling dates in Changwu (mean ± SD). LMWL, the local meteoric water line (δ2H = 6.98δ18O + 2.34). δ2H, stable hydrogen isotope ratio; δ18O, stable oxygen isotope ratio.

Fig. 6 Different water isotope input methods analyzing soil water contribution for 7- (A) and 18-year (B) apple orchards root water uptake in Changwu (mean ± SD). I, single isotope (2H); II, single isotope (18O); III, dual isotopes (2H & 18O); IV, dual isotopes (2H(+8.1) & 18O).

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