EFIMED Summer School on Do Mediterranean forests compete for water resources?. A scale approach from leaf to landscape. Chania (Greece), June 2008

Primary Production (Leaves, NPT) Carlos Gracia

Atmosphere 740 Fossil fuels 5-6

Land use change 1-2

Departament d’Ecologia, Universitat de Barcelona Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals

50

110

Biota 550

60

The Carbon Cycle in our Planet

60 22

Rivers

70

Warm shallow waters 300

Biota 1

0.5 Soil Organic Matter 1200

2

9 10

37

80

Cold shallow waters 600

Biota 2

37

18 20

1

Intermediate and Deep Waters 34000

Sedimentation 0.5

15

Values en 10 g de C

35

(thousands of millions of tones C)

1

U

GPP, NPP and R

UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Respiración

Producción bruta

Producción

Producción neta Respiración

NPP = GPP - R tiempo

The Carbon balance as a result of a set of asymmetric fluxes

Rhm

Rho

Rcrf

Rmrf

Rcrg

Rmrg

Rcm

Rmm

Rcc

Rmc

Rch

Leaves

Rmh

VOCS

GPP

Hs

Ms Litterfall Coarse roots

Fine roots

Mrg Soil organic Carbon

Mrf

2

ƒWater Use Efficiency

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Pinus sylvestris Pinus nigra

NPP

Leaves

ƒLeaf Area Index / Leaf Biomass ƒTurnover rate / Leaf Life Span

Fine roots

ƒProduction

Wood (Stem, Branches, Coarse roots)

ƒProduction

Leaves

ƒLeaf Area Index / Leaf Biomass ƒLeaf Specific Mass (LSM)

Fine roots

ƒBiomass ƒTurnover rate

Wood

ƒBiomass ƒSapwood / Heartwood ƒFraction of respiring sapwood

(Stem, Branches, Coarse roots)

NPP = GPP - ΣR

ƒGas Exchange

Maintenance

ƒLeaf Area Index ƒ(water available)

R Formation

GPP

The Leaf Area Index is independent of the forest structure

Tree Density (trees/ha)

Leaf Area Index

382

1.31

605

1.11

732

1.31

1560

1.32

3

U

Leaf Area Index in a Pinus sylvestris forest Montesquiu, Montesquiu, Barcelona, Spain

UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Maximum Leaf Area Index is limited by water availability Leaf Area Index (relative)

100 90

Total

80 70 60

Overstorey (trees)

50 40

Understorey (grasses and shrubs)

30 20 10 0 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

years after disturbances

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

Leaf Life Span ?

B

4

1 2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Leaf Life Span and Percentage of leaf weight per year of survival 5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

11,8 15,3 14,0 10,9 9,4

0

6,5

6,3

4,5

2,8

2,8

3,2

3,6

3,1

3,5

2,3

Pinus uncinata 10,0 14,4 14,8 13,5 9,5

7,2

4,4

3,0

2,8

3,8

5,8

4,5

3,8

2,6

P. sylvestris

28,7 27,2 16,0 8,9

5,8

4,8

4,8

3,7

Pinus nigra

27,4 32,2 20,4 10,1 6,0

3,8

0,2

Abies alba

1

2

3

4

P. halepensis 40,2 35,0 16,7 3,6

4,2

0,3

Quercus ilex

4,8

5,9

50,1 30,5 6,6

2,0

Quercus suber 61,9 19,7 5,7

11,6 1,1

Pinus pinea

2,6

50,9 37,4 9,0

Arbutus unedo 47,3 50,4 2,3

5

U

Leaf Life Span

UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Total data set (150) Evergreen species (55)

a Quercus ilex, Prades

b

Decidous species (69)

b

Forbs and graminoids (26)

0

500

0

1

1000 Leaf life span (days) 2

1500

3

4

5 Aerts y Chapin III, 2000

Leaf life span (years)

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

Deciduous vs. Evergreen Species in Tropical Forests

B N (mmol m-2)

Lipí Lipíds (g m-2)

Ashes (g m-2)

Hc (kJ m-2)

Deciduous

129.4

6.3

10.4

1243.1

Evergreen

236.2

5.7

23.5

2927.6

Species

Species

Leaf Specific Mass (g dw· dw·m-2)

Cost of Construction (g glucose m-2 ) max min

Deciduous

54

88.1

86.3

Evergreen

475

698

727 Sobrado 1991

6

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Growth respiration...

How much carbohydrates are needed to synthesize 1 g of OM (i.e. 1 g of new leaves) ? Or: How much energy (kj or kcal) are needed to synthesize 1 g of OM?

Evaluación de los Impactos del Cambio Climático en España (ECCE) Ecosistemas Forestales C content in biomass (%) Broadleaved Castanea sativa Fagus sylvatica Quercus ilex Quercus suber Oaks Other Broadleaved

C content in biomass (%)

Annual uptake

0.48 0.49 0.48 0.49 0.48

627.25 2581.73 10939.85 2088.89 3929.69 2130.35

31.67 65.13 188.90 7.06 99.79 69.44

0.51 0.51 0.52 0.52 0.51 0.51 0.51 0.51

1651.06 6140.13 4733.53 456.03 1559.15 114.65 9720.72 3083.05 33.70 49789.78

32.56 233.63 154.40 25.40 52.43 5.96 272.66 60.39 1.45 1300.86

Coníferous Abies alba Pinus halepensis Pinus nigra Pinus pinaster Pinus pinea Pinus radiata Pinus sylvestris Pinus uncinata Other coniferous Total

7

U

Growth respiration...

UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B Glucose

Percentage in the composition of:

g·g-1 dw

leaf

stem

roots

A 3.18

B 5

C 2

D 2

1.92

25

10

10

Carbohydrates

1.28

52

62

56

Organic acids

0.95

5

2

2

Lignin Minerals

2.23

5

20

20

0.12

8

4

10

Lipids Proteins

Growth respiration... Glucose equiv.

Percentage in the composition of:

Cost in g of glucose/g of OM

g·g-1 dw

leaf

stem

roots

leaf

A

B

C

D

(A·B)/100

Lipids

3.18

5

2

2

.159

.064

.064

Proteins

1.92

25

10

10

.480

.192

.192

Carbohydrates

1.28

52

62

56

.666

.794

.717

Organic acids

0.95

5

2

2

.048

.019

.019

Lignin

2.23

5

20

20

,112

.446

.446

Minerals

0.12

8

4

10

.110

.005

.012

1.473

1.519

1.449

.679

.658

.690

Grams of glucose / g of dry matter Grams of organic matter /gram of invested carbohydrate

stem

roots

(A·C)/100 (A·D)/100

8

U

Energy content of OM in plant tissues

UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

1 g C ≈ 10 kcal ≈ 41.7 kj 1 g MO ≈ 0.5 g C 1 g MO ≈ 5 kcal ≈ 20.8 kj

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Energy content of OM in trees (kj·g-1dw) hojas

ramas

tronco

Planifolios de hoja caduca (bosque templado)

20.7

20.2

19.4

Coníferas de hoja caduca (bosque templado)

20.5

---

20.2

Planifolios de hoja peremne (bosque templado)

21.8

17.9

16.9

20.7

---

19.9

17.4

---

16.7

Coníferas de hoja peremne (bosque templado) Bosque tropical

9

U

Energy content of OM in five Pinus species (kj·g-1dw)

UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

P. sylvestris

P. radiata

P. elliottii

P. taeda

P. virginiana

> 1 año

---

---

21.8

21.5

---

del año

20.9

20.4

---

---

21.2

vivas

20.6

19.6

21.4

21.2

20.5

muertas

20.8

19.7

22.0

21.4

---

madera

20.1

19.8

21.1

20.9

19.9

corteza

---

19.1

21.6

21.6

19.7

---

21.2

---

---

21.1

acículas

ramas

tronco estróbilos piñas

19.8

20.1

---

---

---

< 5 mm

20.1

---

---

---

---

> 5 mm

15.0

---

---

---

---

raíces (Datos de Ovington 1961, Madgwick 1970, Nemeth 1972 y Madgwick et al. 1977)

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Maintenance respiration...

How much carbohydrates are needed daily to maintain 1 g of plant tissue?

10

U

Maintenance respiration: respiration: Quercus ilex leaves at Prades

UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

Maintenance respiration (mgMO·gMO-1·dia-1)

B

14

Rm = 7· Q 10

12

(tª-15)/10

10 8 6 4 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

temperature ºC

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

Efficiency in the new tissues formation: 68%

B

GPP, NPP and R

R= R growth + Rmaintenance 0.47 gOM· gOM·gOM-1

Growth respiration is almost constant and has a cost of 0.47 gOM· gOM·OM-1

4-14 mgOM· mgOM·gOM-1 d-1 Maintenance respiration is variable and it depends on temperature. temperature.

11

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

GPP, NPP and R

Rmaintenance 7 mgOM·gOM-1 d-1 = 2.6 gOM·gOM-1 year-1 Empirical observations under Mediterranean conditions: to maintain 1 g de OM, 2.6 g de OM are consumed annually

C stocks and fluxes in PRADES (Quercus ilex) C Stocks (g C/m2): Leaves:

GPP (g C/m2/year):

1602

Respiration (g C/m2/year):

272

TOTAL Respiration: 1461

Branches: 1025

Aerial biomass respiration: 800

Stems:

4096

Roots:

5932

SOM:

10237

Soil Respiration:

662

Roots respiration:

209

SOM decomposition (Rhet): 453 NEE = 1602-1462 = 140

12

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Formation and maintenance cost of leaves in an evergreen tree

Leaf biomass

(g·m-2 soil)

544

Leaf Area Index

(m2 · m-2)

3.0

Leaf Specific mass

(g·m-2)

181

Mean Leaf Life

(days)*

870

Formatión Annual cost of leaves (gC·m-2 ground·year-1)

((544*0.5*365/870)/.68)

Maintenance (544*0.5*2.6)

Total

189 844 1033

* ¿Cuantas hojas se producen cada año? (????)

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Formation and maintenance cost of leaves in a deciduous tree

Leaf biomass

(g·m-2 ground)

320

Leaf Area Index

(m2 · m-2)

4.0

Leaf Specific Mass

(g·m-2)

80

Mean Leaf Life

(days)*

190

Formation ((320*0.5*1)/.68)

Annual Cost of Leaves Maintenance (gC·m-2 of ground·year-1) (320*0.5*2.6*190/365) Total

235 217 452

* ¿Cuantas hojas se producen cada año? (????)

13

U CREAF

Total Cost (gC· m-2 ground· y-1)

B

Formation

Maintenance

Total

Water mm

Leaf Biomass

189

844

1033

281

NPTissues

146

204

350

95

Fine Roots

184

95

279

76

Total

519

1143

1662

Transpiration (mm/y)

141

311

452

Precipitation (mm/y)

178

392

570

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Formation and maintenance cost of leaves in an evergreen tree

Calculate the amount of water that must be transpired by the evergreen holm oak forest to fix the carbon needed to maintain and to growth the leaves in the canopy: Assume an average WUE of 5 mmolsC/mol of water. 844 g of C/m2 = 70 mols of C 70*103 / 5= 14000 mols of water = 252 kg/m2 189 g of C/m2 = 16 mols of C 16*103 / 5= 3200 mols of water = 58 kg/m2

14

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Formation and maintenance cost of leaves in an evergreen tree

Leaves (and fine roots)are the most active component of trees. The leaf maintenance cost in natural evergreen communities is very high and much higher than the growth cost. In Mediterranean evergreens the cost of leaf requires to transpire more than 300 kg of water/m2

U UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA

B

Formation and maintenance cost of leaves in an evergreen tree

To be discussed in the afternoon session: What is the ecological role of the different strategies of leaf renovation: deciduous, summer deciduous, ocassional deciduous or evergreen?. Discuss… Advantages and disadvantages of being a deciduous.. Estimate the cost in terms of C and Water, of a deciduos and an evergreen common tree species in your area

15