Transpiration patterns and water use strategies of beech and oak trees along a hillslope

The role of landscape topography in mediating subsurface water availability and ultimately tree transpiration is still poorly understood. To assess how hillslope position affects tree water use, we coupled sap velocity with xylem isotope measurements in a temperate beech-oak forest along a hillslope transect in Luxembourg. We generally observed greater sap velocities at the upslope locations in trees from average-sized trees, suggesting the presence of more suited growing conditions. We found a lower difference in sap velocity among hillslope positions for larger trees, likely due to the exploitation of deeper and more persistent water sources and the larger canopy light interception. Beech trees exploited a shallower and seasonally less persistent water source than oak trees, due to the shallower root system than oak trees. The different water exploitation strategy could also explain the stronger stomatal sensitivity of beech to vapour pressure deficit compared to oak trees. Xylem isotopic composition was seasonally variable at all locations, mainly reflecting the contribution of variable soil water sources and suggesting that groundwater did not contribute, or only marginally contributed, to tree transpiration. Overall, our results suggest that trees along the hillslope mainly rely on water stored in the unsaturated zone and that seasonally shallow groundwater table may not necessarily subsidize water uptake for species that do not tolerate anoxic conditions. Contrary to previous studies, at our site, we did not find higher sap velocity downslope as the subsurface hillslope structure promotes vertical water flux over lateral redistribution in the vadose zone.

Automated summary

The study found that landscape topography affects tree water use, with larger trees having the ability to utilize deeper and more persistent water sources, while beech trees exploit shallower water sources compared to oak trees. Trees mainly rely on water stored in the unsaturated zone, and a shallow groundwater table may not necessarily subsidize water uptake for species that do not tolerate anoxic conditions.