Characteristic of Stomatal Conductance and Optimal Stomatal Behaviour in an Arid Oasis of Northwestern China

Stomatal conductance (g(s)), the process that governs plant carbon uptake and water loss, is fundamental to most Land Surface Models (LSMs). With global change accelerating, more attention should be paid to investigating stomatal behavior, especially in extremely arid areas. In this study, gas exchange measurements and environmental/biological variables observations during growing seasons in 2016 and 2017 were combined to investigate diurnal and seasonal characteristics of g(s) and the applicability of the optimal stomatal conductance model in a desert oasis vineyard. The results showed that the responses of g(s) to environmental factors (photosynthesis active radiation, PAR; vapor pressure deficit, VPD; and temperature, T) formed hysteresis loops in the daytime. The stomatal conductance slope, g(1), a parameter in the unified stomatal optimal model, varied in different growing seasons and correlated with the soil-to-leaf hydraulic conductance (K-L). These results indicated the potential bias when using a constant g(1) value to simulate g(s) and highlighted that the water-use strategy of oasis plants might not be consistent throughout the entire growing season. Our findings further help to achieve a better understanding of stomata behavior in responding to climate change and encourage future efforts toward a more accurate parameterization of g(s) to improve the modeling of LSMs.

Automated summary

This study investigates the characteristics of stomatal conductance and the applicability of the optimal stomatal conductance model in a desert oasis vineyard by combining gas exchange measurements and environmental/biological variables observations. The findings reveal hysteresis loops in the response of stomatal conductance to environmental factors during the daytime. The study highlights the potential bias in using a constant parameter to simulate stomatal conductance and suggests that the water-use strategy of oasis plants may vary throughout the growing season.