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Earth's ecosystems are increasingly threatened by "hot drought," which occurs when hot air temperatures coincide with precipitation deficits, intensifying the hydrological, physiological, and ecological effects of drought by enhancing evaporative losses of soil moisture (SM) and increasing plant stress due to higher vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Drought-induced reductions in gross primary production (GPP) exert a major influence on the terrestrial carbon sink, but the extent to which hotter and atmospherically drier conditions will amplify the effects of precipitation deficits on Earth's carbon cycle remains largely unknown. During summer and autumn 2020, the U.S. Southwest experienced one of the most intense hot droughts on record, with record-low precipitation and record-high air temperature and VPD across the region. Here, we use this natural experiment to evaluate the effects of hot drought on GPP and further decompose those negative GPP anomalies into their constituent meteorological and hydrological drivers. We found a 122 Tg C (>25%) reduction in GPP below the 2015-2019 mean, by far the lowest regional GPP over the Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite record. Roughly half of the estimated GPP loss was attributable to low SM (likely a combination of record-low precipitation and warming-enhanced evaporative depletion), but record-breaking VPD amplified the reduction of GPP, contributing roughly 40% of the GPP anomaly. Both air temperature and VPD are very likely to continue increasing over the next century, likely leading to more frequent and intense hot droughts and substantially enhancing drought-induced GPP reductions.

Global-scale studies suggest that dryland ecosystems dominate an increasing trend in the magnitude and interannual variability of the land CO2 sink. However, such analyses are poorly constrained by measured CO2 exchange in drylands. Here we address this observation gap with eddy covariance data from 25 sites in the water-limited Southwest region of North America with observed ranges in annual precipitation of 100-1000 mm, annual temperatures of 2-25°C, and records of 3-10 years (150 site-years in total). Annual fluxes were integrated using site-specific ecohydrologic years to group precipitation with resulting ecosystem exchanges. We found a wide range of carbon sink/source function, with mean annual net ecosystem production (NEP) varying from -350 to +330 gCm-2 across sites with diverse vegetation types, contrasting with the more constant sink typically measured in mesic ecosystems. In this region, only forest-dominated sites were consistent carbon sinks. Interannual variability of NEP, gross ecosystem production (GEP), and ecosystem respiration (Reco ) was larger than for mesic regions, and half the sites switched between functioning as C sinks/C sources in wet/dry years. The sites demonstrated coherent responses of GEP and NEP to anomalies in annual evapotranspiration (ET), used here as a proxy for annually available water after hydrologic losses. Notably, GEP and Reco were negatively related to temperature, both interannually within site and spatially across sites, in contrast to positive temperature effects commonly reported for mesic ecosystems. Models based on MODIS satellite observations matched the cross-site spatial pattern in mean annual GEP but consistently underestimated mean annual ET by ~50%. Importantly, the MODIS-based models captured only 20-30% of interannual variation magnitude. These results suggest the contribution of this dryland region to variability of regional to global CO2 exchange may be up to 3-5 times larger than current estimates.

Biological control of Tamarix spp. (tamarisk) with Diorhabda spp. (tamarisk beetle) was initiated in several states in the Western United States in 2001. We analysed 12 years of evapotranspiration (ET), net ecosystem production (NEP), and beetle abundance data from a tamarisk‐invaded site in Western Nevada along the Truckee River. Diorhabda carinulata (northern tamarisk beetle) appeared at the site in 2007. Large beetle outbreaks and associated defoliation of the tamarisk occurred in 2008 and 2009, then the beetle population was highly variable from year to year. Since 2016, the beetle population declined. Growing season ET noticeably declined from direct beetle herbivory in 2008, 2009, and 2010, but the decline in ET was seasonally transient as trees regrew leaves. In 2012 and 2013, total growing season ET was low, likely due to the combined effects of drought and beetle herbivory pressure. Total seasonal ET losses and NEP were primarily driven by annual precipitation with higher values in wetter years and reduced values when precipitation fell below 100 mm. In the last 2 years of the study, 2017–2018, there were few to no beetles observed at the site, and we measured increased tamarisk leaf area index, ET, and NEP. Since 2010 at the study site, no further releases of the beetles have occurred due to wildlife concerns, and subsequent declines in beetle populations where such that the “outbreak” conditions apparently required to impair tamarisk physiological function and significantly reduce ET have not occurred. ET and photosynthesis were highly correlated (r² ≥ .91) to the Landsat‐satellite normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Using a relationship between growing season ET and NDVI, we estimated ET for five additional tamarisk sites along several southwestern U.S. rivers. In the 2005 to 2018 analysis period, NDVI‐estimated ET declined at all sites after beetle arrival with three sites showing a recovery in pre‐beetle ET rates in subsequent years. At the other three sites, ET rates have not recovered to pre‐beetle levels.

The Upper San Pedro River is one of the few remaining undammed rivers that maintain a vibrant riparian ecosystem in the southwest United States. However, its riparian forest is threatened by diminishing groundwater and surface water inputs, due to either changes in watershed characteristics such as changes in riparian and upland vegetation, or human activities such as regional groundwater pumping. We used satellite vegetation indices to quantify the green leaf density of the groundwater-dependent riparian forest from 1984 to 2012. The river was divided into a southern, upstream (mainly perennial flow) reach and a northern, downstream (mainly intermittent and ephemeral flow) reach. Pre-monsoon (June) Landsat normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values showed a 20% drop for the northern reach (P 0·05). NDVI and enhanced vegetation index values were positively correlated (P

The combined effects of vegetation and climate change on biosphere-atmosphere water vapor (H2 O) and carbon dioxide (CO2 ) exchanges are expected to vary depending, in part, on how biotic activity is controlled by and alters water availability. This is particularly important when a change in ecosystem composition alters the fractional covers of bare soil, grass, and woody plants so as to influence the accessibility of shallower vs. deeper soil water pools. To study this, we compared 5 years of eddy covariance measurements of H2 O and CO2 fluxes over a riparian grassland, shrubland, and woodland. In comparison with the surrounding upland region, groundwater access at the riparian sites increased net carbon uptake (NEP) and evapotranspiration (ET), which were sustained over more of the year. Among the sites, the grassland used less of the stable groundwater resource, and increasing woody plant density decoupled NEP and ET from incident precipitation (P), resulting in greater exchange rates that were less variable year to year. Despite similar gross patterns, how groundwater accessibility affected NEP was more complex than ET. The grassland had higher respiration (Reco ) costs. Thus, while it had similar ET and gross carbon uptake (GEP) to the shrubland, grassland NEP was substantially less. Also, grassland carbon fluxes were more variable due to occasional flooding at the site, which both stimulated and inhibited NEP depending upon phenology. Woodland NEP was large, but surprisingly similar to the less mature, sparse shrubland, even while having much greater GEP. Woodland Reco was greater than the shrubland and responded strongly and positively to P, which resulted in a surprising negative NEP response to P. This is likely due to the large accumulation of carbon aboveground and in the surface soil. These long-term observations support the strong role that water accessibility can play when determining the consequences of ecosystem vegetation change.

Summary 1. Many regions of the globe are experiencing a simultaneous change in the dominant plant functional type and regional climatology. We explored how atmospheric temperature and precipitation control leaf- and ecosystem-scale carbon fluxes within a pair of semi-arid shrublands, one upland and one riparian, that have undergone woody plant expansion. 2. Through a combination of leaf-level measurements on individual bunchgrasses and mesquites shrubs and ecosystem-scale monitoring using eddy covariance techniques, we sought to quantify rates of net carbon dioxide (CO2) flux, CO2 flux temperature sensitivity and the responsiveness of these parameters to seasonal rains and periods of soil dry-down. 3. We found significant differences in physiological acclimation between the two plant functional types, in that the shrubs consistently conducted photosynthesis across a broader temperature range than co-occurring grasses during dry periods, yet maximum photosynthetic rates in grasses were twice that of mesquites during the wetter monsoon season. Landscape position modulated these temperature sensitivities, as the range of functional temperatures and maximum rates of photosynthesis were two to three times greater within the riparian shrubland in dry times. 4. Also, it was unexpected that ecosystem-scale CO2 uptake within both shrublands would become most temperature sensitive within the monsoon, when mesquites and grasses had their broadest range of function. This is probably explained by the changing contributions of component photosynthetic fluxes, in that the more temperature sensitive grasses, which had higher maximal rates of photosynthesis, became a larger component of the ecosystem flux. 5. Synthesis: Given projections of more variable precipitation and increased temperatures, it is important to understand differences in physiological activity between growth forms, as they are likely to drive patterns of ecosystem-scale CO2 flux. As access to stable subsurface water declines with decreased precipitation, these differential patterns of temperature sensitivity among growth forms, which are dependent on connectivity to groundwater, will only become more important in determining ecosystem carbon source/sink status.

In water-limited regions, surface water and carbon fluxes are strongly controlled by soil water availability, which may be highly variable at very small spatial scales (e.g. metres) because of variations in terrain, soils, and vegetation conditions and to processes of water redistribution along hillslopes. This second of a two-part paper first evaluates the performance of a newly developed ecohydrological model over a small semi-arid experimental catchment (7·92ha) in southeastern Arizona. Secondly, it investigates the effects of soil properties on water subsidy resulting from lateral overland flow re-infiltration and on overall ecohydrological response. With optimized parameters, the model shows a higher ability to simulate surface energy and water fluxes than CO₂ fluxes at all temporal scales. The model simulates observed CO₂ fluxes fairly well at diurnal scales during the main growing seasons and the interannual variability of these fluxes in response to soil moisture variations from drought years to wet years. However, the model reproduces less well carbon assimilation in spring and positive CO₂ flux pulses following early monsoon rain events, suggesting a need for further development of the model's representations of multiple plant species and soil carbon decomposition. The model simulates soil moisture at 5cm much better than at 15cm mainly because of heterogeneous soil properties. Through five numerical experiments with varying saturated hydraulic conductivity values, it is revealed that the discharge at the outlet of this semi-arid catchment is essentially attributed to lateral overland flow that is generated mainly by infiltration-excess runoff. Subsurface flow plays a minor role in this semi-arid catchment with a very deep groundwater table (>100m). The model produces wetter soils in lowland areas along stream rills and channels through re-infiltration of lateral overland flow. This water subsidy provides plants with favourable conditions to produce more leaves, CO₂, and ET fluxes in lowland areas. Re-infiltration of overland flow over complex terrain may play a role in buffering climatic impacts in a warming climate with fewer but more intense rainfall events in the Southwestern United States.

The interactions between atmospheric, hydrological, and ecological processes at various spatial and temporal scales are not fully represented in most ecohydrological models. This first of a two-part paper documents a fully integrated catchment-scale ecohydrological model consisting of a three-dimensional physically based hydrological model and a land surface model. This first part also presents a first application to test the model over an energy-limited catchment (8.4 km2) of the Sleepers River watershed in Vermont. The physically based hydrological model (CATchment HYdrology, CATHY) describes three-dimensional subsurface flow in variably saturated porous media and surface routing on hillslopes and in stream channels, whereas the land surface model (LSM), an augmented version of Noah LSM with multiple parameterization schemes (NoahMP), accounts for energy, water, and carbon flux exchanges between various land surface elements and the atmosphere. CATHY and NoahMP are coupled through exchanges of water fluxes and states. In the energy-limited catchment of the Sleepers River watershed, where snowmelt runoff generation is the dominant hydrologic flux, the coupled CATHY/NoahMP model at both 90 and 30-m surface grid resolutions, with minimal calibration, performs well in simulating the observed snow accumulation, and melt and subsequent snowmelt discharge. The Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency of daily discharge is above 0.82 for both resolutions. The simulation at 90-m resolution shows a marginal improvement over that at 30-m resolution because of more elaborate calibration of model parameters. The coupled CATHY/NoahMP also shows a capability of simulating surface-inundated area and distributed surface water height, although the accuracy of these simulations needs further evaluation. The CATHY/NoahMP model is thus also a potentially useful research tool for predicting flash flood and lake dynamics under climatic change. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In the southwest United States, the current prolonged warm drought is similar to the predicted future climate change scenarios for the region. This study aimed to determine patterns in vegetation response to the early 21st century drought across multiple biomes. We hypothesized that different biomes (forests, shrublands, and grasslands) would have different relative sensitivities to both climate drivers (precipitation and temperature) and legacy effects (previous‐year's productivity). We tested this hypothesis at eight Ameriflux sites in various Southwest biomes using NASA Moderate‐resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from 2001 to 2013. All sites experienced prolonged dry conditions during the study period. The impact of combined precipitation and temperature on Southwest ecosystems at both annual and sub‐annual timescales was tested using Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). All biomes studied had critical sub‐annual climate periods during which precipitation and temperature influenced production. In forests, annual peak greenness (EVImax) was best predicted by 9‐month SPEI calculated in July (i.e., January–July). In shrublands and grasslands, EVImax was best predicted by SPEI in July through September, with little effect of the previous year's EVImax. Daily gross ecosystem production (GEP) derived from flux tower data yielded further insights into the complex interplay between precipitation and temperature. In forests, GEP was driven by cool‐season precipitation and constrained by warm‐season maximum temperature. GEP in both shrublands and grasslands was driven by summer precipitation and constrained by high daily summer maximum temperatures. In grasslands, there was a negative relationship between temperature and GEP in July, but no relationship in August and September. Consideration of sub‐annual climate conditions and the inclusion of the effect of temperature on the water balance allowed us to generalize the functional responses of vegetation to predicted future climate conditions. We conclude that across biomes, drought conditions during critical sub‐annual climate periods could have a strong negative impact on vegetation production in the southwestern United States.

Eddy covariance flux research has relied on open- or closed-path gas analyzers for producing estimates of net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). The two instruments have had different challenges that have led to development of an enclosed design that is intended to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses of both traditional designs. Similar to the closed-path analyzer, the enclosed design leads to minimal data loss during precipitation events and icing, and it does not have surface heating issues. Similar to the open-path design, the enclosed design has good frequency response due to small flux attenuation loss in the short intake tube, does not need frequent calibration, has minimal maintenance requirements, and can be used in a very low power configuration. Another important feature of such a design is the ability to output instantaneous mixing ratio, or dry mole fraction, so that instantaneous thermal and pressure-related expansion and contraction, and water dilution of the sampled air have been accounted for. Thus, no density corrections should be required to compute fluxes during postprocessing. Calculations of CO2 and H2O fluxes via instantaneous mixing ratio from the new enclosed CO2/H2O gas analyzer were tested in nine field experiments during 2009–2010 in a wide range of ecosystems and setups. Fluxes computed via a mixing ratio output from the instrument without applying density corrections were compared to those computed the traditional way using density corrections. The results suggest that with proper temperature, water vapor, and pressure measurements in the cell, gas fluxes can be computed confidently from raw covariance of mixing ratio and vertical wind speed, multiplied by a frequency response correction. This has important implications for future flux measurements, because avoiding hourly density corrections could have the advantages of increasing flux measurement quality and temporal resolution, reducing the magnitude of minimum detectable flux, unifying data processing steps, and assuring better intercomparison between different sites and networks.

Across the globe, native savannas and woodlands are undergoing conversion to exotic grasslands. Here we summarize the current state of knowledge concerning the ecohydrological consequences of this conversion for the cold deserts (Great Basin, Colorado Plateau) and the warm deserts (Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan) of North America. Our analysis is based on a synthesis of relevant literature, complemented by simulation modelling with a one-dimensional, soil water redistribution model (HYDRUS-1D) and a hillslope runoff and erosion model (MAHLERAN). When shrublands are invaded by grasses, many changes take place: rooting depths, canopy cover, species heterogeneity, water use, and fire regimes are radically altered. These changes then have the potential to alter key ecohydrological processes. With respect to the processes of runoff and erosion, we find that grass invasion influences cold and warm deserts in different ways. In cold deserts, runoff and erosion will increase following invasion; in particular, erosion on steep slopes (>15%) will be greatly accelerated following burning. In addition, evapotranspiration (ET) will be lower and soil water recharge will be higher—which after several decades could affect groundwater levels. For warm deserts, grass invasion may actually reduce runoff and erosion (except for periods immediately following fire), and is likely to have little effect on either ET fluxes or soil water. Significant gaps in our knowledge do remain, primarily because there have been no comprehensive studies measuring all components of the water and energy budgets at multiple scales. How these changes may affect regional energy budgets, and thus weather patterns, is not yet well understood.

Ecohydrological connectivity is a system level property that results from the linkages in the networks of water transport through ecosystems, by which feedbacks and other emergent system behaviours may be generated. We created a system dynamics model that represents primary ecohydrological networks to examine how connectivity between ecosystem components impacts ecosystem processes. Here, we focused on the savanna ecosystems, although the analyses may be expanded to other ecosystem types in the future. To create the model, a set of differential equations representing ecohydrological processes was programmed into the dynamic solver Vensim. Stocks of water storage (e.g. atmospheric and soil moisture) were linked by flows [e.g. precipitation and evapotranspiration (ET)] that were in turn dynamically controlled by the amount of water stored. Precipitation was forced stochastically, and soil moisture and potential ET controlled actual ET. The model produced extended, probabilistic time series of stocks and flows, including precipitation, soil moisture, runoff, transpiration, and groundwater recharge. It was used to describe the behaviour of several previously studied savanna ecosystems in North America and Africa. The model successfully reproduced seasonal patterns of soil moisture dynamics and ET at the California site. It also demonstrated more complex, system level behaviours, such as multiyear persistence of drought and synergistic or antagonistic responses to disconnection of system components. Future improvements to the model will focus on capturing other important aspects of long-term system behaviour, such as changes in physiology or phenology, and spatial heterogeneity, such as the patchwork nature of savannas. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A critical linkage between hydrological and ecological processes is plant cover, yet the ecosystem-level responses of aridland systems of varying plant cover to extreme precipitation events, predicted to increase in the future, have not been well studied. We tracked volumetric soil water (θ15 cm) across the entire summer monsoon season, and ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET), net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE), ecosystem respiration (Reco), gross ecosystem photosynthesis (GEP), and leaf-level net carbon assimilation (Anet) and stomatal conductance to water vapour (gs) for 30 days in high-cover (ca. 50%) and low-cover (ca. 23%) plots in response to a runoff generating experimental rainfall. For 35 days following the pulse, θ15 cm was 2·5% higher in high-cover plots compared to low-cover values, with identical soil drying rates between cover conditions. After θ15 cm converged to similar values between cover conditions, dry-down rates were longer in low-cover plots. ET and gs did not differ between plots. For 7 days after the pulse, slower Anet development in some grass species compared to rapid development by the canopy dominant, Lehmann's lovegrass, may have resulted in similar GEP between low- and high-cover plots. After this, GEP and Reco were higher and increased in parallel in high-cover plots. In low-cover plots, Reco levelled at + 21 days, resulting in similar NEE to high-cover plots, even though GEP was lower. These findings suggest that low biomass in low-cover areas may constrain Reco and lead to more evenly distributed productivity across semiarid grasslands following large, infrequent precipitation events. Published in 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Vegetation of dryland ecosystems is sensitive to precipitation pulses. Future climate scenarios suggest that the frequency and magnitude of precipitation events will change. How much and to what extent will these changes impact the hydrological cycle in creosotebush (Larrea tridentata) shrublands that dominate the three North American hot deserts? In this study, we examine the partitioning of precipitation inputs into bare soil evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) within creosotebush ecosystems at sites characterized by bimodal precipitation regimes: the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) and the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW). At both sites, during summer 2008, we measured evapotranspiration (ET) using eddy covariance, whole plant T using the heat-balance sap flow, and soil moisture at several depths. During the dry period preceding the summer monsoon, both ET and soil moisture were very low. With the onset of summer rains, E dominated ET; shrub transpiration did not respond to increases in soil moisture for approximately 3 more weeks. A series of large precipitation events increased moisture at deeper soil layers, and triggered T. Overall, ET was largely correlated to moisture levels in shallow soil layers typical of dryland ecosystems dominated by dry conditions, high evaporative demand, and poor soil infiltration. Under the current precipitation regime, characterized by many small storms and few large storms, soil moisture is low with most precipitation inputs lost as E. However, if climatic changes lead to less frequent but larger precipitation events, dryland communities could experience shifts in the partitioning of ET affecting the hydrologic budget of the ecosystem. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Questions: We asked several linked questions about phenology and precipitation relationships at local, landscape, and regional spatial scales within individual seasons, between seasons, and between year temporal scales. (1) How do winter and summer phenological patterns vary in response to total seasonal rainfall? (2) How are phenological rates affected by the previous season rainfall? (3) How does phenological variability differ at landscape and regional spatial scales and at season and interannual temporal scales? Location: Southern Arizona, USA. Methods: We compared satellite-derived phenological variation between 38 distinct 625-km 2 landscapes distributed in the northern Sonoran Desert region from 2000 to 2007. Regression analyses were used to identify relationships between landscape phenology dynamics in response to precipitation variability across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Results: While both summer and winter seasons show increases of peak greenness and peak growth with more precipitation, the timing of peak growth was advanced with more precipitation in winter, while the timing of peak greenness was advanced with more precipitation in summer. Surprisingly, summer maximum growth was negatively affected by winter precipitation. The spatial variations between summer and winter phenology were similar in magnitude and response. Larger-scale spatial and temporal variation showed strong differences in precipitation patterns; however the magnitudes of phenological spatial variability in these two seasons were similar. Conclusions: Vegetation patterns were clearly coupled to precipitation variability, with distinct responses at alternative spatial and temporal scales. Disaggregating vegetation into phenological variation, spanning value, timing, and integrated components revealed substantial complexity in precipitation-phenological relationships.

Theory relating changes in area-average evaporation with changes in the evaporation from pans or open water is developed. Such changes can arise by Type (a) processes related to large-scale changes in atmospheric concentrations and circulation that modify surface evaporation rates in the same direction, and Type (b) processes related to coupling between the surface and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) at the landscape scale that usually modify area-average evaporation and pan evaporation in different directions. The interrelationship between evaporation rates in response to Type (a) changes is derived. They have the same sign and broadly similar magnitude but the change in area-average evaporation is modified by surface resistance. As an alternative to assuming the complementary evaporation hypothesis, the results of previous modelling studies that investigated surface-atmosphere coupling are parametrized and used to develop a theoretical description of Type (b) coupling via vapour pressure deficit (VPD) in the ABL. The interrelationship between appropriately normalized pan and area-average evaporation rates is shown to vary with temperature and wind speed but, on average, the Type (b) changes are approximately equal and opposite. Long-term Australian pan evaporation data are analyzed to demonstrate the simultaneous presence of Type (a) and (b) processes, and observations from three field sites in southwestern USA show support for the theory describing Type (b) coupling via VPD. Copyright c � 2009 Royal Meteorological Society

Over the last two and half decades, strong evidence showed that the terrestrial ecosystems are acting as a net sink for atmospheric carbon. However the spatial and temporal patterns of variation in the sink are not well known. In this study, we examined latitudinal patterns of interannual variability (IAV) in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO2 based on 163 site-years of eddy covariance data, from 39 northern-hemisphere research sites located at latitudes ranging from ~29°N to ~64°N. We computed the standard deviation of annual NEE integrals at individual sites to represent absolute interannual variability (AIAV), and the corresponding coefficient of variation as a measure of relative interannual variability (RIAV). Our results showed decreased trends of annual NEE with increasing latitude for both deciduous broadleaf forests and evergreen needleleaf forests. Gross primary production (GPP) explained a significant proportion of the spatial variation of NEE across evergreen needleleaf forests, whereas, across deciduous broadleaf forests, it is ecosystem respiration (Re). In addition, AIAV in GPP and Re increased significantly with latitude in deciduous broadleaf forests, but AIAV in GPP decreased significantly with latitude in evergreen needleleaf forests. Furthermore, RIAV in NEE, GPP, and Re appeared to increase significantly with latitude in deciduous broadleaf forests, but not in evergreen needleleaf forests. Correlation analyses showed air temperature was the primary environmental factor that determined RIAV of NEE in deciduous broadleaf forest across the North American sites, and none of the chosen climatic factors could explain RIAV of NEE in evergreen needleleaf forests. Mean annual NEE significantly increased with latitude in grasslands. Precipitation was dominant environmental factor for the spatial variation of magnitude and IAV in GPP and Re in grasslands.

Across many dryland regions, historically grass-dominated ecosystems have been encroached upon by woody-plant species. In this paper, we compare ecosystem water and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes over a grassland, a grassland‐shrubland mosaic, and a fully developed woodland to evaluate potential consequences of woody-plant encroachment on important ecosystem processes. All three sites were located in the riparian corridor of a river in the southwest US. As such, plants in these ecosystems may have access to moisture at the capillary fringe of the near-surface water table. Using fluxes measured by eddy covariance in 2003 we found that ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) and net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide (NEE) increased with increasing woody-plant dominance. Growing season ET totals were 407, 450, and 639mm in the grassland, shrubland, and woodland, respectively, and in excess of precipitation by 227, 265, and 473mm. This excess was derived from groundwater, especially during the extremely dry premonsoon period when this was the only source of moisture available to plants. Access to groundwater by the deep-rooted woody plants apparently decouples ecosystem ET from gross ecosystem production (GEP) with respect to precipitation. Compared with grasses, the woody plants were better able to use the stable groundwater source and had an increased net CO2 gain during the dry periods. This enhanced plant activity resulted in substantial accumulation of leaf litter on the soil surface that, during rainy periods, may lead to high microbial respiration rates that offset these photosynthetic fluxes. March‐December (primary growing season) totals of NEE were � 63, � 212, and � 233gCm � 2 in the grassland, shrubland, and woodland, respectively. Thus, there was a greater disparity between ecosystem water use and the strength of the CO2 sink as woody plants increased across the encroachment gradient. Despite a higher density of woody plants and a greater plant productivity in the woodland than in the shrubland, the woodland produced a larger respiration response to rainfall that largely offset its higher photosynthetic potential. These data suggest that the capacity for woody plants to exploit water resources in riparian areas results in enhanced carbon sequestration at the expense of increased groundwater use under current climate conditions, but the potential does not scale specifically as a function of woody-plant abundance. These results highlight the important roles of water sources and ecosystem structure on the control of water and carbon balances in dryland areas.

Structural and functional dynamics of riparian vegetation in arid and semiarid basins are controlled by hydrological processes operating at local, landscape and catchment scales. However, the importance of growing-season precipitation as a control on evapotranspiration (ET) and carbon cycling in these ecosystems varies considerably across the riparian landscape, depending largely on access to the near-surface water table. Here we describe key findings from ongoing ecohydrological studies along the Upper San Pedro River (USPR) in semiarid, south-eastern Arizona, USA. Depth to the water table varies substantially across the riparian landscape along the USPR drainage, and is a key factor controlling the sensitivity of cottonwood (Populus fremontii) water-source use, transpiration rate and photosynthetic metabolism to inputs of monsoonal moisture during the growing season. Landscape-scale functional variation in cottonwood forests has been incorporated into spatially explicit ET models for estimating water balance components along the USPR. However, of greater importance for understanding controls on water and carbon exchange processes in the riparian corridor is the conversion of sacaton (Sporobolus spp.) grasslands on pre-entrenchment floodplain terraces to communities dominated by the deep-rooted woody legume, mesquite (Prosopis velutina). Mesquite is now the dominant cover in the riparian corridor and has increased by more than 300% in the USPR basin since 1972. The physiognomic shift from grassland to mesquite woodland on pre-entrenchment floodplain terraces alters the sensitivity of ET and CO2 exchange to inputs of growing-season precipitation. Because mature mesquite shrubs and trees have greater access to groundwater in these habitats than sacaton, ET and gross ecosystem production (GEP) are relatively decoupled from variation in monsoonal precipitation. However, decomposition of litter and soil organic matter in floodplain ecosystems remains highly coupled to monsoonal moisture inputs after mesquite encroachment. Responses of net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) to inputs of monsoonal rainfall are therefore not simple, but depend on vegetation composition and the connection of dominant plants to the water table. The heterogeneous vegetation patterns and groundwater depths in the riparian landscape offer unique opportunities for understanding fundamental ecohydrological processes linking carbon and water cycles in both riparian and upland ecosystems. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Key to evaluating the consequences of woody plant encroachment on water and carbon cycling in semiarid ecosystems is a mechanistic understanding of how biological and non-biological processes influence water loss to the atmosphere. To better understand how precipitation is partitioned into the components of evapotranspiration (bare-soil evaporation and plant transpiration) and their relationship to plant uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as ecosystem respiratory efflux, we measured whole plant transpiration, evapotranspiration, and CO2 fluxes over the course of a growing season at a semiarid Chihuahuan Desert shrubland site in south-eastern Arizona. Whole plant transpiration was measured using the heat balance sap-flow method, while evapotranspiration and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO2 were quantified using the Bowen ratio technique. Before the summer rainy season began, all water and CO2 fluxes were small. At the onset of the rainy season, evapotranspiration was dominated by evaporation and CO2 fluxes were dominated by respiration as it took approximately 10 days for the shrubs to respond to the higher soil moisture content. During the growing season, periods immediately following rain events (

Increases in the abundance or density of woody plants in historically semiarid and arid grassland ecosystems have important ecological, hydrological, and socioeconomic implications. Using a simplified water-balance model, we propose a framework for con- ceptualizing how woody plant encroachment is likely to affect components of the water cycle within these ecosystems. We focus in particular on streamflow and the partitioning of evapotranspiration into evaporation and transpiration. On the basis of this framework, we suggest that streamflow and evaporation processes are affected by woody plant en- croachment in different ways, depending on the degree and seasonality of aridity and the availability of subsurface water. Differences in landscape physiography, climate, and runoff mechanisms mediate the influence of woody plants on hydrological processes. Streamflow is expected to decline as a result of woody plant encroachment in landscapes dominated by subsurface flow regimes. Similarly, encroachment of woody plants can be expected to produce an increase in the fractional contribution of bare soil evaporation to evapotrans- piration in semiarid ecosystems, whereas such shifts may be small or negligible in both subhumid and arid ecosystems. This framework for considering the effects of woody plant encroachment highlights important ecological and hydrological interactions that serve as a basis for predicting other ecological aspects of vegetation change—such as potential changes in carbon cycling within an ecosystem. In locations where woody plant encroach- ment results in increased plant transpiration and concurrently the availability of soil water is reduced, increased accumulation of carbon in soils emerges as one prediction. Thus, explicitly considering the ecohydrological linkages associated with vegetation change pro- vides needed information on the consequences of woody plant encroachment on water yield, carbon cycling, and other processes.

Summary 1Hydraulic redistribution may have important consequences for ecosystem water balance where plant root systems span large gradients in soil water potential. To assess seasonal patterns of hydraulic redistribution, we measured the direction and rate of sap flow in tap-roots, lateral roots and main stems of three mature Prosopis velutina Woot. trees occurring on a floodplain terrace in semiarid south-eastern Arizona, USA. Sap-flow measurements on two of the trees were initiated before the end of the winter dormancy period, prior to leaf flush. 2Despite the absence of crown transpiration during the dormant season, sap flow was detected in lateral roots and tap-roots of P. velutina. Reverse flow (away from the stem) in the lateral root and positive flow (towards the stem) in the tap-root was observed in one tree, indicating the presence of hydraulic lift. Conversely, reverse flow in the tap-root and positive flow in the lateral root was observed in the second tree, indicating hydraulic descent. 3Hydraulic descent was induced in the roots of the former tree by wetting the rooting zone in the upper 70 cm of the soil surface with 50 mm of irrigation. 4Patterns and rates of nocturnal sap flow in roots of a third tree measured during the growing season were similar to those observed during the dormant season. Nocturnal reverse flow in the lateral root and positive flow in the tap-root was observed prior to the onset of the summer monsoon. Hydraulic descent commenced immediately following the first large monsoon rain event, and continued after subsequent rain events. After adjusting for differences in sapwood area, maximum diurnal rates of hydraulic descent in the tap-roots of trees instrumented during the dormant season were 73 and 69% of the maximum night-time rate of hydraulic descent observed during the growing season. 5Despite very limited potential for direct infiltration, volumetric soil moisture content in deep soil layers (1·5–9·5 m) increased 2–8% by the end of the monsoon (late September), indicating that plant roots were redistributing non-trivial amounts of water to deep soil layers. 6Roots of P. velutina apparently redistribute significant amounts of soil water during the growing season, but also during periods of crown dormancy in winter. In arid regions dormant-season hydraulic descent may buffer plants from water and nutrient deficits during initial stages of the growing season by transferring soil water derived from winter precipitation to deep soil layers and away from zones of evaporation in surface layers and shallow-rooted herbaceous plants.

Large areas of the Brazilian savanna (cerrado) have been converted into farmland in recent years; however, little attention has been paid to the consequences of this land use and land cover change on groundwater recharge. Here, we assessed groundwater recharge in different physiognomies of the cerrado located in an outcrop area of the Guarani Aquifer System. Water table fluctuations were measured from October 2011 through August 2013, by 58 monitoring wells distributed on four physiognomies of the undisturbed cerrado. We used multiple monitoring wells located in “campo limpo” (cerrado grassland), “campo sujo” (shrub cerrado), “campo cerrado” (open wooded cerrado), and “cerrado sensu stricto” (wooded cerrado), cover types. Recharge rates were computed for each well using the water table fluctuation method. The measured precipitation for hydrological years 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 were 1247 and 1194 mm, respectively. We found values of average annual recharge of 363 ± 87 mm, 354 ± 85 mm, 324 ± 78 mm, and 315 ± 76 mm for “campo limpo,” “campo sujo,” “campo cerrado,” and “cerrado sensu stricto,” respectively. Our results suggest that recharge tends to decrease with the increase in the density of vegetation (grassland to woodland). These results indicate that water table depth may have an influence on the cerrado physiognomies or vice versa. Furthermore, replacement of undisturbed dense cerrado with croplands will likely alter recharge dynamics. Therefore, sound management of land use and land cover is needed to ensure future groundwater quantity and quality.

Climate variability and human activities interact to increase the abundance of woody plants in arid and semi-arid ecosystems worldwide. How woody plants interact with rainfall to influence patterns of soil moisture through time, at different depths in the soil profile and between neighboring landscape patches is poorly known. In a semi-arid mesquite savanna, we deployed a paired array of sensors beneath a mesquite canopy and in an adjacent open area to measure volumetric soil water content (theta) every 30 min at several depths between 2004 and 2007. In addition, to quantify temporally dynamic variation in soil moisture between the two microsites and across soil depths we analysed theta time-series using fast Fourier transforms (FFT). FFT analyses were consistent with the prediction that by reducing evaporative losses through shade and reducing rainfall inputs through canopy interception of small rainfall events, the mesquite canopy was associated with a decline in high-frequency (hour-to-hour and day-to-day) variation in shallow theta. Finally, we found that, in both microsites, high-frequency theta variation declined with increasing soil depth as the influence of evaporative losses and inputs associated with smaller rainfall events declined. In this case, we argue that the buffering of shallow soil moisture against high-frequency variations can enhance nutrient cycling and alter the carbon cycle in dryland ecosystems.