Does optimality partitioning theory fail for belowground traits? Insights from geophysical imaging of a drought‐release experiment in a Scots Pine forest
New Phytologist, vol. 245, pp. 546–558
Abstract
We investigate the impact of a 20-yr irrigation on root water uptake (RWU) and drought stress release in a naturally dry Scots pine forest. We use a combination of electrical resistivity tomography to image RWU, drone flights to image the crown stress and sensors to monitor soil water content. Our findings suggest that increased water availability enhances root growth and resource use efficiency, potentially increasing trees' resistance to future drought conditions by enabling water uptake from deeper soil layers. This research highlights the significant role of ecological memory and legacy effects in determining tree responses to environmental changes.
Authors 12
-
Alexis Shakas corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences ETH Zurich 8092 Zurich Switzerland
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences ETH Zurich 8092 Zurich Switzerland
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
-
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research · ETH Zurich
Affiliation as printed
Department of Environmental Systems Science ETH Zurich 8092 Zurich Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland
Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
-
Affiliation as printed
Hydrologic Science and Engineering Program Colorado School of Mines Golden CO 80401 USA
Hydrologic Science and Engineering Program, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, 80401 USA
-
Affiliation as printed
Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA) 1305 La Serena Chile
-
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
Affiliation as printed
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
-
Affiliation as printed
Geophysical Imaging and Monitoring RWTH Aachen University 52062 Aachen Germany
Geophysical Imaging and Monitoring, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
-
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
Affiliation as printed
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences ETH Zurich 8092 Zurich Switzerland
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
-
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
Affiliation as printed
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
-
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
Affiliation as printed
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
-
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
Affiliation as printed
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Cited by 7 stored of 7
7 results
No patents citing this paper on Lens.org (checked 2026-10-06).