Surface water storage characteristics of main herbaceous species in semiarid Loess Plateau of China

• Published in: Ecohydrology Vol. 12; no. 8
• Main Authors: Xiong, Peifeng, Chen, Zhifei, Yang, Quan, Zhou, Junjie, Zhang, He, Wang, Zhi, Xu, Bingcheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.12.2019
• Subjects: Biomass; Contact angle; Correlation; Grasslands; Hydrology; Independent variables; Interception; Interception loss; Leaf area; leaf contact angle; leaf storage ratio; Leaves; Mass; Morphology; Multiple regression models; Plant morphology; Rain; Rainfall; Rainfall interception; Regression analysis; Species; species family; Storage ratio; Surface water; surface water storage; Water storage; Wettability; wettability index; Wetting; Loess Plateau
• ISSN: 1936-0584; 1936-0592
• DOI: 10.1002/eco.2145

Plant surface water storage greatly affects rainfall interception in water‐limited environments. The storage characteristics of 55 common herbaceous species and their relationships with plant morphology, biomass‐related traits, and leaf wettability were examined using artificial wetting method in semiarid Loess Plateau. Results indicated that plant mass storage ranged from 0.12–1.26 g g−1, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Leymus secalinus had the highest and lowest values, respectively. Leaf storage ratio ranged from 40.2–93.2%, with the highest value in G. uralensis and the lowest in Chenopodium album. Fifty‐two species had higher storage capacities in leaves than that in stems. Gramineous and leguminous species had relatively lower mass storage and leaf storage ratio than compositae and rosaceae. Plant and leaf mass storage were negatively correlated with leaf adaxial/abaxial contact angles, and stem mass storage was negatively correlated with plant height. Storage capacities were closely related to morphological and biomass‐related traits, and leaf area was a better predictor of plant and leaf storage capacities, and stem fresh weight was a better predictor at the stem level. Path analysis revealed that leaf area and adaxial contact angle were two independent variables directly affecting plant and leaf storage capacities. Their ratio (i.e., wettability index) had higher correlations with storage capacities than other single trait and multiple regression models of these traits. Our results implied that high proportions of gramineous and leguminous species in grassland community would favour reducing interception loss, and wettability index can be an effective indicator for evaluating rainfall interception and vegetation hydrological benefits.