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Humidity responses in forest trees: Precautions in thermal scanning surveys

Luftfeuchtereaktionen bei Waldbäumen: Vorbehalte bei der Bewertung von Temperaturscanner-Daten

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Summary

This paper deals with a special plant physiological phenomenon that is relevant to many meteorological considerations and in particular to the interpretation of false colour aerial photographs and data of temperature scanners.

It is well established that plants are able to respond to the vapour concentration gradient between leaf and ambient air by stomatal control of transpiration. Stomatal sensitivity to external humidity conditions can cause a decline in transpirational vapour flux without concommitant symptoms of plant water stress.

Examples are provided for the stomatal behaviour of 8 different tree species, 7 of which are prominent components of forests in the temperate zone (2 from the Southern Hemisphere). It is shown that different species exhbibit marked differences in their response to the vapour concentration gradient. These responses are discussed in relation to tree type and the natural environment. It is concluded that it is unjustified to draw conclusions about tree water status from estimates of canopy transpiration (e.g. via data from a thermal scanner) without knowledge of the specific physiological behaviour of the very tree species. Comparatively reduced rates of transpiration are not necessarily an indication of water shortage or pathogen induced water stress.

Zusammenfassung

Die Arbeit behandelt ein spezielles pflanzenphysiologisches Phänomen, das für eine Reihe meteorologischer Fragestellungen, insbesondere für die Interpretation von Falschfarben-Luftbildern und von Temperaturscanner-Daten relevant ist. Über die stomatäre Steuerung der Transpiration können Pflanzen direkt auf das Wasserdampfkonzentrationsgefälle zwischen Blatt und umgebender Luft reagieren. Auf Grund der Empfindlichkeit der Stomata auf die Luftfeuchte in der Blattumgebung kann es zu einer Einschränkung der Transpiration kommen, ohne daß dies mit blattinternem Wasser streß verknüpft sein muß.

Beispiele für das Stomataverhalten von 8 verschiedenen Baumarten, von denen 7 wichtige Elemente von Wäldern der temperaten Zone sind (2 aus der Südhemisphäre), werden angeführt. Es wird gezeigt, daß verschiedene Arten ganz unterschiedlich auf Luftfeuchtegradienten reagieren können. Diese Ergebnisse werden an Hand der Baumtypen und der natürlichen Umweltbedingungen diskutiert. Es erscheint unberechtigt, auf Grund der Transpirationsrate von Baumkronen (etwa über Meßdaten von einem Temperaturscanner) Schlüsse bezüglich der Wasserversorgung der Blätter zu ziehen, ohne das spezifische physiologische Verhalten der Bäume zu kennen. Verminderte Transpirationsraten, die sich in erhöhter Blattemperatur niederschlagen können, sind nicht notwendigerweise ein Hinweis auf Wasserverknappung oder pathogen induzierten Wasserstreß.

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  1. Institut für Botanik der Universität Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Ch. Körner

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Körner, C. Humidity responses in forest trees: Precautions in thermal scanning surveys. Arch. Met. Geoph. Biocl., Ser. B 36, 83–98 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02269459

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02269459

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