Articles
Sap flow monitoring in environmental research networks: lessons learned from SAPFLUXNET and challenges for the future
Article number
1419_6
Pages
41 – 50
Language
English
Abstract
In only four years since its first publication, the SAPFLUXNET global database of sap flow measurements has opened the door to a new, biogeographical perspective of tree water use for ecologists, modellers and the remote sensing community.
Here, we will summarize what we have learnt from SAPFLUXNET and how this initiative can continue improving our understanding of tree water use and drought responses globally.
Across forest biomes, we have shown that vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is the major determinant of tree water use regulation.
The interspecific diversity of such regulation can be partly explained by climate, water relations traits and tree size.
Within species, we have observed that stand structure overshadows climatic and soil factors in determining tree water use responses to VPD. At the ecosystem scale and beyond, SAPFLUXNET has been used to benchmark transpiration algorithms and models, including those using eddy covariance or remote sensing data.
Looking into the future, SAPFLUXNET has a great potential to add new species and cover current geographical gaps.
Future updates will become opportunities to improve data infrastructure and integration with existing and new ecophysiological networks.
More efforts should be devoted to gradually turn SAPFLUXNET into a real grass-roots network to share methodological innovations, guide and promote collaborative data syntheses and overcome the lack of long-term funding.
We argue that the International Workshop on Sap Flow can become one of the key components of this strategy of scientific community building toward a more decentralised and resilient network.
Here, we will summarize what we have learnt from SAPFLUXNET and how this initiative can continue improving our understanding of tree water use and drought responses globally.
Across forest biomes, we have shown that vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is the major determinant of tree water use regulation.
The interspecific diversity of such regulation can be partly explained by climate, water relations traits and tree size.
Within species, we have observed that stand structure overshadows climatic and soil factors in determining tree water use responses to VPD. At the ecosystem scale and beyond, SAPFLUXNET has been used to benchmark transpiration algorithms and models, including those using eddy covariance or remote sensing data.
Looking into the future, SAPFLUXNET has a great potential to add new species and cover current geographical gaps.
Future updates will become opportunities to improve data infrastructure and integration with existing and new ecophysiological networks.
More efforts should be devoted to gradually turn SAPFLUXNET into a real grass-roots network to share methodological innovations, guide and promote collaborative data syntheses and overcome the lack of long-term funding.
We argue that the International Workshop on Sap Flow can become one of the key components of this strategy of scientific community building toward a more decentralised and resilient network.
Publication
Authors
R. Poyatos, V. Flo, L. Fernández de Uña , B.V. Fatecha, V. Granda, M. Mencuccini, J. Martínez-Vilalta
Keywords
databases, ecophysiological networks, transpiration models, open data, transpiration, tree water use
Online Articles (22)