Abstract:Quantitative analysis of the transpiration and water consumption characteristics at the individual tree and stand scales of forests is critical for forest water management. Developing fast-growing and high-yielding poplar plantations has been identified as a major solution to the shortage of wood fibers in China, because of the strong demand for fibrous products for the large population and limited land resources. The triploid Populus tomentosa has been one of the most widely planted species in recent years due to its superior growth vigor and high timber yield. Accurately measuring the transpiration and water consumption of trees is essential for regulating water use in triploid P. tomentosa plantations. In this study, thermal dissipation probe (TDP) monitoring technology was combined with an automatic weather station to investigate the transpiration and water consumption of triploid P. tomentosa at the individual tree and stand scales over two years. The response of sap flow velocity (Vsp) in P. tomentosa trees to environmental factors, including solar radiation (Qs), air temperature (Ta), relative humidity (RH), wind speed (WS), soil water content (SWC), soil temperature (Ts), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD), were analyzed using a multiple linear regression model. The results showed that (1) the daily variation in sap flow velocity in individual P. tomentosa trees was significantly affected by the Qs and VPD. Diurnal variation in Vsp for individual trees had a unimodal pattern on sunny days. The flow rate rose from nearly zero at sunrise to a maximum at around 13:00 local time and decreased gradually to nearly zero by midnight. In the growing season (from April to October), the average Vsp for each month was 0.65 × 10-3, 2.12 × 10-3, 2.09 × 10-3, 1.78 × 10-3, 1.84 × 10-3, 1.76 × 10-3, and 1.04 × 10-3 cm/s, respectively. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the Vsp correlated significantly (α = 0.01) with the Qs, Ta, WS, RH, SWC, Ts, and VPD. With the exception of RH, all correlations were positive. The VPD and Qs had stronger effects on Vsp than SWC at a daily variation scale. (2) The water consumption of the P. tomentosa stand was 339.52 and 410.62 mm during the growing season in the fourth and fifth years after planting (2008 and 2009), respectively. The water consumption at the stand level was significantly affected by stomatal conductance (Gc), RH, and VPD. The variation in average daily water consumption followed a "low-high-low" unimodal pattern in the growing season and high water consumption values were recorded in August 2008 and June 2009. The main factors that drove the seasonal changes in water consumption in the stand were Gs, RH, and VPD. Lastly, (3) the regression model, with the measured environmental factors as independent variables, explained the variation in Vsp well during the growing season in 2008 (P < 0.01). When the constructed model was used to predict the Vsp in the growing season in 2009, the simulated values correlated well with the measured values (R2 = 0.910) but was 6.39% higher than the measured values on average.
