"Lateral subsurface flow modulates forest mortality risk to future clim" by Xiaonan Tai, Martin D. Venturas et al.
 

Lateral subsurface flow modulates forest mortality risk to future climate and elevated CO2

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1-2021

Abstract

Forest mortality has been widely observed across the globe during recent episodes of drought and extreme heat events. But the future of forest mortality remains poorly understood. While the direct effects of future climate and elevated CO2 on forest mortality risk have been studied, the role of lateral subsurface water flow has rarely been considered. Here we demonstrated the fingerprint of lateral flow on the forest mortality risk of a riparian ecosystem using a coupled plant hydraulics-hydrology model prescribed with multiple Earth System Model projections of future hydroclimate. We showed that the anticipated water-saving and drought ameliorating effects of elevated CO2 on mortality risk were largely compromised when lateral hydrological processes were considered. Further, we found lateral flow reduce ecosystem sensitivity to climate variations, by removing soil water excess during wet periods and providing additional water from groundwater storage during dry periods. These findings challenge the prevailing expectation of elevated CO2 to reduce mortality risk and highlight the need to assess the effects of lateral flow exchange more explicitly moving forward with forest mortality projections.

Identifier

85112101558 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Environmental Research Letters

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac1135

e-ISSN

17489326

ISSN

17489318

Issue

8

Volume

16

Grant

DEB 2106030

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS