title: Spatial distribution of tree species governs the spatio-temporal interaction of leaf area index and soil moisture across a forested landscape.
abstract: Quantifying coupled spatio-temporal dynamics of phenology and hydrology and understanding underlying processes is a fundamental challenge in ecohydrology. While variation in phenology and factors influencing it have attracted the attention of ecologists for a long time, the influence of biodiversity on coupled dynamics of phenology and hydrology across a landscape is largely untested. We measured leaf area index (L) and volumetric soil water content (θ) on a co-located spatial grid to characterize forest phenology and hydrology across a forested catchment in central Pennsylvania during 2010. We used hierarchical Bayesian modeling to quantify spatio-temporal patterns of L and θ. Our results suggest that the spatial distribution of tree species across the landscape created unique spatio-temporal patterns of L, which created patterns of water demand reflected in variable soil moisture across space and time. We found a lag of about 11 days between increase in L and decline in θ. Vegetation and soil moisture become increasingly homogenized and coupled from leaf-onset to maturity but heterogeneous and uncoupled from leaf maturity to senescence. Our results provide insight into spatio-temporal coupling between biodiversity and soil hydrology that is useful to enhance ecohydrological modeling in humid temperate forests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA. naithani@psu.edu
authors.forename: Kusum J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Naithani
authors.forename: Doug C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: Katie P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Gaines
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Eissenstat
mesh_terms: D001499:Bayes Theorem; D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D010414:Pennsylvania; D018515:Plant Leaves; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D014197:Trees; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water
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