Soil water dynamics and plant water uptake: Primeval mature vs. debris flow-developed half-mature subalpine fir stands in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

Natural disaster can disrupt soil structure and replace established vegetation with younger plants, altering the local hydrological processes. We used hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes to examine soil water dynamics and plant water uptake patterns in two adjacent fir stands in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: a primeval mature stand (MF, finer- textured soil) and a debris flow-developed half-mature stand (HMF, coarser-textured soil). Our results showed that the isotopic composition and soil gravimetric water content (SWC) in deep soil water in MF exhibited a more pronounced hysteresis pattern in response to precipitation compared to HMF, indicating lower turnover rate of soil water in MF. This was also confirmed by a smaller contribution of preferential flow to deep soil water in MF compared to HMF. The higher water storage (higher SWC values) and lower turnover rate of soil water suggest a higher soil water buffer capacity in MF. Additionally, both stands showed no significant difference in plant water sources, but plants in MF used more winter precipitation due to the lower soil water turnover rate. These differences suggest MF may be more vulnerable to water disasters, while HMF may be more susceptible to seasonal droughts under climate change. Our insights enhance understanding of hydrological processes linked to changing surface conditions and offer valuable information for managing forest water resources in mountainous regions.

Keywords: Plant water use; Stable isotopes; Water buffer; Water transport.