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Dryad

Data from: Increased snowfall weakens complementarity of summer water use by different plant functional groups

Cite this dataset

Chi, Yonggang et al. (2019). Data from: Increased snowfall weakens complementarity of summer water use by different plant functional groups [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6fp82p0

Abstract

Winter snowfall is an important water source for plants during summer in semiarid regions. Snow, rain, soil water, and plant water were sampled for hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes analyses under control and increased snowfall conditions in the temperate steppe of Inner Mongolia, China. Our study showed that the snowfall contribution to plant water uptake continued throughout the growing season and was detectable even in the late growing season. Snowfall versus rainfall accounted for 30% and 70%, respectively, of the water source for plants, on the basis of hydrogen stable isotope signature (δD) analysis, and accounted for 12% and 88%, respectively, on the basis of oxygen stable isotope signature (δ18O) analysis. Water use partitioning between topsoil and subsoil was found among species with different rooting depths. Increased snowfall weakened complementarity of plant water use during summer. Our study provides insights into the relationships between precipitation regimes and species interactions in semiarid regions.

Usage notes

Location

Temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia