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Transpiration on the rebound in lowland Sumatra
Auteur(s)
A. Röll
F. Niu
A. Meijide
J. Ahongshangbam
M. Ehbrecht
T. Guillaume
D. Gunawan
A. Hardanto
D. Hertel
M.M. Kotowska
H. Kreft
Y. Kuzyakov
C. Leuschner
M. Nomura
A. Polle
K. Rembold
J. Sahner
D. Seidel
A. Knohl
D. Hölscher
Date de parution
2019
In
Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
Vol.
274
De la page
160
A la page
171
Résumé
Following large-scale conversion of rainforest, rubber and oil palm plantations dominate lowland Sumatra
(Indonesia) and other parts of South East Asia today, with potentially far-reaching ecohydrological consequences.
We assessed how such land-use change affects plant transpiration by sap flux measurements at 42
sites in selectively logged rainforests, agroforests and rubber and oil palm monoculture plantations in the
lowlands of Sumatra. Site-to-site variability in stand-scale transpiration and tree-level water use were explained
by stand structure, productivity, soil properties and plantation age. Along a land-use change trajectory forestrubber-
oil palm, time-averaged transpiration decreases by 43 ± 11% from forest to rubber monoculture
plantations, but rebounds with conversion to smallholder oil palm plantations. We uncovered that particularly
commercial, intensive oil palm cultivation leads to high transpiration (827 ± 77mm yr−1), substantially surpassing
rates at our forest sites (589 ± 52mm yr−1). Compared to smallholder oil palm, land-use intensification
leads to 1.7-times higher transpiration in commercial plantations. Combined with severe soil degradation, the
high transpiration may cause periodical water scarcity for humans in oil palm-dominated landscapes. As oil palm
is projected to further expand, severe shifts in water cycling after land-cover change and water scarcity due to
land-use intensification may become more widespread.
(Indonesia) and other parts of South East Asia today, with potentially far-reaching ecohydrological consequences.
We assessed how such land-use change affects plant transpiration by sap flux measurements at 42
sites in selectively logged rainforests, agroforests and rubber and oil palm monoculture plantations in the
lowlands of Sumatra. Site-to-site variability in stand-scale transpiration and tree-level water use were explained
by stand structure, productivity, soil properties and plantation age. Along a land-use change trajectory forestrubber-
oil palm, time-averaged transpiration decreases by 43 ± 11% from forest to rubber monoculture
plantations, but rebounds with conversion to smallholder oil palm plantations. We uncovered that particularly
commercial, intensive oil palm cultivation leads to high transpiration (827 ± 77mm yr−1), substantially surpassing
rates at our forest sites (589 ± 52mm yr−1). Compared to smallholder oil palm, land-use intensification
leads to 1.7-times higher transpiration in commercial plantations. Combined with severe soil degradation, the
high transpiration may cause periodical water scarcity for humans in oil palm-dominated landscapes. As oil palm
is projected to further expand, severe shifts in water cycling after land-cover change and water scarcity due to
land-use intensification may become more widespread.
Identifiants
Type de publication
journal article
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