Biomass production and water use of common plant species in Owens Valley, California, USA

• Main Author: Evans, Tracie L.
• Other Authors: Mata-Gonzalez, Ricardo, Noller, Jay, Green, Cary, Martin, David, Rangeland Ecology and Management, Oregon State University. Graduate School
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English; unknown
• Published: Oregon State University
• Subjects: Juncus arcticus
• Online Access: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/7p88cj606

This study evaluated biomass production, water-use efficiency (WUE), biomass allocation, and water use characteristics of common plant species in Owens Valley, California, USA. The species studied were the grasses Distichlis spicata, Leymus triticoides, and Sporobolus airoides, the forbs Glycyrrhiza lepidota, Juncus arcticus, and Salsola tragus (annual), the desert shrubs Artemisia tridentata, Atriplex confertifolia, and Ericameria nauseosa, and the riparian shrub Salix exigua. Plants of each species were established and grown in 2.4 m X 2.4 m plots in a common garden since 2005. Our first experiment was conducted in 2009 and 2010 and included four monthly summer water treatments: control (no additional water), low (1.3 cm), medium (2.6 cm) and high (3.9 cm). Biomass production and WUE (the amount of water that a plant uses to produce a unit of biomass) were lower in 2009 than in 2010. Water-use efficiency of grasses increased with increasing water application in 2009 but decreased with increasing water application in 2010. The difference between years was attributed to the difference in timing of natural precipitation with higher spring precipitation in 2010. Biomass production and WUE of desert shrubs were not significantly affected by water treatments. Water-use efficiency varied by species; some desert shrubs and the annual S. tragus were 13 times more efficient than the riparian S. exigua. Total standing crop and root-to-shoot ratio (RSR) varied by species, but not by watering treatments. Although in general desert shrubs had higher standing crop than herbaceous species, the grass S. airoides had the highest standing crop overall. Graminoids had much higher RSR (3 to 6) than the shrubs did (< 1). Our second experiment was conducted in 2010 using the experimental setting of the first experiment with the objective of determining soil water use and depth of soil water extraction by species. Three monthly watering treatments were applied during the summer months: low (1.3 cm), medium (2.6 cm), and high (3.9 ...