ARS | Publication request: PLANT ECOPHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND SOIL WATER AVAILABILITY IN SEMIARID AND ARID REGIONS

Submitted to: Society for Range Management, New Mexico Section Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 21, 2003
Publication Date: January 21, 2003
Citation: SNYDER, K.A. PLANT ECOPHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND SOIL WATER AVAILABILITY IN SEMIARID AND ARID REGIONS. SOCIETY FOR RANGE MANAGEMENT, NEW MEXICO SECTION, WINTER MEETING. 2003. ABSTRACT P. 2.

Technical Abstract: The goal of this contributed paper was to demonstrate how determination of plant water source use through use of natural abundance stable isotopic tracer techniques has applications in riparian areas and on rangelands. Research was presented that determined what sources of water different plant species are using and how this varies spatially, due to differences in soil texture and geomorphology, and how this varies temporally, due to seasonally climate patterns. This knowledge is applicable to remediation and monitoring efforts because it provides information to land managers on what sources of water are available on different landscapes and what plant species will be capable of exploiting these water sources for biomass production. This research is also applicable to understanding how changes in the management of vegetation and hydrology interact on the landscape and result in different patterns of community structure.