Premium
Leaf Area of Mature Northwestern Coniferous Forests: Relation to Site Water Balance
Author(s) -
Grier Charles G.,
Running Steven W.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1936225
Subject(s) - deciduous , water balance , precipitation , ecology , environmental science , leaf area index , geography , forestry , botany , biology , geology , geotechnical engineering , meteorology
Leaf area of nature coniferous forest communities of western Oregon appears to be related primarily to site H 2 O balance rather than characteristics of tree species composing the community. Leaf areas were determined for stands in communities ranked along measured gradients of precipitation and evaporative potential. Nine coniferous and 1 deciduous tree species were found in the various stands along these gradients. Leaf areas of these stands were linearly correlated with a simple site H 2 O balance index computed from measurements of growing season precipitation, open pan evaporation, and estimates of soil H 2 O storage. Species composition had no apparent influence on the relation between community leaf area and site H 2 O balance.