Open AccessLong-Term Fluctuations in Water Status and Crown Dieback of Plains Cottonwood Trees
Author(s) -
William R. Jacobi,
Ronda D. Koski,
Betsy A. Goodrich
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
arboriculture and urban forestry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 2155-0778
pISSN - 1935-5297
DOI - 10.48044/jauf.2017.015
Subject(s) - crown (dentistry) , water content , irrigation , riparian zone , growing season , agronomy , environmental science , dry season , precipitation , moisture , soil water , biology , hydrology (agriculture) , horticulture , ecology , geography , geology , geotechnical engineering , medicine , dentistry , habitat , meteorology
Plains cottonwood trees (Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera (Aiton) Eckenw.) occur in riparian and urban areas in semiarid regions of western United States. The amount of water necessary to maintain healthy trees while reducing water use are management objectives along the High Line Canal in Denver, Colorado, U.S. Canal-flow days, soil moisture, precipitation, cottonwood predawn leaf water potentials (ψpd) and crown dieback were measured annually from 1997–2008. Five key findings were: 1) percent soil moisture did not correlate with ψpd, 2) trees became moderately water-stressed (ψpd -0.30 MPa generally had low crown dieback, whereas trees with ψpd 14 days. Irrigation timing and the frequency needed to minimize cottonwood future crown dieback can be obtained from autumn and growing season predawn leaf water potentials.