Verdone et al. (2025) Topography Controls the Response of Beech Trees to Atmospheric Demand During Soil Moisture Droughts

Identification

• Journal: Universität Zürich, ZORA
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-01
• Authors: Verdone, Matteo, Massari, Christian, Murgia, Ilenia, Cocozza, Claudia, van Meerveld, Ilja, Penna, Daniele
• DOI: 10.5167/uzh-282231

Research Groups

• Institute of Geography, University of Zurich
• Authors: Matteo Verdone, Christian Massari, Ilenia Murgia, Claudia Cocozza, Ilja van Meerveld, Daniele Penna

Short Summary

This study investigated how topography and atmospheric demand influence beech tree transpiration during soil moisture droughts in a central Italian hillslope, finding that trees on upper slopes experienced reduced sap flow during summer heat, unlike those on lower slopes.

Objective

• To understand how the combined effects of topography (and associated soil moisture variability) and atmospheric demand (vapour pressure deficit, VPD) control sap flow velocities in beech trees during soil moisture droughts across a forested hillslope.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: A forested hillslope in central Italy.
• Temporal Scale: During soil moisture droughts, specifically the hottest period in summer.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not specified in the provided text.
• Data sources: Measurements of sap flow velocities, atmospheric demand (vapour pressure deficit, VPD), and soil moisture variability.

Main Results

• Sap flow velocities for beech trees located on the upper part of the hillslope significantly decreased during the hottest period in summer.
• In contrast, sap flow velocities for trees on the lower part of the hillslope remained relatively stable during the same period.
• This indicates that topography exerts a control over the response of beech trees to atmospheric demand during soil moisture droughts.

Contributions

• Provides a better understanding of how droughts affect tree transpiration across catchments by explicitly studying the combined effects of landscape position (topography and related soil moisture variability) and atmospheric demand.
• Quantifies the differential physiological response of beech trees to drought conditions based on their topographic position within a hillslope.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Verdone2025Topography,
  author = {Verdone, Matteo and Massari, Christian and Murgia, Ilenia and Cocozza, Claudia and van Meerveld, Ilja and Penna, Daniele},
  title = {Topography Controls the Response of Beech Trees to Atmospheric Demand During Soil Moisture Droughts},
  journal = {Universität Zürich, ZORA},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.5167/uzh-282231},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-282231}
}