Chen et al. (2026) Convergent evapotranspiration between natural and planted forests: A case study in Loess Plateau, China

Identification

• Journal: Forest Ecology and Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-12
• Authors: Qiuwen Chen, Sheng Du, Stefano Manzoni, 狄东睿, Yi Song, Weiyu Shi
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2026.124238

Research Groups

• Chongqing Jinfo Mountain Karst Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
• State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
• School of Resources Environment and Tourism, Anyang Normal University, Anyang, China
• Department of Physical Geography and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
• State Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, China
• Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK

Short Summary

This study investigated evapotranspiration (ET) dynamics in a natural secondary oak forest and a planted black locust forest over a decade in a semiarid region, revealing that despite their distinct origins, both forest types exhibit convergent ET patterns under seasonal water variations, driven by climatic and vegetation factors.

Objective

• To investigate and compare the evapotranspiration (ET) dynamics and patterns between a natural secondary oak forest and a nearby planted black locust forest over a ten-year period in a semiarid region.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Loess Plateau, China (specifically, a semiarid region comparing a natural secondary oak forest and a nearby planted black locust forest).
• Temporal Scale: Ten-year period (growing seasons during 2012–2021).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Evapotranspiration (ET) was estimated using the soil water budget method.
• Data sources: Concurrent monitoring of canopy phenology and micrometeorological variables in both forests; soil water storage (SWScrit) measurements.

Main Results

• Evapotranspiration (ET) in both natural and planted forests exhibited similar inter-annual variations.
• Seasonal ET dynamics for both forest types displayed a bimodal pattern, influenced by both climatic and vegetation factors.
• As water availability improved, the responsiveness of ET to reference evapotranspiration (ET0) increased in both forests.
• The natural forest's ET surpassed that of the planted forest only during the moistest period.
• This observed difference is potentially due to contrasting root growth strategies, where the natural oak forest utilizes more water under moist conditions but restricts water use during severe drought.
• Despite their contrasting origins, natural and planted forests can exhibit convergent ET patterns under seasonal water variations with highly variable precipitation.

Contributions

• Provides long-term (ten-year) comparative data on evapotranspiration dynamics between natural and planted forests in a semiarid ecosystem.
• Challenges the assumption of distinct ET patterns between natural and planted forests by demonstrating their convergence under seasonal water variations.
• Highlights the importance of water-use adaptability, potentially linked to root growth strategies, as a factor in the success of forest restoration efforts.
• Offers valuable insights for forest management strategies in semiarid climates.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Chen2026Convergent,
  author = {Chen, Qiuwen and Du, Sheng and Manzoni, Stefano and 狄东睿 and Song, Yi and Shi, Weiyu},
  title = {Convergent evapotranspiration between natural and planted forests: A case study in Loess Plateau, China},
  journal = {Forest Ecology and Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2026.124238},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2026.124238}
}