Drought-modulated allometric patterns of trees in semi-arid forests

Tree allometry in semi-arid forests is characterized by short height but large canopy. This pattern may be important for maintaining water-use efficiency and carbon sequestration simultaneously, but still lacks quantification. Here we use terrestrial laser scanning to quantify allometry variations of Quercus mongolica in semi-arid forests. With tree height (Height) declining, canopy area (CA) decreases with substantial variations. The theoretical CA-Height relationship in dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) matches only the 5(th) percentile of our results because of CA underestimation and Height overestimation by breast height diameter (DBH). Water supply determines Height variation (P=0.000) but not CA (P=0.2 in partial correlation). The decoupled functions of stem, hydraulic conductance and leaf spatial arrangement, may explain the inconsistency, which may further ensure hydraulic safety and carbon assimilation, avoiding forest dieback. Works on tree allometry pattern and determinant will effectively supply tree drought tolerance studying and support DGVM improvements. Jingyu Dai et al. study the role of tree allometry in maintaining a high carbon sequestration. They measure allometry in semi-arid forests using terrestrial laser scanning. They report that tree height as well as canopy area decline to varying degrees among individuals. They provide insights on how trees balance water consumption and carbon assimilation which enhances the survival rate of the forest trees.