Start Date
3-17-2025 12:00 AM
End Date
3-17-2025 12:00 AM
Abstract
Foliar water uptake (FWU) is a process trees use to uptake water vapor into their leaves, which alleviates water stress in plants, potentially mitigating overall urban landscape water stress. This study aims to model FWU of water vapor through the leaf stomata and cuticle, assuming both saturated and unsaturated leaf internal air space, to understand the impact FWU can have on mitigating drought and heat crises in urban environments. FWU is crucial for tree survival in drought periods, leading to decreases in urban temperatures, shown using leaf temperature modeling.
Rates of foliar water uptake are assessed using a soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) model, assuming that water can be taken up through the leaves by entering the substomatal cavity, where it condenses and is absorbed. The leaf cuticle is a hydrophobic layer that prevents water loss. During meteorological conditions such as dew formation and fog, the leaf may absorb water vapor through the cuticle, known as cuticular conductance. The values for these calculations and subsequent research are from Fagus grandifolia (American beech). Based on these results, the cuticle’s role in FWU appears passive and does not account for most water uptake in the leaf. Still, it is necessary to understand cuticular conductance, especially in unsaturated scenarios, to develop a nuanced model and understanding of FWU across different climates and conditions. FWU must be understood accurately to predict plant survivability in water-stressed environments such as the urban landscape and create more accurate predictions of water and carbon budgets during climate change.
Subjects
Climate Change, GIS / modeling, Hydrology, Plant ecology
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43104
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Foliar Water Uptake Mitigation of Urban Drought Stress
Foliar water uptake (FWU) is a process trees use to uptake water vapor into their leaves, which alleviates water stress in plants, potentially mitigating overall urban landscape water stress. This study aims to model FWU of water vapor through the leaf stomata and cuticle, assuming both saturated and unsaturated leaf internal air space, to understand the impact FWU can have on mitigating drought and heat crises in urban environments. FWU is crucial for tree survival in drought periods, leading to decreases in urban temperatures, shown using leaf temperature modeling.
Rates of foliar water uptake are assessed using a soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) model, assuming that water can be taken up through the leaves by entering the substomatal cavity, where it condenses and is absorbed. The leaf cuticle is a hydrophobic layer that prevents water loss. During meteorological conditions such as dew formation and fog, the leaf may absorb water vapor through the cuticle, known as cuticular conductance. The values for these calculations and subsequent research are from Fagus grandifolia (American beech). Based on these results, the cuticle’s role in FWU appears passive and does not account for most water uptake in the leaf. Still, it is necessary to understand cuticular conductance, especially in unsaturated scenarios, to develop a nuanced model and understanding of FWU across different climates and conditions. FWU must be understood accurately to predict plant survivability in water-stressed environments such as the urban landscape and create more accurate predictions of water and carbon budgets during climate change.