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Earth's Systems / Biological processes / Terrestrial ecosystem functioning / Water movement / Land water partitioning and plant water flux / Plant-mediated water flux

Plant-mediated water flux

Transpiration is the dominant part of evapotranspiration; roots also move water between wet and dry soil layers, extending the time plants can stay active.

Boundary: where this process starts

Starts with: Transpiration is 80-90% of evapotranspiration

Boundary: where it ends

Ends after: Wetter deep soil supports deeper roots and more uptake

PARTICIPANTSRESOURCESPlantsPlant rootsWaterWater vapourImpact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.Impact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.↻ reinforces · weak · 0.15 deep water accessTranspiration is 80-90% of evapotranspiration: uses WaterTranspiration is 80-90% of evapotranspiration: makes Water vapourmakesHydraulic redistribution moves water through roots: uses WaterWetter deep soil supports deeper roots and more uptake: uses Waterlost through leafstomataWater: lost through leaf stomatareleased astranspirationWater vapour: released as transpirationmoved through roots atnightWater: moved through roots at nightstored in deeper soillayersWater: stored in deeper soil layersStart: Plant-mediatedwater fluxSTARTStart: Plant-mediated water fluxEnd: Plant-mediatedwater fluxENDEnd: Plant-mediated water fluxTranspiration is 80-90%of evapotranspiration📄1Transpiration is 80-90% of evapotranspirationHydraulicredistribution moveswater through roots📄1Hydraulic redistribution moves water through rootsWetter deep soilsupports deeper rootsand more uptake📄1Wetter deep soil supports deeper roots and more uptake
Line thickness = size of impact (1 to 5)% on a line = chance a fork takes that branch📄 = pieces of evidence on a stepNegative effectLoops backHypothesisResource used up (arrow into the step)Resource used, not used upResource made or released (arrow out of the step)
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Participant
Someone or something that takes part in a process or influences it: a plant, a microbe, a river, a machine, a force. Participants are the rows of a map.
Resource
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Loop
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Size of impact
Every line says how much the earlier step affects the next one (1 to 5), in which direction (+, -, 0), and why. Thicker lines mean bigger impact.
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Boundary
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Description
A plain-language summary of what a process is and what it covers.
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Every step, with its evidence

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Transpiration is 80-90% of evapotranspiration
PlantsWaterWater vapour
Evidence (1) · added by Broad
  • Jasechko 2013, Terrestrial water fluxes dominated by transpiration, Nature, doi:10.1038/nature11983: Isotope-based global estimate: transpiration is about 80-90% of terrestrial ET. (confidence 0.75)
Hydraulic redistribution moves water through roots
PlantsPlant rootsWater
Evidence (1) · added by Broad
  • Neumann & Cardon 2012, The magnitude of hydraulic redistribution by plant roots: a review and synthesis, New Phytologist, doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04088.x: Hydraulic redistribution moves substantial volumes of water between soil layers at night. (confidence 0.75)
Wetter deep soil supports deeper roots and more uptake
PlantsPlant rootsWater
Evidence (1) · added by Broad
  • Schenk & Jackson 2002, The global biogeography of roots, Ecological Monographs, doi:10.1890/0012-9615(2002)072[0311:tgbor]2.0.co;2: Root depth tracks water availability. (confidence 0.6)