ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0692-7064

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-2024

Publication Title

Water

Disciplines

Biology

Abstract

Plant canopies divert a portion of precipitation to the base of their stems through "stemflow", a phenomenon that influences the canopy water balance, soil microbial ecology, and intrasystem nutrient cycling. However, a comprehensive integration of stemflow into theoretical and numerical models in natural science remains limited. This perspective examines three unresolved, fundamental questions hindering this integration, spanning the canopy to the soil. First, the precise source area within the canopy that generates stemflow is undefined. Thus, we asked, "whence stemflow?" Current common assumptions equate it to the entire tree canopy, a potentially misleading simplification that could affect our interpretation of stemflow variability. Second, we asked what are the various conditions contributing to stemflow generation-beyond rain, to dew and intercepted ice melt-and could the exclusion of these volumes consequently obscure an understanding of the broader implications of stemflow? Third, we explored "whither stemflow?" This question extends beyond how much stemflow infiltrates where, into what uptakes it and from where. Addressing these questions is constrained by current observational and analytical methods. Nevertheless, by confronting these challenges, the stemflow research community stands to make significant strides in comprehending this unique hydrological component and situating it within the broader context of natural science.

DOI

10.3390/w16010117

Version

Publisher's PDF

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Volume

16

Issue

1

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