Partitioning water source and sinking process of a groundwater-dependent desert plant community

摘要

Desert plant community is often structured in two distinct layers of woody and herbaceous plants. Partitioning its water source and sinking process remains a key uncertainty in this water-limited ecosystem. Our aims are to partition the evapotranspiration (ET) components into water loss from bare soil, shrub, and herbaceous plants; estimate the contributions of groundwater to ET and shrub layer transpiration (T (shrub)); and determine the major drivers of ET components in a groundwater-dependent desert plant community in Central Asia.