Aims: Success in establishing upland forests on landforms constructed from overburden is determined by the characteristics of the reclamation soil covers and depth. We explored whether an ecosystem model that uses water potential gradients to simulate soil-plant-atmosphere water transfers can be...

Temperate fruit trees replanted into old orchard sites often grow poorly. A complex assemblage of soil-borne fungal plant pathogens and plant-parasitic nematodes is considered to be the primary cause of replant stress, but on coarse-textured soils restricted availability of water and key nutrients...

In semi-arid ecoregions, trees are restricted to river valley floodplains where river water supplements the limited precipitation. To characterize the associated diurnal and seasonal dynamics in hydrology and water relations, we studied narrowleaf cottonwoods (Populus angustifolia) along a prairie...

The timing and availability of water supply are changing in the Okanagan Valley, and the availability of irrigation water in the late summers is a growing concern. Postharvest deficit irrigation (PDI) is a strategy that can be used to reduce water demands in sweet cherry orchards; previous studies...

A large collection (49 specimens) of early Eocene Fraxinus (ash) samaras enabled us to evaluate whether or not more than one species was present at the Quilchena fossil site. Analysis of living ashes indicates that morphology of the samara tips is sometimes cited as a taxonomic criterion, and...

Field-based assessment of transpiration phenology in boreal tree species is a significant challenge. Here we develop an objective approach that uses stem radius change and its correlation with sapwood temperature to determine the timing of phenological changes in transpiration in mixed evergreen...

The transport of water through the stem of a tree is necessary for maintaining a continuous supply of water to the canopy. The xylem may be hydraulicly overbuilt, allowing for normal function to continue after damage that may be sustained due to mechanical and physiological disturbances such as...

In the Okanagan Valley, sweet cherry production has expanded to higher latitudes due to climate change, but the availability of irrigation water is limited in this semi-arid region. Postharvest deficit irrigation (PDI) and organic mulches can reduce water use in orchards, but their interactive...

Sap flow was measured to determine transpiration rates for CanAm and Walker poplars grown in the semiarid Canadian prairie. CanAm poplars had higher sap flow rates and were better able to supply water to actively growing regions for all water availabilities (well-watered to drought). CanAm poplars...

In dry ecoregions trees are generally restricted to floodplains along perennial streams, where river water recharges the alluvial groundwater, supplementing the sparse local precipitation. Precipitation and river flow often decline through the warm and dry summer and we hypothesized that water...