Carbon fluxes and water-use efficiency in a Pinus tabuliformis plantation in Northeast China and their relationship to drought

The impact of extreme weather events on carbon fluxes and water-use efficiency (WUE) in revegetated areas under water-limited conditions is poorly understood. We analyzed changes in carbon fluxes and WUE over three years of eddy-covariance measurements in a Pinus tabuliformis plantation in Northeast China to investigate carbon fluxes and WUE responses to drought events at different time scales. Mean annual net ecosystem exchange (NEE), gross primary production (GPP), and ecosystem respiration (Re) were −368.48, 1042.42, and 673.94 g C m−2, respectively. Drought events increased NEE, as GPP was more sensitive to water stress than Re at different growing stages. Mean annual WUE was 2.46 g C kg−1 H2O, and plant phenology played a key role in WUE responses to drought. Water stress had negative and positive effects on daily WUE at the early and late growing stages, respectively, and daily WUE was generally insensitive to drought at the mid growing stage. A lagged effect existed in the carbon fluxes and WUE dynamics after drought events at various time scales. Water stress at the early growing stage was more important than that at other growing stages on annual carbon sequestration and WUE, as it dominated canopy growth in the current year. The annual mean normalized difference vegetation index controlled interannual variations in carbon fluxes and WUE in the plantation. Our findings contribute to the prediction of possible changes in carbon and water fluxes under climate warming in the afforested areas of Northeast China. [Display omitted] •Mean annual NEE and WUE were −368.48 g C m−2 and 2.46 g C kg−1 H2O, respectively.•Growing stage changed the effects of drought on WUE.•Drought had lagged effects on carbon fluxes and WUE at various time scales.