Monitoring of water from the underground to the tree: first results with a new sap extractor on a riparian woodland

Abstract

Riparian woodlands are characterized by variable hydrological conditions. Following the mapping of the complex underground water circulation of the wetlands, we studied the water uptake by trees. Although there are numerous analytical techniques available to monitor the water origin and water fluxes, no rapid technique for the extraction of xylem sap exists on the market. For this reason we designed and built a unique machine able to extract sap directly in the field from wood cores in a few minutes. A short description of the machine and its performance is given, prior to reporting the first experimental results obtained in a young riparian woodland along the Garonne River. The results compare the vertical water profile of the soil and the corresponding xylem sap at different roots horizons and in the trunk.