Measurements of fog water interception by shrubs on the California central coast

Fog water deposition may be an important component of the water budget of herbaceous-shrub ecosystems on the central and southern coastal regions of California. This paper presents the first analysis of measured fog water drip rates and meteorological controls in shrublands of Big Sur, California. Seasonal totals of 1255 mm and 306 mm of fog water drip were recorded in 2014 and 2015 (respectively), for averaged fog deposition rates of 0.02–0.08 l m² hr.^?1 to the soil under shrub canopy cover. The diurnal patterns of fog water drip showed that the majority of all trough water collected under shrubs on no-rain days occurred between the hours of 11 PM and 9 AM. During the study period from June 1 to October 31 of both 2014 and 2015, soil water content decreased significantly from average levels of 4–6 % at the shrub canopy center and middle locations, through 2–3 % VWC at the shrub edge locations, to levels at or below 2 % at 2-m distance locations from the shrub edge in open grass cover. Based on these results, we conclude that detectable rates of shrub canopy fog interception help sustain elevated soil water levels under shrubs and aid woody vegetation survival through periods of low rainfall.     

岷江干旱河谷典型地段整地造林效果评估

长期以来通过整地造林去恢复重建植被已在横断山区干旱河谷广为采用,然而这样的实践是否能有效提高植被覆盖率并改善土壤水源涵养能力仍不清楚.选择岷江干旱河谷3个典型地段,调查了多年(7～16 a)后整地造林地上植被覆盖、土壤物理性质以及目的造林树种岷江柏(Cupressus chengiana S.Y. Hu)的保存、生长与结实状况,以评价干旱河谷乡土树种造林成效及造林后的生态效果.结果表明:(1)岷江柏在栽植多年后仍有大量死亡,保存率明显下降,造林16 a后仅为38%;(2)不同年代栽植的岷江柏在造林后2～6 a即开始旱现直径年生长量下降趋势;(3)造林带内乡土植被总盖度、灌木盖度、草本盖度、地衣苔藓盖度均低于保留带,因此等高线水平沟整地造林措施未能有效促进乡土植被发育;(4)造林带土壤水分物理性质也不如保留带,整地造林也没有有效改善土壤水源涵养能力.综合分析发现,整地造林多年后岷汀柏造林不仅没有达到岷江干旱河谷预期的生态恢复重建效果,甚至有加剧生态退化的趋势.因此认为:(1)规模化整地造林并不是有效的干旱河谷生态恢复和保护措施;(2)尽管岷江柏是乡土树种,但并不是干旱河谷植被恢复的适宜种.图3表3参29     

Woody plants in grasslands: post-encroachment stand dynamics

Woody plant abundance is widely recognized to have increased in savannas and grasslands worldwide. The lack of information on the rates, dynamics, and extent of increases in shrub abundance is a major source of uncertainty in assessing how this vegetation change has influenced biogeochemical cycles. Projecting future consequences of woody cover change on ecosystem function will require knowledge of where shrub cover in present-day stands lies relative to the realizable maximum for a given soil type within a bioclimatic region. We used time-series aerial photography (1936, 1966, and 1996) and field studies to quantify cover and biomass of velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina Woot.) following its proliferation in a semidesert grassland of Arizona. Mapping of individual shrubs indicated an encroachment phase characterized by high rates of bare patch colonization. Upon entering a stabilization phase, shrub cover increases associated with recruitment and canopy expansion were largely offset by contractions in canopy area of other shrub patches. Instances of shrub disappearance coincided with a period of below-average rainfall (1936-1966). Overall, shrub cover (mean +/- SE) on sandy uplands with few and widely scattered shrubs in 1902 was dynamically stable over the 1936-1996 period averaging approximately 35% +/- 5%. Shrub cover on clayey uplands in 1936 was 17% +/- 2% but subsequently increased twofold to levels comparable to those on sandy uplands by 1966 (36% +/- 7%). Cover on both soils then decreased slightly between 1966 and 1996 to 28% +/- 3%. Thus, soil properties influenced the rate at which landscapes reached a dynamic equilibrium, but not the apparent endpoint. Although sandy and clayey landscapes appear to have stabilized at comparable levels of cover, shrub biomass was 1.4 times greater on clayey soils. Declines in shrub cover between 1966 and 1996 were accompanied by a shift to smaller patch sizes on both sandy and clayey landscapes. Dynamics observed during the stabilization phase suggest that density-dependent regulation may be in play. If woody cover has transitioned from directional increases to a dynamic equilibrium, biomass projections will require monitoring and modeling patch dynamics and stand structure rather than simply changes in total cover.     

Variation in nesting patterns affecting nest temperatures in two populations of painted turtles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysemys picta</Emphasis>) with temperature-dependent sex determination

Mechanisms maintaining sex ratios in populations with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) remain elusive. Although geographic variation in embryonic sex determination (i.e., pivotal temperature) has been widely investigated in reptiles exhibiting TSD, no previous studies have directly addressed geographic variation in maternal behavior affecting nest thermal conditions. I evaluated patterns of nest-site selection and its effects on thermal and hydric nest conditions for a population of painted turtles ( Chrysemys picta bellii) exhibiting TSD in New Mexico. These results are compared to data collected from a well-studied, conspecific population experiencing relatively cooler climatic conditions in Illinois. Since canopy vegetation cover reduces nest temperatures in Illinois, I expected females in New Mexico to nest under high amounts of canopy vegetation cover. However, females from New Mexico placed nests under significantly less canopy vegetation cover, but closer to standing water, than did females from Illinois. Experimental nests in New Mexico demonstrated that increased canopy vegetation cover and soil moisture reduced nest temperatures. By nesting close to standing water rather than under canopy vegetation cover, females in New Mexico nested in habitats more closely associated with maximizing moisture around nests rather than reducing nest temperatures through shading. Mean July nest temperatures were similar for both populations. Since nest hydric conditions affect hatching success and hatchling size in C. picta, nesting patterns in New Mexico may primarily reflect selection for microhabitats affecting offspring survivorship or size.     

The Chemistry of Throughfall, Stemflow and Soil Water Beneath Oak Woodland and Moorland Vegetation in Upland Wales

The chemistry of bulk precipitation, throughfall, stemflow and soil waters beneath an oak wood (Quercus petraea) canopy and soil waters under moorland vegetation were measured at two sites on acid brown podzolic soils near Llyn Brianne in rural mid-Wales, UK. Between March 1986 and November 1988, precipitation was 4354 mm and annual interception losses from the oak canopy averaged 13% of incident precipitation. Throughfall and stemflow were more acid and concentrations of most solutes were increased 2- to 4-fold compared with bulk precipitation. Nitrate was the only solute retained within the tree canopy. Throughfall collected beneath patches of bracken on the forest floor was less acidic but contained substantially higher concentrations of major ions than bulk precipitation and oak throughfall. the moorland soil was more acidic, contained more exchangeable calcium but less exchangeable aluminium and potassium than the woodland soil. Soil waters beneath both vegetation types were acidic (mean pH range 4.5-4.9) and dominated by sodium and chloride. with the exception of calcium, soil water solute concentrations were greater beneath oak. These differences are ascribed to larger atmospheric inputs beneath the oak canopy compared with the shorter grasses, combined with the effect of differences in nutrient dynamics and water fluxes. Variations in soil water aluminium chemistry are explained in terms of ion exchange and podzolisa-tion processes. the water quality implications of increased upland afforestation of moorland by broadleaved trees are discussed.     

The Chemistry of Throughfall,Stemflow and Soil Water Beneath Oak Woodland and Moorland Vegetation in Upland Wales

The chemistry of bulk precipitation, throughfall, stemflow and soil waters beneath an oak wood (Quercus petraea) canopy and soil waters under moorland vegetation were measured at two sites on acid brown podzolic soils near Llyn Brianne in rural mid-Wales, UK. Between March 1986 and November 1988, precipitation was 4354 mm and annual interception losses from the oak canopy averaged 13% of incident precipitation. Throughfall and stemflow were more acid and concentrations of most solutes were increased 2- to 4-fold compared with bulk precipitation. Nitrate was the only solute retained within the tree canopy. Throughfall collected beneath patches of bracken on the forest floor was less acidic but contained substantially higher concentrations of major ions than bulk precipitation and oak throughfall. the moorland soil was more acidic, contained more exchangeable calcium but less exchangeable aluminium and potassium than the woodland soil. Soil waters beneath both vegetation types were acidic (mean pH range 4.5-4.9) and dominated by sodium and chloride. with the exception of calcium, soil water solute concentrations were greater beneath oak. These differences are ascribed to larger atmospheric inputs beneath the oak canopy compared with the shorter grasses, combined with the effect of differences in nutrient dynamics and water fluxes. Variations in soil water aluminium chemistry are explained in terms of ion exchange and podzolisa-tion processes. the water quality implications of increased upland afforestation of moorland by broadleaved trees are discussed.     

Estimating the potential impact of vegetation on the water cycle requires accurate soil water parameter estimation

It is well known that vegetation dynamics at the catchment scale depends on the prevailing weather and soil moisture conditions. Soil moisture, however, is not equally distributed in space due to differences in topography, weather patterns, soil properties and the type and amount of vegetation cover. To elucidate the complex interaction between vegetation and soil moisture, the dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS (Smith et al., 2001), which provides estimations of vegetation dynamics, but does not consider lateral water fluxes was coupled with the hydrological TOPMODEL (cf. Beven, 2001) in order to be able to evaluate the importance of these lateral fluxes. The new model LG-TM was calibrated and validated in two climatically different mountain catchments. The estimations of runoff were good, when monthly and weekly time scales were considered, although the low flow periods at winter time were somewhat underestimated. The uncertainty in the climate induced change vegetation carbon storage caused by the uncertainty in soil parameters was up to 3-5 kg C m⁻² (depending on elevation and catchment), compared to the total change in vegetation carbon storage of 5-9 kg C m⁻². Therefore accurate estimates of the parameters influencing the water holding capacity of the soil, for example depth and porosity, are necessary when estimating future changes in vegetation carbon storage. Similarly, changes in plant transpiration due to climatic changes could be almost double as high (88 mm m⁻²) in the not calibrated model compared to the new model version (ca 50 mm m⁻² transpiration change). The uncertainties in these soil properties were found to be more important than the lateral water exchange between grid cells, even in steep topography at least for the temporal and spatial resolution used here.     

The effects of Pinus tabuliformis on soil detachment under different influencing factors in the Loess Plateau of China

In situ experiments were undertaken to examine the impacts of Pinus tabuliformis on soil detachment under different influencing factors. Experimental sites with slopes containing vegetation cover, plant roots and bare ground were investigated for slope gradients of 8.7%, 17.6%, 26.8%, 36.4% and 46.6% and flow discharges of 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0?m³?s^?1. Results from our study provide details on the relationship between soil detachment and both slope gradient and flow discharge. Soil detachment rates increased with an increase in slope and discharge, and discharge was identified to have a stronger influence on soil detachment than slope. In contrast, the combination of litter cover and roots played an important role in reducing soil detachment; detachment rate decreased by about 55% relative to bare slopes; and plant roots had a greater impact on detachment reduction. The presence of vegetation cover can decrease rill erodibility by 83% and increase critical shear stress by 224% compared with bare slopes. These results provide valuable information on the importance of woodland in soil detachment control, and may help to improve vegetation construction in seriously eroded regions of the Loess Plateau.     

Reclamation of phytotoxic tailing

The reclamation of tailing that is toxic to vegetation (phytotoxic) was the subject of laboratory and field research. Using trona tailing as an example of phytotoxic waste, research identified three areas that may be critical to reclamation:

establishment and maintenance of a capillary barrier to prevent upward migration of plant toxicants into the plant-rooting zone;

water drainage or evaporation to prevent or control water accumulation within the tailing;

soil requirements for revegetation.

A pilot reclamation program was developed in which a 20-cm layer of coarse gravel formed a capillary barrier between phytotoxic tailing and overlying material. To maintain the integrity of the capillary barrier, a 20-cm layer of fine gravel was applied to the coarse gravel surface; soil was then applied to the fine gravel surface. A zone of shallow soil was used to allow water, which collected during the late winter, to evaporate from the tailing during the dry summer. Soil depth requirements were assessed by measuring the response of shrubs and grasses to increasing soil depth.     

Soil drying in a tropical forest: Three distinct environments controlled by gap size

Soil water and temperature regimes in the tropical moist forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, were simulated directly from meteorological data using the model SWEAT. Separate field observations from root-exclusion, litter-removal and control treatments in one small and one large forest gap were used for calibration and validation. After irrigating all treatments to field capacity, soil matric potential and temperature were measured over 17 days at four depths ≤50 mm using the filter-paper technique and bead thermistors. Understorey environments were also simulated under the same initial conditions. The results suggest that three distinct scenarios, controlled by gap size, describe how the above- and below-ground processes controlling soil drying are coupled: (1) in the large gap, root water extraction by surrounding trees is negligible so soil drying is dominated by evaporation from the soil surface. Soil temperature is dominated by direct solar heating and cooling due to evaporation. (2) In the small gap, root water extraction dominates soil drying with soil evaporation playing a minor role. Soil temperature is still dominated by direct sunlight with some cooling due to evaporation. (3) In the understorey, root water extraction dominates soil drying. Soil temperature is dominated by heat conduction from deep soil layers with some evaporation and sensible heat transfer. The contrasting soil drying regimes imposed by variation in canopy structure enhance micro-environmental heterogeneity and the scope for differential germination and seedling establishment in coexisting tropical tree species.     

Ecological properties of soil water and effects on forest vegetation in the Loess Plateau

In the Loess Plateau of China, soil water has three ecological properties: high infiltration capacity, high storage capacity and availability to deep plant roots. Soil desiccation is the most serious problem for forest vegetation in the Loess Plateau. Arid soils are the result of intensified soil desiccation caused by disturbances in plant succession, which constitute the ecological foundation of soil water. The negative effects of the arid soil layer on surface water infiltration for recharging underground water are discussed in terms of ecological hydrology. The arid soil layer disrupts the link between surface water and underground water and prevents vertical precipitation infiltration from supplementing underground water. Forest vegetation has a significant runoff-retaining efficiency that reduces total runoff from forest areas leading to low surface and ground runoff which affect the water cycle on a watershed scale.     

黄河三角洲新生湿地3种柽柳灌丛对土壤有机碳空间分布的影响研究

研究河口湿地不同类型柽柳灌丛土壤有机碳的空间分布规律,探讨植被演替对土壤有机碳的影响,有助于了解河口湿地生态保护及土壤改良的科学规律。以黄河三角洲新生湿地为研究对象,选择柽柳-碱蓬（Tamarix-Suaeda）、柽柳（Tamarix chinensis）和柽柳-禾草（Tamarix-Gramineae）3种灌丛群落类型,分析各群落土壤有机碳的空间分布特征,研究柽柳灌丛群落演替对有机碳空间分布的影响,探讨土壤有机碳与盐分、水分的关系。研究结果表明,（1）3种柽柳灌丛土壤有机碳的浓度随演替进程而增加,以柽柳-禾草群落最高,柽柳-碱蓬群落最低;且有机碳浓度随土层深度增加而降低,均呈现出与灌丛中心距离的增加而降低的规律,并以0—10 cm土层表现最为明显。（2）3种柽柳灌丛冠幅下土壤有机碳均有明显的聚集性,柽柳-禾草与柽柳灌丛最大富集系数出现在0—10 cm土层,分别为1.93和1.48;而柽柳-碱蓬灌丛最大富集系数在30—40 cm土层,为1.23。（3）柽柳-禾草灌丛与柽柳灌丛土壤有机碳表现出一定的冠幅边缘聚集性,最大富集系数为0—10 cm土层的1.24和1.22;柽柳-碱蓬群落冠缘有...     

The invasive grass Agropyron cristatum doubles belowground productivity but not soil carbon

Root dynamics are among the largest knowledge gaps in determining how terrestrial carbon (C) cycles will respond to environmental change. Increases in productivity accompanying plant invasions and introductions could increase ecosystem C storage, but belowground changes are unknown, even though roots may account for 50-90% of production in temperate ecosystems. We examined whether the introduction of a widespread invasive grass with relatively high shoot production also increased belowground productivity and soil C storage, using a multiyear rhizotron study in 50-year-old stands dominated either by the invasive C3 grass Agropyron cristatum or by largely C4 native grasses. Relative to native vegetation, stands dominated by the invader had doubled root productivity. Soil carbon isotope values showed that the invader had made detectable contributions to soil C. Soil C content, however, was not significantly different between invader-dominated stands (0.42 mg C/g soil) and native vegetation (0.45 mg C/g soil). The discrepancy between enhanced production and lack of soil C changes was attributable to differences in root traits between invader-dominated stands and native vegetation. Relative to native vegetation, roots beneath the invader had 59% more young white tissue, with 80% higher mortality and 19% lower C:N ratios (all P < 0.05). Such patterns have previously been reported for aboveground tissues of invaders, and we show that they are also found belowground. If these root traits occur in other invasive species, then the global phenomenon of increased productivity following biological invasion may not increase soil C storage.     

Impact of Native Plants on Bird and Butterfly Biodiversity in Suburban Landscapes

Abstract:  Managed landscapes in which non-native ornamental plants are favored over native vegetation now dominate the United States, particularly east of the Mississippi River. We measured how landscaping with native plants affects the avian and lepidopteran communities on 6 pairs of suburban properties in southeastern Pennsylvania. One property in each pair was landscaped entirely with native plants and the other exhibited a more conventional suburban mixture of plants—a native canopy with non-native groundcover and shrubs. Vegetation sampling confirmed that total plant cover and plant diversity did not differ between treatments, but non-native plant cover was greater on the conventional sites and native plant cover was greater on the native sites. Several avian (abundance, species richness, biomass, and breeding-bird abundance) and larval lepidopteran (abundance and species richness) community parameters were measured from June 2006 to August 2006. Native properties supported significantly more caterpillars and caterpillar species and significantly greater bird abundance, diversity, species richness, biomass, and breeding pairs of native species. Of particular importance is that bird species of regional conservation concern were 8 times more abundant and significantly more diverse on native properties. In our study area, native landscaping positively influenced the avian and lepidopteran carrying capacity of suburbia and provided a mechanism for reducing biodiversity losses in human-dominated landscapes.     

Succession and Disturbance in Sandhills Vegetation: Constructing Models for Managing Biological Diversity

Abstract: The Centennial Sandhills of southwest Montana support a mosaic of shrub-dominated vegetation in various stages of succession. The persistence of rare plants and plant communities depends on the presence of both early and late seral vegetation. Disturbances by fire, grazing, and burrowing are important processes opposing plant succession and influencing vegetation dynamics. We sampled vegetation in wind erosion (blowout), deposition, and stabilized sites on upper and lower slopes. Canonical correspondence analysis was employed to describe vegetation changes that occur during succession as soil organic matter and plant canopy cover increase and bare soil decreases. We used information on the effects of fire, ungulate grazing, and pocket gopher (  Thomomys talpoides ) burrowing, and our empirically derived successional sequence, to develop a model of sandhills vegetation dynamics operating at local and regional scales. The model suggests that fire followed by intense ungulate grazing may be the only way to restore early seral vegetation to areas of low topographic relief. In areas of high topographic relief, restoring presettlement fire frequency should be adequate to maintain pocket gopher habitat and thus a high proportion of early seral vegetation. These hypotheses should be tested through a process of adaptive management aimed at sustaining a mosaic of early and late seral vegetation capable of supporting the full spectrum of native species.     

土壤温室气体产生与排放影响因素研究进展

土壤是温室气体(如CO2、CH4和N2O)产生的重要源,土壤温室气体主要来自于微生物呼吸,植物根呼吸和土壤动物呼吸。土壤温室气体排放机制及其影响因素是研究全球碳氮循环的重要组成部分。研究表明,影响土壤呼吸的因素很多,土壤理化性质如温度、含水量、有机质含量、pH值、氧化还原电位(Eh)、土壤质地等因素都可以直接影响土壤微生物量及其生理生化过程,从而影响温室气体排放。其中,土壤温度,湿度、有机质含量是关键性因素。此外,地域气候、土地利用以及土地覆盖变化也可以通过改变土壤理化性质及呼吸底物来影响温室气体排放。文章重点论述了土壤温室气体排放机制,排放影响因素以及排放的日变化和季节变化规律。认为今后的研究方向应该是土壤微环境碳氮循环机制,土壤呼吸模型在尺度上的推延,以及注重中国陆地与近海生态系统碳固定及减少碳排放的对策和应用技术研究,特别在人工林碳固定及农业固碳减排方面加大研究力度等。     

Short reviews by the Editor

Soil desiccation is a major issue limiting development and sustainability of forest vegetation in the Loess Plateau of China. Better understanding of the mechanisms of soil desiccation in the Loess Plateau can help scientists and forest managers improve vegetation management practices. The arid soil layer is the ecological aftermath of intense soil desiccation due to disturbed plant succession and soil water reduction. The formation and types of arid soil layer in the Loess Plateau were investigated to determine major causes of soil desiccation and its impact on forest vegetation. The negative effects of soil desiccation on the ecological environment and forest vegetation mainly include drying microclimate, degrading soil quality, poor vegetation growth, difficult forest renewal from natural seed banks, making it even more difficult to reforest forest lands and grasslands following plant senescence. Low precipitation, high evaporation, soil and water losses, improper selection of vegetation types, and too high population density of trees are probably the major reasons for the arid soil layer. Proper selection of vegetation types, adjusting tree density and other management practices can reduce the negative effects of the arid soil layer on forest vegetation.     

台湾泥岩地区不同刺竹林景观下之土壤与植被变异

台湾西南部泥岩恶地,由于其特殊之土壤,地力流失消耗与区域微气候型态之间的因果循环,在水土保持与景观上形成不易植生绿化的地区及特殊之世界地形。泥岩地区之不同刺林林相之土壤,其林相皆伐后复层植被区土壤性质变异高于其它位置,而其它区之土壤理化性质在时间及空间上之变异不大,可明显区分林相不同之显著差异。不同林相对泥岩地浅层土壤(0~20cm)理化性质的差异,以植物营养元素与植生覆盖因子可充分说明(约占变异范围之62%)。泥岩试区区中移动性物质(交换性钙、钠与镁)明显较少出现在复层林相处区,而易出现于淋洗、冲蚀量较大之刺林相保留区与隔丛择伐区。长效性植物营养元素因子(pH值与有效性磷),因长时间之林相不同,使其较明显趋于复层林相区堆积,并影响地表植生之种类、分布与覆盖情形。0～20cm土壤性质的分布和离子间的移动特性有关,移动性高的钠、镁离子会在冲蚀量高之区域出现,20～40cm土壤性质的分布则和土壤中之母质与植生有关并与因素分析结果相似,其次为可移动性离子的影响,且应用地理统计印证土壤性质在空间之变化,其分布确实与不同林相位置有关,即植生营养元素(pH值、有效性磷)大都朝向复层植被区之趋势。典型相关分析结果,地表覆盖度与入侵植物数量两变量主要系透过第一个典型因素与第二个典型因素而影响到复层植被区之pH值、有机质等土壤理化性质。     

Surrogates for Macrofungi and Mosses in Reservation Planning

Abstract: Our knowledge of cryptogam taxonomy and species distributions is currently too poor to directly plan for their conservation. We used inventory data from four distinct vegetation types, near Hobart Tasmania, to address the proposition that vegetation type, vascular plant taxon composition, and environmental variables can act as surrogates for mosses and macrofungi in reservation planning. The four vegetation types proved distinct in their taxon composition for all macrofungi, mosses, and vascular plants. We tested the strength of the relationships between the composition of cryptogam taxonomic groups and vascular plant composition and between the environmental variables and canopy cover. Taxon composition of woody vascular plants and vascular plants was the best predictor of the taxon composition of mosses and macrofungi. Combinations of environmental variables and canopy cover were also strong predictors of the taxon composition of mosses and macrofungi. We used an optimization routine for vascular plant taxa and woody plant species and determined the representation of cryptogam taxa in these selections. We identified sites with approximately 10% and 30% of the greatest proportions of vascular plants and woody vascular plants and calculated representation of mosses and macrofungi at these sites. We compared the results of these site selections with random site selections and random selections stratified by vegetation type. Random selection of sites by vegetation type generally captured more cryptogams than site selection by vascular plants at the 10% level. Vascular plant and woody plant taxon composition, vegetation type, and environmental and structural characteristics, all showed promise as surrogates for capturing common cryptogams in reserve systems.     

Vegetation competition model for water and light limitation. I: Model description, one-dimensional competition and the influence of groundwater

Vegetation growth models often concentrate on the interaction of vegetation with soil moisture but usually omit the influence of groundwater. However the proximity of groundwater can have a profound effect on vegetation growth, because it strongly influences the spatial and temporal distribution of soil moisture and therefore water and oxygen stress of vegetation. In two papers we describe the behavior of a coupled vegetation-groundwater-soil water model including the competition for water and light. In this first paper we describe the vegetation model, compare the model to measured flux data and show the influence of water and light competition in one dimension. In the second paper we focus on the influence of lateral groundwater flow and spatial patterns along a hillslope. The vegetation model is based on a biophysical representation of the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Transpiration and stomatal conductance depend both on atmospheric forcing and soil moisture content. Carbon assimilation depends on environmental conditions, stomatal conductance and biochemical processes. Light competition is driven by tree height and water competition is driven by root water uptake and its water and oxygen stress reaction. The modeled and measured H₂O and CO₂ fluxes compare well to observations on both a diurnal and a yearly timescale. Using an upscaling procedure long simulation runs were performed. These show the importance of light competition in temperate forests: once a tree is established under slightly unfavorable soil moisture conditions it can not be outcompeted by smaller trees with better soil moisture uptake capabilities, both in dry as in wet conditions. Performing the long simulation runs with a background mortality rate reproduces realistic densities of wet and dry adapted tree species along a wet to dry gradient. These simulations show that the influence of groundwater is apparent for a large range of groundwater depths, by both capillary rise and water logging. They also show that species composition and biomass have a larger influence on the water balance in eco-hydrological systems than soil and groundwater alone.