Cited by 848Plant Water Relations and Carbon DynamicsBotany and Plant Ecology StudiesEcology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Climatic control of vegetation distribution: the role of the water balance

Stephenson, Nathan L.·1990·The American Naturalist

Abstract

The water balance describes climate as it is sensed by plants, as the interaction of energy and water in the environment. Discriminant analysis showed that the distribution of North American plant formations was more highly correlated with the water balance (actual evapotranspiration and deficit) than with the more traditional measures of climate (such as temperature and precipitation) used in several studies, including those used in the well-known works of Thornthwaite, Holdridge, and Whittaker. Much of the improved correlation could be attributed to the ability of the water balance to distinguish between climates similar in mean annual energy and water supplies but different in the seasonal timing of the two. Consideration of the water balance aided in the interpretation of possible mechanisms controlling the distribution of plant formations. For example, coniferous forest occurred at low actual evapotranspiration (low simultaneous availability of energy and water), consistent with the suggestion that conifers are better adapted than deciduous trees to environments with a low potential for primary production. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which climate controls vegetation distribution will help us predict the effects of changing climate on the future distribution of vegetation types.

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Crossref · 10.1086/285067

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Authors
Stephenson, N. L.
Corresponding author
Stephenson, Nathan L.
Venue
The American Naturalist
Published
1990-05
Volume
135
Issue
5
Pages
649-670
ISSN
  • 0003-0147 (ISSN-L)
  • 1537-5323
OpenAlex
W2022934840
Cited by
848
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 43 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 55 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 41 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 38 · 2012: 32
FWCI
18.46
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
The American Naturalist (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Science Foundation
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
Keywords
water balance, vegetation distribution, vegetation-climate interactions, actual evapotranspiration, evapotranspiration deficit, vegetation formations, coniferous forest, deciduous trees, primary production, climate change impacts on vegetation

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