E-Thesis 133 views 33 downloads
Ionic dynamics of stemflow on oak trees during a growing season in South Wales, UK / JACK HOUGHTON
Swansea University Author: JACK HOUGHTON
Abstract
The ionic composition of stemflow over the course of early spring to summer (March to June) offers an insight into the movement of ions throughout this small area of the hydrological cycle and its development over the course of a single season. The water is collected from the six selected common oak...
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Swansea University, Wales, UK
2024
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| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Master of Research |
| Degree name: | MRes |
| Supervisor: | Urbanek, E., and Walsh R. R. P. |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67284 |
| Abstract: |
The ionic composition of stemflow over the course of early spring to summer (March to June) offers an insight into the movement of ions throughout this small area of the hydrological cycle and its development over the course of a single season. The water is collected from the six selected common oak trees (Quercus Robur) using stemflow collars, with the characteristics of the storm being taken from nearby weather stations to the study site in Clyne Valley, Swansea. This data is complimented by laboratory work to uncover how water behaves with bark as a medium to flow over as these porous medium reveals droplet characteristics to show how stemflow acts on a smaller spatial scale than it is usually discussed. Furthermore, how the bark reacts through its hygroscopic abilities to the ambient moisture content is studied using a climatically controlled chamber to attempt to understand fluctuations in barks moisture. The processing of both storm rainwater and stemflow samples was done by ion chromatography to determine its ionic composition. The quantities of ions then showed clear correlations within the acquired dataset to length of prior dry period, with various ions showing preference to at least one of the rainfall characteristics. Meanwhile, stemflow volume was primarily attributable to the storm depth.Many of the salt-based ions were correlated to one another, whereas movement dynamics of droplets largely disagreed with the few studies that came before one’s own. These results lead to conclusions showing a disparity between the fluid solvent medium and the ionic content within it. |
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| Keywords: |
Stemflow, Ions, Meteorology, Hygroscopicity, Climate change, Droplet movement |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |