Regular Article

A field investigation of phreatophyte-induced fluctuations in the water table

  1. James J. Butler Jr.1,
  2. Gerard J. Kluitenberg2,
  3. Donald O. Whittemore1,
  4. Steven P. Loheide II3,5,
  5. Wei Jin2,
  6. Mark A. Billinger4,
  7. Xiaoyong Zhan1,6

Article first published online: 7 FEB 2007

DOI: 10.1029/2005WR004627

Issue

Water Resources Research

Water Resources Research

Additional Information

How to Cite

Butler, J. J.Jr., G. J. Kluitenberg, D. O. Whittemore, S. P. Loheide II, W. Jin, M. A. Billinger, and X. Zhan (2007), A field investigation of phreatophyte-induced fluctuations in the water table, Water Resour. Res., 43, W02404, doi:10.1029/2005WR004627.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA

  2. 2

    Department of Agronomy, Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA

  3. 3

    Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA

  4. 4

    Division of Water Resources, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Stockton, Kansas, USA

  5. 5

    Now at Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

  6. 6

    Now at MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, Inc., Oakland, California, USA.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 7 FEB 2007
  2. Article first published online: 7 FEB 2007
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 12 SEP 2006
  4. Manuscript Revised: 25 MAY 2006
  5. Manuscript Received: 30 SEP 2005

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (633K)

Keywords:

  • phreatophytes;
  • water table fluctuations

[1] Hydrographs from shallow wells in vegetated riparian zones frequently display a distinctive pattern of diurnal water table fluctuations produced by variations in plant water use. A multisite investigation assessed the major controls on these fluctuations and the ecohydrologic insights that can be gleaned from them. Spatial and temporal variations in the amplitude of the fluctuations are primarily a function of variations in (1) the meteorological drivers of plant water use, (2) vegetation density, type, and vitality, and (3) the specific yield of sediments in the vicinity of the water table. Past hydrologic conditions experienced by the riparian zone vegetation, either in previous years or earlier within the same growing season, are also an important control. Diurnal water table fluctuations can be considered a diagnostic indicator of groundwater consumption by phreatophytes at most sites, so the information embedded within these fluctuations should be more widely exploited in ecohydrologic studies.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (633K)