Snowmelt and subsurface heterogeneity control tree water sources in a subalpine forest

In high mountain areas, snowmelt water is a key—yet fading—hydrological resource, but its importance for soil recharge and tree root water uptake is understudied. In these environments, heterogeneous terrains enhance a highly variable availability of soil and groundwater resources that can be accessed by plants. We conducted a tracer-based study on a subalpine forest in the Italian Alps. We investigated the isotopic composition (²H and ¹⁸O) of snowmelt, precipitation, spring water, soil water—at different locations and depths—and xylem water of twigs taken from alpine larch, Swiss stone pine and alpenrose plants during bi-weekly field campaigns (growing seasons of 2020 and 2021). Mixing models based on δ¹⁸O revealed a large contribution of snowmelt to soil and xylem water, particularly during early summer. We investigated the contribution of water from different soil depths to xylem water, using the sap flow records to date back the end-member signatures. We found a flexible use of shallow and deeper soil water by the investigated plants, with groundwater more likely used by larger trees and during the late summer. Results based on isotopic data were combined with geophysical observations of the subsurface structure to develop a conceptual model about the different exploitation of water by plants depending on their location (shallow soil on a slope vs. a saturated area). Our study highlights the relevance of snowmelt in high-elevation terrestrial ecosystems, where heterogeneous substrates shape the water availability at different depths and, in turn, water uptake by plants.