Figure 2.

Time series of volumetric soil water content at depths of 3 and 4 m (A), 5 and 6 m (B), 7 and 8 m (C), and 9 and 10 m (D). Vertical arrows at depths of 6 and 7 m indicate the approximate age of the stand when water withdrawal at the root front led to a sharp decline in soil water content after stabilization resulting from a disruption of drainage from upper soil layers. The timecourse of soil water content at the other depths (3, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10 m) did not make it possible to estimate the stand age at the arrival of the root front. Trees were harvested ~1 month before re-planting.