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Alderotti F, Verdiani E. God save the queen! How and why the dominant evergreen species of the Mediterranean Basin is declining? AOB PLANTS 2023; 15:plad051. [PMID: 37899973 PMCID: PMC10601391 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plad051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Quercus ilex may be considered the queen tree of the Mediterranean Basin, dominating coastal forest areas up to 2000 m above sea level at some sites. However, an increase in holm oak decline has been observed in the last decade. In this review, we analysed the current literature to answer the following questions: what are the traits that allow holm oak to thrive in the Mediterranean environment, and what are the main factors that are currently weakening this species? In this framework, we attempt to answer these questions by proposing a triangle as a graphical summary. The first vertex focuses on the main morpho-anatomical, biochemical and physiological traits that allow holm oak to dominate Mediterranean forests. The other two vertices consider abiotic and biotic stressors that are closely related to holm oak decline. Here, we discuss the current evidence of holm oak responses to abiotic and biotic stresses and propose a possible solution to its decline through adequate forest management choices, thus allowing the species to maintain its ecological domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Alderotti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy
| | - Erika Verdiani
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy
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2
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Zacarias Rafael D, Arriagada O, Toro G, Mashilo J, Mora-Poblete F, Contreras-Soto RI. Plasticity of the Root System Architecture and Leaf Gas Exchange Parameters Are Important for Maintaining Bottle Gourd Responses under Water Deficit. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 9:plants9121697. [PMID: 33287101 PMCID: PMC7761539 DOI: 10.3390/plants9121697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The evaluation of root system architecture (RSA) development and the physiological responses of crop plants grown under water-limited conditions are of great importance. The purpose of this study was to examine the short-term variation of the morphological and physiological plasticity of Lagenaria siceraria genotypes under water deficit, evaluating the changes in the relationship between the root system architecture and leaf physiological responses. Bottle gourd genotypes were grown in rhizoboxes under well-watered and water deficit conditions. Significant genotype-water regime interactions were observed for several RSA traits and physiological parameters. Biplot analyses confirmed that the drought-tolerant genotypes (BG-48 and GC) showed a high net CO2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rates with a smaller length, and a reduced root length density of second-order lateral roots, whereas the genotypes BG-67 and Osorno were identified as drought-sensitive and showed greater values for average root length and the density of second-order lateral roots. Consequently, a reduced length and density of lateral roots in bottle gourd should constitute a response to water deficit. The root traits studied here can be used to evaluate bottle gourd performance under novel water management strategies and as criteria for breeding selection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Osvin Arriagada
- Departamento de Ciencias Vegetales, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 306-22, Chile;
| | - Guillermo Toro
- Plant Stress Physiology Laboratory, Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Fruticultura (CEAF), Rengo 2940000, Chile;
| | - Jacob Mashilo
- Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural, Bela-Bela 0480, South Africa;
| | - Freddy Mora-Poblete
- Institute of Biological Science, University of Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile; (D.Z.R.); (F.M.-P.)
| | - Rodrigo Iván Contreras-Soto
- Instituto de Ciencias Agroalimentarias, Animales y Ambientales, Universidad de O’Higgins, San Fernando 3070000, Chile
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3
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Drought Increases Vulnerability of Pinus ponderosa Saplings to Fire-Induced Mortality. FIRE-SWITZERLAND 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/fire3040056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The combination of drought and fire can cause drastic changes in forest composition and structure. Given the predictions of more frequent and severe droughts and forecasted increases in fire size and intensity in the western United States, we assessed the impact of drought and different fire intensities on Pinus ponderosa saplings. In a controlled combustion laboratory, we exposed saplings to surface fires at two different fire intensity levels (quantified via fire radiative energy; units: MJ m−2). The recovery (photosynthesis and bud development) and mortality of saplings were monitored during the first month, and at 200- and 370-days post-fire. All the saplings subjected to high intensity surface fires (1.4 MJ m−2), regardless of the pre-fire water status, died. Seventy percent of pre-fire well-watered saplings recovered after exposure to low intensity surface fire (0.7 MJ m−2). All of the pre-fire drought-stressed saplings died, even at the lower fire intensity. Regardless of the fire intensity and water status, photosynthesis was significantly reduced in all saplings exposed to fire. At 370 days post-fire, burned well-watered saplings that recovered had similar photosynthesis rates as unburned plants. In addition, all plants that recovered or attempted to recover produced new foliage within 35 days following the fire treatments. Our results demonstrate that the pre-fire water status of saplings is an important driver of Pinus ponderosa sapling recovery and mortality after fire.
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Lobo A, Torres-Ruiz JM, Burlett R, Lemaire C, Parise C, Francioni C, Truffaut L, Tomášková I, Hansen JK, Kjær ED, Kremer A, Delzon S. Assessing inter- and intraspecific variability of xylem vulnerability to embolism in oaks. FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT 2018; 424:53-61. [PMID: 29910530 PMCID: PMC5997172 DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2018.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The genus Quercus comprises important species in forestry not only for their productive value but also for their ability to withstand drought. Hence an evaluation of inter- and intraspecific variation in drought tolerance is important for selecting the best adapted species and provenances for future afforestation. The presence of long vessels makes it difficult to assess xylem vulnerability to embolism in oak. Thanks to the development of an in situ flow centrifuge equipped with a large rotor, we quantified (i) the between species variability of embolism resistance in four native and two exotic species of oaks in Europe and (ii) the within species variability in Quercus petraea. Embolism resistance varied significantly among species, with the pressure inducing 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity (P50 ) ranging between - 7.0 and -4.2 MPa. Species native to the Mediterranean region were more resistant than pan-European species. In contrast, intraspecific variability in embolism resistance in Q. petraea was low within provenances and null among provenances. A positive correlation between P50 and vessel diameter among the six oak species indicates that the more embolism resistant species had narrower xylem vessels. However, this tradeoff between hydraulic efficiency and safety was not observed between Q. petraea provenances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albin Lobo
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN), University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ivana Tomášková
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00 Praha 6 – Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Jon Kehlet Hansen
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN), University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Erik Dahl Kjær
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN), University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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5
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Lombardi F, Scippa GS, Lasserre B, Montagnoli A, Tognetti R, Marchetti M, Chiatante D. The influence of slope on Spartium junceum root system: morphological, anatomical and biomechanical adaptation. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2017; 130:515-525. [PMID: 28299515 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-017-0919-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Root systems have a pivotal role in plant anchorage and their mechanical interactions with the soil may contribute to soil reinforcement and stabilization of slide-prone slopes. In order to understand the responses of root system to mechanical stress induced by slope, samples of Spartium junceum L., growing in slope and in plane natural conditions, were compared in their morphology, biomechanical properties and anatomical features. Soils sampled in slope and plane revealed similar characteristics, with the exception of organic matter content and penetrometer resistance, both higher in slope. Slope significantly influenced root morphology and in particular the distribution of lateral roots along the soil depth. Indeed, first-order lateral roots of plants growing on slope condition showed an asymmetric distribution between up- and down-slope. Contrarily, this asymmetric distribution was not observed in plants growing in plane. The tensile strength was higher in lateral roots growing up-slope and in plane conditions than in those growing down-slope. Anatomical investigations revealed that, while roots grown up-slope had higher area covered by xylem fibers, the ratio of xylem and phloem fibers to root diameter did not differ among the three conditions, as also, no differences were found for xylem fiber cell wall thickness. Roots growing up-slope were the main contributors to anchorage properties, which included higher strength and higher number of fibers in the xylematic tissues. Results suggested that a combination of root-specific morphological, anatomical and biomechanical traits, determines anchorage functions in slope conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Lombardi
- Dipartimento di AGRARIA, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Loc. Feo di Vito, 89122, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
| | - G S Scippa
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, Is, Italy
| | - B Lasserre
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, Is, Italy
| | - A Montagnoli
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita, Università dell'Insubria, 21100, Varese, Italy
| | - R Tognetti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, Is, Italy
- The EFI project centre on mountain forests (MOUNTFOR), Edmund Mach Foundation, Via Edmund Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, Tn, 38010, Italy
| | - M Marchetti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, Is, Italy
| | - D Chiatante
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita, Università dell'Insubria, 21100, Varese, Italy
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Montagnoli A, Terzaghi M, Fulgaro N, Stoew B, Wipenmyr J, Ilver D, Rusu C, Scippa GS, Chiatante D. Non-destructive Phenotypic Analysis of Early Stage Tree Seedling Growth Using an Automated Stereovision Imaging Method. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1644. [PMID: 27840632 PMCID: PMC5083884 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
A plant phenotyping approach was applied to evaluate growth rate of containerized tree seedlings during the precultivation phase following seed germination. A simple and affordable stereo optical system was used to collect stereoscopic red-green-blue (RGB) images of seedlings at regular intervals of time. Comparative analysis of these images by means of a newly developed software enabled us to calculate (a) the increments of seedlings height and (b) the percentage greenness of seedling leaves. Comparison of these parameters with destructive biomass measurements showed that the height traits can be used to estimate seedling growth for needle-leaved plant species whereas the greenness trait can be used for broad-leaved plant species. Despite the need to adjust for plant type, growth stage and light conditions this new, cheap, rapid, and sustainable phenotyping approach can be used to study large-scale phenome variations due to genome variability and interaction with environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Montagnoli
- Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Botany, Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of InsubriaVarese, Italy
| | - Mattia Terzaghi
- Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Botany, Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of InsubriaVarese, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Fulgaro
- Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Botany, Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of InsubriaVarese, Italy
| | - Borys Stoew
- Sensor Systems Department, Acreo Swedish ICTGothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jan Wipenmyr
- Sensor Systems Department, Acreo Swedish ICTGothenburg, Sweden
| | - Dag Ilver
- Sensor Systems Department, Acreo Swedish ICTGothenburg, Sweden
| | - Cristina Rusu
- Sensor Systems Department, Acreo Swedish ICTGothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Donato Chiatante
- Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Botany, Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of InsubriaVarese, Italy
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