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Li X, Cai K, Zhao Q, Li H, Wang X, Tigabu M, Sederoff R, Ma W, Zhao X. Morphological and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Three Species of Five-Needle Pines: Insights Into Phenotypic Evolution and Phylogeny. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:795631. [PMID: 35222462 PMCID: PMC8866173 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.795631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pinus koraiensis, Pinus sibirica, and Pinus pumila are the major five-needle pines in northeast China, with substantial economic and ecological values. The phenotypic variation, environmental adaptability and evolutionary relationships of these three five-needle pines remain largely undecided. It is therefore important to study their genetic differentiation and evolutionary history. To obtain more genetic information, the needle transcriptomes of the three five-needle pines were sequenced and assembled. To explore the relationship of sequence information and adaptation to a high mountain environment, data on needle morphological traits [needle length (NL), needle width (NW), needle thickness (NT), and fascicle width (FW)] and 19 climatic variables describing the patterns and intensity of temperature and precipitation at six natural populations were recorded. Geographic coordinates of altitude, latitude, and longitude were also obtained. The needle morphological data was combined with transcriptome information, location, and climate data, for a comparative analysis of the three five-needle pines. We found significant differences for needle traits among the populations of the three five-needle pine species. Transcriptome analysis showed that the phenotypic variation and environmental adaptation of the needles of P. koraiensis, P. sibirica, and P. pumila were related to photosynthesis, respiration, and metabolites. Analysis of orthologs from 11 Pinus species indicated a closer genetic relationship between P. koraiensis and P. sibirica compared to P. pumila. Our study lays a foundation for genetic improvement of these five-needle pines and provides insights into the adaptation and evolution of Pinus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Kewei Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Qiushuang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Hanxi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Xuelai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Mulualem Tigabu
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Faculty of Forest Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Ronald Sederoff
- Forest Biotechnology Group, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Wenjun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Xiyang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
- College of Forestry and Grassland, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
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Liu X, Ziaco E, Biondi F. Water-Use Efficiency of Co-occurring Sky-Island Pine Species in the North American Great Basin. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:787297. [PMID: 34925427 PMCID: PMC8678526 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.787297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Water-use efficiency (WUE), weighing the balance between plant transpiration and growth, is a key characteristic of ecosystem functioning and a component of tree drought resistance. Seasonal dynamics of tree-level WUE and its connections with drought variability have not been previously explored in sky-island montane forests. We investigated whole-tree transpiration and stem growth of bristlecone (Pinus longaeva) and limber pine (Pinus flexilis) within a high-elevation stand in central-eastern Nevada, United States, using sub-hourly measurements over 5 years (2013-2017). A moderate drought was generally observed early in the growing season, whereas interannual variability of summer rains determined drought levels between years, i.e., reducing drought stress in 2013-2014 while enhancing it in 2015-2017. Transpiration and basal area increment (BAI) of both pines were coupled throughout June-July, resulting in a high but relatively constant early season WUE. In contrast, both pines showed high interannual plasticity in late-season WUE, with a predominant role of stem growth in driving WUE. Overall, bristlecone pine was characterized by a lower WUE compared to limber pine. Dry or wet episodes in the late growing season overrode species differences. Our results suggested thresholds of vapor pressure deficit and soil moisture that would lead to opposite responses of WUE to late-season dry or wet conditions. These findings provide novel insights and clarify potential mechanisms modulating tree-level WUE in sky-island ecosystems of semi-arid regions, thereby helping land managers to design appropriate science-based strategies and reduce uncertainties associated with the impact of future climatic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinsheng Liu
- School of Geography and Tourism, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
- DendroLab, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, United States
- College of Tourism and Geography, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, China
| | - Emanuele Ziaco
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Plant Ecology and Evolution, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Franco Biondi
- DendroLab, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, United States
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Morino K, Minor RL, Barron-Gafford GA, Brown PM, Hughes MK. Bimodal cambial activity and false-ring formation in conifers under a monsoon climate. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 41:1893-1905. [PMID: 33823053 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpab045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Tracking wood formation in semiarid regions during the seasonal march of precipitation extremes has two important applications. It can provide (i) insight into the adaptive capacities of trees to drought and (ii) a basis for a richer interpretation of tree-ring data, assisting in a deeper understanding of past and current climate. In the southwestern USA, the anatomical signature of seasonally bimodal precipitation is the 'false ring'-a band of latewood-like cells in the earlywood. These occur when a particularly deep drought during the early growing season ends abruptly with timely, mid-growing season monsoonal rains. Such conditions presented in southern Arizona in 2014, enabling us to explore false-ring formation in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson and C. Lawson) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco) in mixed-conifer forest at 2573 m above sea level. We ask: what were the cell-by-cell timings and durations in the phases of wood cell development in 2014? How do these seasonal patterns relate to strongly fluctuating environmental conditions during the growing season? We took weekly microcores from March through November from six ponderosa pine and seven Douglas-fir trees at a well-instrumented flux tower site. Thin sections were prepared, and we counted cells in cambial, expansion, cell wall thickening and mature phases. For ponderosa pine trees forming a false ring, the first impact of intensifying seasonal drought was seen in the enlarging phase and then, almost a month later, in cambial activity. In this species, recovery from drought was associated with recovery first in cambial activity, followed by cell enlargement. This timing raised the possibility that cell division may be affected by atmospheric moisture increases before soil recharge. In both species, the last false-ring cells matured during the summer rainy season. Bimodal cambial activity coincident with moisture availability was observed in both species, whether or not they formed a false ring. This deeper knowledge of the precise timing of both developmental and environmental events should help define mechanistic connections among these factors in creating bimodal growth patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyomi Morino
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Rebecca L Minor
- Department of Earth and Climate Sciences, Bates College, Lewiston, ME 04240, USA
| | - Greg A Barron-Gafford
- School of Geography, Development and Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- B2 Earthscience, Biosphere 2, Office of Research Development and Innovation, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Peter M Brown
- Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research, Ft. Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Malcolm K Hughes
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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Piovesan G, Biondi F. On tree longevity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 231:1318-1337. [PMID: 33305422 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Large, majestic trees are iconic symbols of great age among living organisms. Published evidence suggests that trees do not die because of genetically programmed senescence in their meristems, but rather are killed by an external agent or a disturbance event. Long tree lifespans are therefore allowed by specific combinations of life history traits within realized niches that support resistance to, or avoidance of, extrinsic mortality. Another requirement for trees to achieve their maximum longevity is either sustained growth over extended periods of time or at least the capacity to increase their growth rates when conditions allow it. The growth plasticity and modularity of trees can then be viewed as an evolutionary advantage that allows them to survive and reproduce for centuries and millennia. As more and more scientific information is systematically collected on tree ages under various ecological settings, it is becoming clear that tree longevity is a key trait for global syntheses of life history strategies, especially in connection with disturbance regimes and their possible future modifications. In addition, we challenge the long-held notion that shade-tolerant, late-successional species have longer lifespans than early-successional species by pointing out that tree species with extreme longevity do not fit this paradigm. Identifying extremely old trees is therefore the groundwork not only for protecting and/or restoring entire landscapes, but also to revisit and update classic ecological theories that shape our understanding of environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Piovesan
- Dendrology Lab, Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, 01100, Italy
| | - Franco Biondi
- DendroLab, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
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