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Ning QR, Li Q, Zhang HP, Jin Y, Gong XW, Jiao RF, Bakpa EP, Zhao H, Liu H. Weak correlations among leaf thermal metrics, economic traits and damages under natural heatwaves. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:170022. [PMID: 38220006 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The frequency and intensity of heatwaves are increasing around the world, causing severe damages to plants, but whether leaf thermal metrics is in line with leaf economic spectrum is still controversial. Here, we measured leaf damage ratio, leaf thermal metrics (tolerance and sensitivity) and economic traits of 131 woody species across five cities along the Yangtze River after a two-month natural extreme temperature event. We found that leaf thermal sensitivity but not thermal tolerance was correlated with leaf damage ratio, and the relationships between leaf thermal metrics and economic traits were weak, indicating that leaf thermal adaptation may be independent from leaf carbon construction. This study suggests a potential indicator for predicting plant survival under heatwaves, urging future research to explore more physiological traits to comprehensively understand plant heat responses and adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Rui Ning
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Li
- School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Hao-Ping Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Jin
- Lushan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang, China
| | - Xue-Wei Gong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Rui-Fang Jiao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Emily Patience Bakpa
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Han Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
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Lv H, Gangwisch M, Saha S. Crown die-back of peri-urban forests after combined heatwave and drought was species-specific, size-dependent, and also related to tree neighbourhood characteristics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169716. [PMID: 38159755 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The Rhine River valley of Germany has been facing recurrent and intense spells of drought and heatwaves threatening the health of trees in peri-urban forests. Crown damage intensified by climate change accelerates tree mortality, threatening its ecological, economic, and social benefits; however, the pattern of crown die-back in peri-urban forests remained unclear. We performed a field inventory to estimate the crown die-back of 2578 trees of 51 species from 68 randomly selected peri-urban forest plots in Karlsruhe region on the right bank of the Rhine, after the catastrophic summer heatwave and drought of 2018. We related crown die-back to species-specific drought tolerance, wood anatomical traits, tree size, canopy surface temperature, tree density, Shannon's diversity and Gini coefficient for tree height. Regression results indicate that small-size trees were found to be more susceptible to canopy damage than large trees, with a 1-meter increase in tree height associated with a 0.8 % reduction in crown die-back. This size-dependent process is also species-specific. Among the 12 species with significant (p < 0.05) linear relationship between height and die-back, 9 species demonstrated negative correlations and 3 species showed positive relationships. Species tolerant to drought or cavitation (e.g., trees with diffuse porous xylem, 21 species) had significantly lower crown dieback. For example, with a 1-point-scale increase in drought tolerance crown die-back declined 14.35 %. Trees that experienced high canopy surface temperature and grew with high tree density and species diversity (Shannon's diversity) had more crown die-back. However, high structural diversity (Gini coefficient) was related to lower crown die-back. Our results suggested that future research should focus more on tree species-specific hydraulic and thermal traits and tree density and structure management to improve tree health and species selection in peri-urban forests under future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailiang Lv
- Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Xinfeng Road 5, 163316 Daqing, China; Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlstr. 11, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Marcel Gangwisch
- Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Werthmannstr. 10, D-79085 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Somidh Saha
- Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlstr. 11, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany; Institute of Geography and Geoecology (IfGG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kaiserstr. 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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Kim EH, Hitchmough JD, Cameron RW, Schrodt F, Martin KWE, Cubey R. Applying the concept of niche breadth to understand urban tree mortality in the UK. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 902:166304. [PMID: 37619719 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Accelerated climate change has raised concerns about heightened vulnerability of urban trees, spurring the need to reevaluate their suitability. The urgency has also driven the widespread application of climatic niche-based models. In particular, the concept of niche breadth (NB), the range of environmental conditions that species can tolerate, is commonly estimated based on species occurrence data over the selected geographic range to predict species response to changing conditions. However, in urban environments where many species are cultivated out of the NB of their natural distributions, additional empirical evidence beyond presence and absence is needed not only to test the true tolerance limits but also to evaluate species' adaptive capacity to future climate. In this research, mortality trends of Acer and Quercus species spanning a 21-year period (2000-2021) from tree inventories of three major UK botanic gardens - the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (KEW), Westonbirt, the National Arboretum (WESB), and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) - were analyzed in relation to their NB under long-term drought stress. As a result, Acer species were more responsive to drought and heat stress. For Acer, positioning below the lower limits of the precipitation of warmest quarter led to an increase in the probability of annual mortality by 1.2 and 1.3 % at KEW and RBGE respectively. In addition, the mean cumulative mortality rate increased corresponding to an increase in the number of niche positions below the lower limits of the selected bioclimatic variables. On the other hand, Quercus species in general exhibited comparable resilience regardless of their niche positions. Moreover, Mediterranean oaks were most tolerant, with cumulative mortality rates that were lower than those of native oaks in the UK. These findings further highlight the importance of incorporating ecological performance and recognizing species-specific adaptive strategies in climatic niche modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Hye Kim
- Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Sheffield, Arts Tower, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
| | - James D Hitchmough
- Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Sheffield, Arts Tower, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Ross W Cameron
- Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Sheffield, Arts Tower, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Franziska Schrodt
- Department of Geography, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
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Marchin RM, Esperon-Rodriguez M, Tjoelker MG, Ellsworth DS. Crown dieback and mortality of urban trees linked to heatwaves during extreme drought. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 850:157915. [PMID: 35944640 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cities have been described as 'heat islands' and 'dry islands' due to hotter, drier air in urban areas, relative to the surrounding landscape. As climate change intensifies, the health of urban trees will be increasingly impacted. Here, we posed the question: Is it possible to predict urban tree species mortality using (1) species climate envelopes and (2) plant functional traits? To answer these, we tracked patterns of crown dieback and recovery for 23 common urban tree and shrub species in Sydney, Australia during the record-breaking austral 2019-2020 summer. We identified 10 heat-tolerant species including five native and five exotic species, which represent climate-resilient options for urban plantings that are likely to continue to thrive for decades. Thirteen species were considered vulnerable to adverse conditions due to their mortality, poor health leading to tree removal, and/or extensive crown dieback. Crown dieback increased with increasing precipitation of the driest month of species climate of origin, suggesting that species from dry climates may be better suited for urban forests in future climates. We effectively grouped species according to their drought strategy (i.e., tolerance versus avoidance) using a simple trait-based framework that was directly linked with species mortality. The seven most climate-vulnerable species used a drought-avoidance strategy, having low wood density and high turgor loss points along with large, thin leaves with low heat tolerance. Overall, plant functional traits were better than species climate envelopes at explaining crown dieback. Recovery after stress required two mild, wet years for most species, resulting in prolonged loss of cooling benefits as well as economic losses due to replacement of dead/damaged trees. Hotter, longer, and more frequent heatwaves will require selection of more climate-resilient species in urban forests, and our results suggest that future research should focus on plant thermal traits to improve prediction models and species selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée M Marchin
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
| | - Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Mark G Tjoelker
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - David S Ellsworth
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
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Thom JK, Livesley SJ, Fletcher TD, Farrell C, Arndt SK, Konarska J, Szota C. Selecting tree species with high transpiration and drought avoidance to optimise runoff reduction in passive irrigation systems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 812:151466. [PMID: 34780836 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Rainfall in cities can generate large volumes of stormwater runoff which degrades receiving waterways. Irrigating trees with runoff (passive irrigation) has the potential to increase transpiration and contribute to stormwater management by reducing runoff received by downstream waterways, but the stochastic nature of rainfall may expose trees with high transpiration to drought stress. We hypothesized that for success in passive irrigation systems, tree species should exhibit i) high maximum transpiration rates under well-watered conditions, ii) drought avoidance between rainfall events, and iii) high recovery of transpiration with rainfall following a drought. We assessed 13 commonly planted urban tree species in Melbourne, Australia against three metrics representing these behaviours (crop factor, hydroscape area, and transpiration recovery, respectively) in a glasshouse experiment. To aid species selection, we also investigated the relationships between these three metrics and commonly measured plant traits, including leaf turgor loss point, wood density, and sapwood to leaf area ratio (Huber value). Only one species (Tristaniopsis laurina) exhibited a combination of high crop factor (>1.1 mm mm-1 d-1) indicating high transpiration, small hydroscape area (<3 MPa2) indicating drought avoidance, and high transpiration recovery (>85%) following water deficit. Hence, of the species measured, it had the greatest potential to reduce runoff from passive irrigation systems while avoiding drought stress. Nevertheless, several other species showed moderate transpiration, hydroscape areas and transpiration recovery, indicating a balanced strategy likely suitable for passive irrigation systems. Huber values were negatively related to crop factor and transpiration recovery and may therefore be a useful tool to aid species selection. We propose that selecting tree species with high transpiration rates that can avoid drought and recover well could greatly reduce stormwater runoff, while supporting broader environmental benefits such as urban cooling in cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine K Thom
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Burnley, Victoria 3121, Australia.
| | - Stephen J Livesley
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Burnley, Victoria 3121, Australia.
| | - Tim D Fletcher
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Burnley, Victoria 3121, Australia.
| | - Claire Farrell
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Burnley, Victoria 3121, Australia.
| | - Stefan K Arndt
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Burnley, Victoria 3121, Australia.
| | - Janina Konarska
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Burnley, Victoria 3121, Australia; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Guldhedsgatan 5a, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christopher Szota
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Burnley, Victoria 3121, Australia.
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