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Ramirez JA, Craven D, Herrera D, Posada JM, Reu B, Sierra CA, Hoch G, Handa IT, Messier C. Non-structural carbohydrate concentrations in tree organs vary across biomes and leaf habits, but are independent of the fast-slow plant economic spectrum. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1375958. [PMID: 38766471 PMCID: PMC11099217 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1375958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Carbohydrate reserves play a vital role in plant survival during periods of negative carbon balance. Under a carbon-limited scenario, we expect a trade-offs between carbon allocation to growth, reserves, and defense. A resulting hypothesis is that carbon allocation to reserves exhibits a coordinated variation with functional traits associated with the 'fast-slow' plant economics spectrum. We tested the relationship between non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) of tree organs and functional traits using 61 angiosperm tree species from temperate and tropical forests with phylogenetic hierarchical Bayesian models. Our results provide evidence that NSC concentrations in stems and branches are decoupled from plant functional traits. while those in roots are weakly coupled with plant functional traits. In contrast, we found that variation between NSC concentrations in leaves and the fast-slow trait spectrum was coordinated, as species with higher leaf NSC had trait values associated with resource conservative species, such as lower SLA, leaf N, and leaf P. We also detected a small effect of leaf habit on the variation of NSC concentrations in branches and roots. Efforts to predict the response of ecosystems to global change will need to integrate a suite of plant traits, such as NSC concentrations in woody organs, that are independent of the 'fast-slow' plant economics spectrum and that capture how species respond to a broad range of global change drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Andres Ramirez
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Colombia
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt (CEF), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dylan Craven
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology and Environment, Universidad Mayor, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
- Data Observatory Foundation, and Technology Center, Santiago, Chile
| | - David Herrera
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Juan Manuel Posada
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Bjorn Reu
- School of Biology, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | | | - Guenter Hoch
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ira Tanya Handa
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt (CEF), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Messier
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt (CEF), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Institut des Sciences de la Foret Tempérée, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Ripon, QC, Canada
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Song L, Luo W, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Ma W, Cai J, Zuo X, Yu Q, Hartmann H, Li MH, Smith MD, Collins SL, Knapp AK, Wang Z, Han X. Differential responses of grassland community nonstructural carbohydrate to experimental drought along a natural aridity gradient. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 822:153589. [PMID: 35122840 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) can reflect community and ecosystem responses to environmental changes such as water availability. Climate change is predicted to increase aridity and the frequency of extreme drought events in grasslands, but it is unclear how community-scale NSC will respond to drought or how such responses may vary along aridity gradients. We experimentally imposed a 4-year drought in six grasslands along a natural aridity gradient and measured the community-weighted mean of leaf soluble sugar (SSCWM) and total leaf NSC (NSCCWM) concentrations. We observed a bell-shape relationship across this gradient, where SSCWM and total NSCCWM concentrations were lowest at intermediate aridity, with this pattern driven primarily by species turnover. Drought manipulation increased both SSCWM and total NSCCWM concentrations at one moderately arid grassland but decreased total NSCCWM concentrations at one moist site. These differential responses to experimental drought depended on the relative role of species turnover and intraspecific variation in driving shifts in SSCWM and total NSCCWM concentrations. Specifically, the synergistic effects of species turnover and intraspecific variation drove the responses of leaf NSC concentrations to drought, while their opposing effects diminished the effect of drought on plant SSCWM and total NSCCWM concentrations. Plant resource strategies were more acquisitive, via higher chlorophyllCWM concentration, to offset reduced NSCCWM concentrations and net aboveground primary productivity (ANPP) with increasing aridity at more mesic sites, but more conservative (i.e., decreased plant heightCWM and ANPP) to reduce NSC consumption at drier sites. The relationship between water availability and NSCCWM concentrations may contribute to community drought resistance and improve plant viability and adaptation strategies to a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Song
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wentao Luo
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | | | - Wang Ma
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiangping Cai
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Qiang Yu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Henrik Hartmann
- Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans Knoll Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Mai-He Li
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf CH-8903, Switzerland; Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Zhengwen Wang
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Xingguo Han
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Rodriguez-Caton M, Andreu-Hayles L, Morales MS, Daux V, Christie DA, Coopman RE, Alvarez C, Rao MP, Aliste D, Flores F, Villalba R. Different climate sensitivity for radial growth, but uniform for tree-ring stable isotopes along an aridity gradient in Polylepis tarapacana, the world's highest elevation tree species. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 41:1353-1371. [PMID: 33601406 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpab021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Tree growth is generally considered to be temperature limited at upper elevation treelines, yet climate factors controlling tree growth at semiarid treelines are poorly understood. We explored the influence of climate on stem growth and stable isotopes for Polylepis tarapacana Philipi, the world's highest elevation tree species, which is found only in the South American Altiplano. We developed tree-ring width index (RWI), oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) chronologies for the last 60 years at four P. tarapacana stands located above 4400 m in elevation, along a 500 km latitude aridity gradient. Total annual precipitation decreased from 300 to 200 mm from the northern to the southern sites. We used RWI as a proxy of wood formation (carbon sink) and isotopic tree-ring signatures as proxies of leaf-level gas exchange processes (carbon source). We found distinct climatic conditions regulating carbon sink processes along the gradient. Current growing-season temperature regulated RWI at northern-wetter sites, while prior growing-season precipitation determined RWI at arid southern sites. This suggests that the relative importance of temperature to precipitation in regulating tree growth is driven by site water availability. By contrast, warm and dry growing seasons resulted in enriched tree-ring δ13C and δ18O at all study sites, suggesting that similar climate conditions control carbon-source processes along the gradient. Site-level δ13C and δ18O chronologies were significantly and positively related at all sites, with the strongest relationships among the southern drier stands. This indicates an overall regulation of intercellular carbon dioxide via stomatal conductance for the entire P. tarapacana network, with greater stomatal control when aridity increases. This manuscript also highlights a coupling (decoupling) between physiological processes at leaf level and wood formation as a function of similarities (differences) in their climatic sensitivity. This study contributes to a better understanding and prediction of the response of high-elevation Polylepis woodlands to rapid climate changes and projected drying in the Altiplano.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laia Andreu-Hayles
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallés), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mariano S Morales
- Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), CONICET, Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, Mendoza 5500, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología, Universidad Continental, Av. San Carlos 1980, Huancayo 12003, Perú
| | - Valérie Daux
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, CEA/CNRS/UVSQ/IPSL, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Duncan A Christie
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Instituto de Conservación Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia 5110566, Los Ríos, Chile
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research, (CR)2, Blanco Encalada 2002, Santiago 8370415, Chile
| | - Rafael E Coopman
- Ecophysiology Laboratory for Forest Conservation, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Independencia 631, Valdivia 5110566, Los Ríos, Chile
| | - Claudio Alvarez
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Instituto de Conservación Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia 5110566, Los Ríos, Chile
| | - Mukund Palat Rao
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, 5th Floor Schermerhorn Extension, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Diego Aliste
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Instituto de Conservación Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia 5110566, Los Ríos, Chile
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research, (CR)2, Blanco Encalada 2002, Santiago 8370415, Chile
| | - Felipe Flores
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Instituto de Conservación Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia 5110566, Los Ríos, Chile
| | - Ricardo Villalba
- Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), CONICET, Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, Mendoza 5500, Argentina
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Urrutia-Jalabert R, Lara A, Barichivich J, Vergara N, Rodriguez CG, Piper FI. Low Growth Sensitivity and Fast Replenishment of Non-structural Carbohydrates in a Long-Lived Endangered Conifer After Drought. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:905. [PMID: 32733500 PMCID: PMC7357304 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
There is an ongoing debate on whether a drought induced carbohydrate limitation (source limitation) or a direct effect of water shortage (sink limitation) limit growth under drought. In this study, we investigated the effects of the two driest summers recorded in southern Chile in the last seven decades, on the growth and non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) concentrations of the slow-growing conifer Fitzroya cupressoides. Specifically, we studied the seasonal variation of NSC in saplings and adults one and two years after the occurrence of a 2 year-summer drought at two sites of contrasting precipitation and productivity (mesic-productive vs. rainy-less productive). We also evaluated radial growth before, during and after the drought, and predicted that drought could have reduced growth. If drought caused C source limitation, we expected that NSCs will be lower during the first than the second year after drought. Conversely, similar NSC concentrations between years or higher NSC concentrations in the first year would be supportive of sink limitation. Also, due to the lower biomass of saplings compared with adults, we expected that saplings should experience stronger seasonal NSC remobilization than adults. We confirmed this last expectation. Moreover, we found no significant growth reduction during drought in the rainy site and a slightly significant growth reduction at the mesic site for both saplings and adults. Across organs and in both sites and age classes, NSC, starch, and sugar concentrations were generally higher in the first than in the second year following drought, while NSC seasonal remobilization was generally lower. Higher NSC concentrations along with lower seasonal NSC remobilization during the first post-drought year are supportive of sink limitation. However, as these results were found at both sites while growth decreased slightly and just at the mesic site, limited growth only is unlikely to have caused NSC accumulation. Rather, these results suggest that the post-drought dynamics of carbohydrate storage are partly decoupled from the growth dynamics, and that the rebuild of C reserves after drought may be a priority in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Urrutia-Jalabert
- Instituto Forestal INFOR, Valdivia, Chile
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia, CR2, Santiago, Chile
| | - Antonio Lara
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia, CR2, Santiago, Chile
- Fundación Centro de los Bosques Nativos FORECOS, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Jonathan Barichivich
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, IPSL, CRNS/CEA/UVSQ, Paris, France
| | - Nicolás Vergara
- Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia, CR2, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carmen Gloria Rodriguez
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Frida I. Piper
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia, Coyhaique, Chile
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Casolo V, Braidot E, Petrussa E, Zancani M, Vianello A, Boscutti F. Relationships between population traits, nonstructural carbohydrates, and elevation in alpine stands of Vaccinium myrtillus. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:639-649. [PMID: 32239489 PMCID: PMC7217170 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Despite great attention given to the relationship between plant growth and carbon balance in alpine tree species, little is known about shrubs at the treeline. We hypothesized that the pattern of main nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) across elevations depends on the interplay between phenotypic trait plasticity, plant-plant interaction, and elevation. METHODS We studied the pattern of NSCs (i.e., glucose, fructose, sucrose, and starch) in alpine stands of Vaccinium myrtillus (above treeline) across an elevational gradient. In the same plots, we measured key growth traits (i.e., anatomical stem features) and shrub cover, evaluating putative relationships with NSCs. RESULTS Glucose content was positively related with altitude, but negatively related with shrub cover. Sucrose decreased at high altitude and in older populations and increased with higher percentage of vascular tissue. Starch content increased at middle and high elevations and in stands with high shrub cover. Moreover, starch content was negatively related with the number of xylem rings and the percentage of phloem tissue, but positively correlated with the percentage of xylem tissue. CONCLUSIONS We found that the increase in carbon reserves across elevations was uncoupled from plant growth, supporting the growth limitation hypothesis, which postulates NSCs accumulate at high elevation as a consequence of low temperature. Moreover, the response of NSC content to the environmental stress caused by elevation was buffered by phenotypic plasticity of plant traits, suggesting that, under climate warming conditions, shrub expansion due to enhanced plant growth would be pronounced in old but sparse stands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentino Casolo
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environmental and Animal SciencesPlant Biology UnitUniversity of Udinevia delle Scienze 9133100UdineItaly
| | - Enrico Braidot
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environmental and Animal SciencesPlant Biology UnitUniversity of Udinevia delle Scienze 9133100UdineItaly
| | - Elisa Petrussa
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environmental and Animal SciencesPlant Biology UnitUniversity of Udinevia delle Scienze 9133100UdineItaly
| | - Marco Zancani
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environmental and Animal SciencesPlant Biology UnitUniversity of Udinevia delle Scienze 9133100UdineItaly
| | - Angelo Vianello
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environmental and Animal SciencesPlant Biology UnitUniversity of Udinevia delle Scienze 9133100UdineItaly
| | - Francesco Boscutti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environmental and Animal SciencesPlant Biology UnitUniversity of Udinevia delle Scienze 9133100UdineItaly
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Mund M, Herbst M, Knohl A, Matthäus B, Schumacher J, Schall P, Siebicke L, Tamrakar R, Ammer C. It is not just a 'trade-off': indications for sink- and source-limitation to vegetative and regenerative growth in an old-growth beech forest. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 226:111-125. [PMID: 31901219 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Controls on tree growth are key issues in plant physiology. The hypothesis of our study was that the interannual variability of wood and fruit production are primarily controlled directly by weather conditions (sink limitation), while carbon assimilation (source limitation) plays a secondary role. We analyzed the interannual variability of weather conditions, gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP) of wood and fruits of an old-growth, unmanaged Fagus sylvatica forest over 14 yr, including six mast years. In a multiple linear regression model, c. 71% of the annual variation in wood-NPP could be explained by mean air temperature in May, precipitation from April to May (positive influence) and fruit-NPP (negative influence). GPP of June to July solely explained c. 42% of the variation in wood-NPP. Fruit-NPP was positively related to summer precipitation 2 yr before (R2 = 0.85), and negatively to precipitation in May (R2 = 0.83) in the fruit years. GPP had no influence on fruit-NPP. Our results suggest a complex system of sink and source limitations to tree growth driven by weather conditions and going beyond a simple carbon-mediated 'trade-off' between regenerative and vegetative growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Mund
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mathias Herbst
- German Meteorological Service, Centre for Agrometeorological Research, Bundesallee 33, D-38116, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Alexander Knohl
- Bioclimatology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, D-37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bertrand Matthäus
- Max Rubner-Institute, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Schützenberg 12, D-32756, Detmold, Germany
| | - Jens Schumacher
- Institute of Mathematics, University of Jena, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, D-07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Schall
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lukas Siebicke
- Bioclimatology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rijan Tamrakar
- Bioclimatology, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Christian Ammer
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, D-37073, Göttingen, Germany
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Abstract
Large-diameter trees have mainly been used for timber production in forestry practices. Recently, their critical roles played in biodiversity conservation and maintenance of ecosystem functions have been recognized. However, current forestry policy on the management of large-diameter trees is weak. As China is the biggest consumer of large-diameter timbers, how to maintain sustainable large-diameter timber resources as well as maximize ecological functions of the forests is a critical question to address. Here we summarize historical uses, distribution patterns, and management strategies of large-diameter trees in China. We found that large-diameter trees are mainly distributed in old-growth forests. Although China’s forest cover has increased rapidly in the past decades, large-diameter trees are rarely found in plantation forests and secondary forests. We suggest that knowledge of large-diameter trees should be widely disseminated in local forestry departments, especially their irreplaceable value in terms of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functions. Protection of large-diameter trees, especially those in old-growth forests, is critical for sustainable forestry. To meet the increasing demand of large-diameter timbers, plantation forests and secondary forests should apply forest density management with thinning to cultivate more large-diameter trees.
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Fuenzalida TI, Hernández-Moreno Á, Piper FI. Secondary leaves of an outbreak-adapted tree species are both more resource acquisitive and more herbivore resistant than primary leaves. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 39:1499-1511. [PMID: 31384949 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpz083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The magnitude and frequency of insect outbreaks are predicted to increase in forests, but how trees cope with severe outbreak defoliation is not yet fully understood. Winter deciduous trees often produce a secondary leaf flush in response to defoliation (i.e., compensatory leaf regrowth or refoliation), which promotes fast replenishment of carbon (C) storage and eventually tree survival. However, secondary leaf flushes may imply a high susceptibility to insect herbivory, especially in the event of an ongoing outbreak. We hypothesized that in winter deciduous species adapted to outbreak-driven defoliations, secondary leaves are both more C acquisitive and more herbivore resistant than primary leaves. During an outbreak by Ormiscodes amphimone F. affecting Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. & Endl.) Krasser forests, we (i) quantified the defoliation and subsequent refoliation by analyzing the seasonal dynamics of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and (ii) compared the physiological traits and herbivore resistance of primary and secondary leaves. Comparisons of the NDVI of the primary and second leaf flushes relative to the NDVI of the defoliated forest indicated 31% refoliation, which is close to the leaf regrowth reported by a previous study in juvenile N. pumilio trees subjected to experimental defoliation. Primary leaves had higher leaf mass per area, size, carbon:nitrogen ratio and soluble sugar concentration than secondary leaves, along with lower nitrogen and starch concentrations, and similar total polyphenol and phosphorus concentrations. In both a choice and a non-choice bioassay, the leaf consumption rates by O. amphimone larvae were significantly higher (>50%) for primary than for secondary leaves, indicating higher herbivore resistance in the latter. Our study shows that secondary leaf flushes in outbreak-adapted tree species can be both C acquisitive and herbivore resistant, and suggests that these two features mediate the positive effects of the compensatory leaf regrowth on the tree C balance and forest resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás I Fuenzalida
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Austral National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Ángela Hernández-Moreno
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Camino Baguales, Coyhaique, Chile
| | - Frida I Piper
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Camino Baguales, Coyhaique, Chile
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9
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Radial Growth Patterns Associated with Tree Mortality in Nothofagus pumilio Forest. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f10060489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Tree mortality is a key process in forest dynamics. Despite decades of effort to understand this process, many uncertainties remain. South American broadleaf species are particularly under-represented in global studies on mortality and forest dynamics. We sampled monospecific broadleaf Nothofagus pumilio forests in northern Patagonia to predict tree mortality based on stem growth. Live or dead conditions in N. pumilio trees can be predicted with high accuracy using growth rate as an explanatory variable in logistic models. In Paso Córdova (CO), Argentina, where the models were calibrated, the probability of death was a strong negative function of radial growth, particularly during the six years prior to death. In addition, negative growth trends during 30 to 45 years prior to death increased the accuracy of the models. The CO site was affected by an extreme drought during the summer 1978–1979, triggering negative trends in radial growth of many trees. Individuals showing below-average and persistent negative trends in radial growth are more likely to die than those showing high growth rates and positive growth trends in recent decades, indicating the key role of droughts in inducing mortality. The models calibrated at the CO site showed high verification skill by accurately predicting tree mortality at two independent sites 76 and 141 km away. Models based on relative growth rates showed the highest and most balanced accuracy for both live and dead individuals. Thus, the death of individuals across different N. pumilio sites was largely determined by the growth rate relative to the total size of the individuals. Our findings highlight episodic severe drought as a triggering mechanism for growth decline and eventual death for N. pumilio, similar to results found previously for several other species around the globe. In the coming decades, many forests globally will be exposed to more frequent and/or severe episodes of reduced warm-season soil moisture. Tree-ring studies such as this one can aid prediction of future changes in forest productivity, mortality, and composition.
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10
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Sheil D, Eastaugh CS, Vlam M, Zuidema PA, Groenendijk P, Sleen P, Jay A, Vanclay J. Does biomass growth increase in the largest trees? Flaws, fallacies and alternative analyses. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Sheil
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences P.O. Box 5003 NO‐1432 Ås Norway
| | - Chris S. Eastaugh
- Forest Research Centre Southern Cross University PO Box 157 Lismore NSW 2480 Australia
- Forestry Corporation NSW Western Division PO Box 865 Dubbo NSW 2830 Australia
| | - Mart Vlam
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Wageningen University & Research PO Box 47 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Pieter A. Zuidema
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Wageningen University & Research PO Box 47 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Peter Groenendijk
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Wageningen University & Research PO Box 47 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
- Departamento de Botánica Escola Politécnica Superior Universidade de Santiago de Compostela Campus de Lugo Lugo 27002 Spain
| | - Peter Sleen
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Wageningen University & Research PO Box 47 6700 AA Wageningen The Netherlands
- Marine Science Institute University of Texas at Austin Port Aransas TX 78373 USA
- Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal Km 9 carretera al norte Casilla 6204 Santa Cruz de la Sierra Bolivia
| | - Alex Jay
- Forest Research Centre Southern Cross University PO Box 157 Lismore NSW 2480 Australia
| | - Jerome Vanclay
- Forest Research Centre Southern Cross University PO Box 157 Lismore NSW 2480 Australia
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11
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Quentin AG, Pinkard EA, Ryan MG, Tissue DT, Baggett LS, Adams HD, Maillard P, Marchand J, Landhäusser SM, Lacointe A, Gibon Y, Anderegg WRL, Asao S, Atkin OK, Bonhomme M, Claye C, Chow PS, Clément-Vidal A, Davies NW, Dickman LT, Dumbur R, Ellsworth DS, Falk K, Galiano L, Grünzweig JM, Hartmann H, Hoch G, Hood S, Jones JE, Koike T, Kuhlmann I, Lloret F, Maestro M, Mansfield SD, Martínez-Vilalta J, Maucourt M, McDowell NG, Moing A, Muller B, Nebauer SG, Niinemets Ü, Palacio S, Piper F, Raveh E, Richter A, Rolland G, Rosas T, Saint Joanis B, Sala A, Smith RA, Sterck F, Stinziano JR, Tobias M, Unda F, Watanabe M, Way DA, Weerasinghe LK, Wild B, Wiley E, Woodruff DR. Non-structural carbohydrates in woody plants compared among laboratories. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 35:1146-1165. [PMID: 26423132 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpv073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in plant tissue are frequently quantified to make inferences about plant responses to environmental conditions. Laboratories publishing estimates of NSC of woody plants use many different methods to evaluate NSC. We asked whether NSC estimates in the recent literature could be quantitatively compared among studies. We also asked whether any differences among laboratories were related to the extraction and quantification methods used to determine starch and sugar concentrations. These questions were addressed by sending sub-samples collected from five woody plant tissues, which varied in NSC content and chemical composition, to 29 laboratories. Each laboratory analyzed the samples with their laboratory-specific protocols, based on recent publications, to determine concentrations of soluble sugars, starch and their sum, total NSC. Laboratory estimates differed substantially for all samples. For example, estimates for Eucalyptus globulus leaves (EGL) varied from 23 to 116 (mean = 56) mg g(-1) for soluble sugars, 6-533 (mean = 94) mg g(-1) for starch and 53-649 (mean = 153) mg g(-1) for total NSC. Mixed model analysis of variance showed that much of the variability among laboratories was unrelated to the categories we used for extraction and quantification methods (method category R(2) = 0.05-0.12 for soluble sugars, 0.10-0.33 for starch and 0.01-0.09 for total NSC). For EGL, the difference between the highest and lowest least squares means for categories in the mixed model analysis was 33 mg g(-1) for total NSC, compared with the range of laboratory estimates of 596 mg g(-1). Laboratories were reasonably consistent in their ranks of estimates among tissues for starch (r = 0.41-0.91), but less so for total NSC (r = 0.45-0.84) and soluble sugars (r = 0.11-0.83). Our results show that NSC estimates for woody plant tissues cannot be compared among laboratories. The relative changes in NSC between treatments measured within a laboratory may be comparable within and between laboratories, especially for starch. To obtain comparable NSC estimates, we suggest that users can either adopt the reference method given in this publication, or report estimates for a portion of samples using the reference method, and report estimates for a standard reference material. Researchers interested in NSC estimates should work to identify and adopt standard methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey G Quentin
- CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag 12, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia
| | | | - Michael G Ryan
- Natural Resources Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1499, USA Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1401, USA USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - David T Tissue
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia
| | - L Scott Baggett
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Henry D Adams
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - Pascale Maillard
- INRA, UMR 1137, Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières, Centre de Nancy, F-54280 Champenoux, France
| | - Jacqueline Marchand
- INRA, UMR 1137, Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières, Plateforme Technique d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle (OC 081) Centre de Nancy, F-54280 Champenoux, France
| | - Simon M Landhäusser
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - André Lacointe
- INRA, UMR 0547 PIAF, F:63100 Clermont-Ferrand, France Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, UMR 0547 PIAF, F:6310 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Yves Gibon
- UMR1332, Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, INRA, Bordeaux University, 71 avenue Edouard Bourlaux, F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon, France Plateforme Métabolome du Centre de Génomique Fonctionnelle Bordeaux, MetaboHUB, IBVM, Centre INRA, 71 avenue Edouard Bourlaux, F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - William R L Anderegg
- Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton NJ 08540, USA
| | - Shinichi Asao
- Natural Resources Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1499, USA Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1401, USA
| | - Owen K Atkin
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, Building 46, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Marc Bonhomme
- INRA, UMR 0547 PIAF, F:63100 Clermont-Ferrand, France Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, UMR 0547 PIAF, F:6310 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Caroline Claye
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, School of Land and Food, Private Bag 98, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Pak S Chow
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | | | - Noel W Davies
- Central Science Laboratory, Private Bag 74, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - L Turin Dickman
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - Rita Dumbur
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - David S Ellsworth
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia
| | - Kristen Falk
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Lucía Galiano
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland Institute of Hydrology, Freiburg University, Fahnenbergplatz, D-79098 Freiburg, Germany
| | - José M Grünzweig
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Henrik Hartmann
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Günter Hoch
- Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sharon Hood
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula MT-59812, USA
| | - Joanna E Jones
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, School of Land and Food, Private Bag 98, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Takayoshi Koike
- Silviculture and Forest Ecological Studies, Hokkaido University Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8589, Japan
| | - Iris Kuhlmann
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Francisco Lloret
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès E-08193 Barcelona, Spain Universidad Autònoma Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès E-08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Melchor Maestro
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Av. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria s/n, 22700 Jaca, Huesca, Spain
| | - Shawn D Mansfield
- Department of Wood Science, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4 Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès E-08193 Barcelona, Spain Universidad Autònoma Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès E-08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mickael Maucourt
- Plateforme Métabolome du Centre de Génomique Fonctionnelle Bordeaux, MetaboHUB, IBVM, Centre INRA, 71 avenue Edouard Bourlaux, F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon, France Université Bordeaux, UMR 1332, Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, 71 avenue Edouard Bourlaux, F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Nathan G McDowell
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - Annick Moing
- UMR1332, Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, INRA, Bordeaux University, 71 avenue Edouard Bourlaux, F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon, France Plateforme Métabolome du Centre de Génomique Fonctionnelle Bordeaux, MetaboHUB, IBVM, Centre INRA, 71 avenue Edouard Bourlaux, F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | | | - Sergio G Nebauer
- Plant Production Department, Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia, Camino de vera s.n. 46022-Valencia, Spain
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Department of Plant Physiology, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51014 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Sara Palacio
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Av. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria s/n, 22700 Jaca, Huesca, Spain
| | - Frida Piper
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Simpson 471, Coyhaique, Chile
| | - Eran Raveh
- Department of Fruit Trees Sciences, Institute of Plant Sciences, A.R.O., Gilat Research Center, D.N. Negev 85289, Israel
| | - Andreas Richter
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Teresa Rosas
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès E-08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Brigitte Saint Joanis
- INRA, UMR 0547 PIAF, F:63100 Clermont-Ferrand, France Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, UMR 0547 PIAF, F:6310 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Anna Sala
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula MT-59812, USA
| | - Renee A Smith
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia
| | - Frank Sterck
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University, Postbox 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Joseph R Stinziano
- Department of Biology, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, N6A 5B7, ON, Canada
| | - Mari Tobias
- Department of Plant Physiology, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51014 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Faride Unda
- Department of Wood Science, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4 Vancouver, Canada
| | - Makoto Watanabe
- Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
| | - Danielle A Way
- Department of Biology, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, N6A 5B7, ON, Canada Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Lasantha K Weerasinghe
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, Building 46, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400, Sri Lanka
| | - Birgit Wild
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Guldhedsgatan 5A, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erin Wiley
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - David R Woodruff
- USDA Forest Service, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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12
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Wang D, Jaiswal D, LeBauer DS, Wertin TM, Bollero GA, Leakey ADB, Long SP. A physiological and biophysical model of coppice willow (Salix spp.) production yields for the contiguous USA in current and future climate scenarios. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2015; 38:1850-1865. [PMID: 25963097 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
High-performance computing has facilitated development of biomass production models that capture the key mechanisms underlying production at high spatial and temporal resolution. Direct responses to increasing [CO2 ] and temperature are important to long-lived emerging woody bioenergy crops. Fast-growing willow (Salix spp.) within short rotation coppice (SRC) has considerable potential as a renewable biomass source, but performance over wider environmental conditions and under climate change is uncertain. We extended the bioenergy crop modeling platform, BioCro, to SRC willow by adding coppicing and C3 photosynthesis subroutines, and modifying subroutines for perennation, allocation, morphology, phenology and development. Parameterization with measurements of leaf photosynthesis, allocation and phenology gave agreement of modeled with measured yield across 23 sites in Europe and North America. Predictions for the continental USA suggest yields of ≥17 Mg ha(-1) year(-1) in a 4 year rotation. Rising temperature decreased predicted yields, an effect partially ameliorated by rising [CO2 ]. This model, based on over 100 equations describing the physiological and biophysical mechanisms underlying production, provides a new framework for utilizing mechanism of plant responses to the environment, including future climates. As an open-source tool, it is made available here as a community resource for further application, improvement and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Energy Bioscience Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Deepak Jaiswal
- Energy Bioscience Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - David S LeBauer
- Energy Bioscience Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Timothy M Wertin
- Energy Bioscience Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Germán A Bollero
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Andrew D B Leakey
- Energy Bioscience Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Stephen P Long
- Energy Bioscience Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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13
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Ruiz-Benito P, Madrigal-González J, Young S, Mercatoris P, Cavin L, Huang TJ, Chen JC, Jump AS. Climatic Stress during Stand Development Alters the Sign and Magnitude of Age-Related Growth Responses in a Subtropical Mountain Pine. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126581. [PMID: 25973854 PMCID: PMC4431836 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The modification of typical age-related growth by environmental changes is poorly understood, In part because there is a lack of consensus at individual tree level regarding age-dependent growth responses to climate warming as stands develop. To increase our current understanding about how multiple drivers of environmental change can modify growth responses as trees age we used tree ring data of a mountain subtropical pine species along an altitudinal gradient covering more than 2,200 m of altitude. We applied mixed-linear models to determine how absolute and relative age-dependent growth varies depending on stand development; and to quantify the relative importance of tree age and climate on individual tree growth responses. Tree age was the most important factor for tree growth in models parameterised using data from all forest developmental stages. Contrastingly, the relationship found between tree age and growth became non-significant in models parameterised using data corresponding to mature stages. These results suggest that although absolute tree growth can continuously increase along tree size when trees reach maturity age had no effect on growth. Tree growth was strongly reduced under increased annual temperature, leading to more constant age-related growth responses. Furthermore, young trees were the most sensitive to reductions in relative growth rates, but absolute growth was strongly reduced under increased temperature in old trees. Our results help to reconcile previous contrasting findings of age-related growth responses at the individual tree level, suggesting that the sign and magnitude of age-related growth responses vary with stand development. The different responses found to climate for absolute and relative growth rates suggest that young trees are particularly vulnerable under warming climate, but reduced absolute growth in old trees could alter the species' potential as a carbon sink in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paloma Ruiz-Benito
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Jaime Madrigal-González
- Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sarah Young
- School of Medicine and Research Center for Biodiversity, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Pierre Mercatoris
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Liam Cavin
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Tsurng-Juhn Huang
- School of Medicine and Research Center for Biodiversity, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jan-Chang Chen
- Department of Forestry, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Nei Pu Hsiang, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Alistair S. Jump
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
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14
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Gilson A, Barthes L, Delpierre N, Dufrêne É, Fresneau C, Bazot S. Seasonal changes in carbon and nitrogen compound concentrations in a Quercus petraea chronosequence. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 34:716-729. [PMID: 25122620 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpu060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Forest productivity declines with tree age. This decline may be due to changes in metabolic functions, resource availability and/or changes in resource allocation (between growth, reproduction and storage) with tree age. Carbon and nitrogen remobilization/storage processes are key to tree growth and survival. However, studies of the effects of tree age on these processes are scarce and have not yet considered seasonal carbon and nitrogen variations in situ. This study was carried out in a chronosequence of sessile oak (Quercus petraea Liebl.) for 1 year to survey the effects of tree age on the seasonal changes of carbon and nitrogen compounds in several tree compartments, focusing on key phenological stages. Our results highlight a general pattern of carbon and nitrogen function at all tree ages, with carbon reserve remobilization at budburst for growth, followed by carbon reserve formation during the leafy season and carbon reserve use during winter for maintenance. The variation in concentrations of nitrogen compounds shows less amplitude than that of carbon compounds. Storage as proteins occurs later, and mainly depends on leaf nitrogen remobilization and root uptake in autumn. We highlight several differences between tree age groups, in particular the loss of carbon storage function of fine and medium-sized roots with tree ageing. Moreover, the pattern of carbon compound accumulation in branches supports the hypothesis of a preferential allocation of carbon towards growth until the end of wood formation in juvenile trees, at the expense of the replenishment of carbon stores, while mature trees start allocating carbon to storage right after budburst. Our results demonstrate that at key phenological stages, physiological and developmental functions differ with tree age, and together with environmental conditions, influence the carbon and nitrogen concentration variations in sessile oaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélique Gilson
- Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France CNRS, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France AgroParisTech, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, F-75231 Paris, France
| | - Laure Barthes
- Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France CNRS, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France AgroParisTech, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, F-75231 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Delpierre
- Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France CNRS, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France AgroParisTech, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, F-75231 Paris, France
| | - Éric Dufrêne
- Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France CNRS, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France AgroParisTech, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, F-75231 Paris, France
| | - Chantal Fresneau
- Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France CNRS, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France AgroParisTech, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, F-75231 Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Bazot
- Université Paris-Sud, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France CNRS, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Orsay, F-91405 Orsay, France AgroParisTech, UMR 8079, Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, F-75231 Paris, France
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15
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Rate of tree carbon accumulation increases continuously with tree size. Nature 2014; 507:90-3. [PMID: 24429523 DOI: 10.1038/nature12914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Forests are major components of the global carbon cycle, providing substantial feedback to atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Our ability to understand and predict changes in the forest carbon cycle--particularly net primary productivity and carbon storage--increasingly relies on models that represent biological processes across several scales of biological organization, from tree leaves to forest stands. Yet, despite advances in our understanding of productivity at the scales of leaves and stands, no consensus exists about the nature of productivity at the scale of the individual tree, in part because we lack a broad empirical assessment of whether rates of absolute tree mass growth (and thus carbon accumulation) decrease, remain constant, or increase as trees increase in size and age. Here we present a global analysis of 403 tropical and temperate tree species, showing that for most species mass growth rate increases continuously with tree size. Thus, large, old trees do not act simply as senescent carbon reservoirs but actively fix large amounts of carbon compared to smaller trees; at the extreme, a single big tree can add the same amount of carbon to the forest within a year as is contained in an entire mid-sized tree. The apparent paradoxes of individual tree growth increasing with tree size despite declining leaf-level and stand-level productivity can be explained, respectively, by increases in a tree's total leaf area that outpace declines in productivity per unit of leaf area and, among other factors, age-related reductions in population density. Our results resolve conflicting assumptions about the nature of tree growth, inform efforts to undertand and model forest carbon dynamics, and have additional implications for theories of resource allocation and plant senescence.
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16
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McDowell NG, Ryan MG, Zeppel MJB, Tissue DT. Feature: Improving our knowledge of drought-induced forest mortality through experiments, observations, and modeling. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2013; 200:289-293. [PMID: 24050629 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nate G McDowell
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Lab, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - Michael G Ryan
- Natural Resource Ecology Lab, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1499, USA
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Melanie J B Zeppel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 2109, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David T Tissue
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
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17
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Fajardo A, Piper FI, Pfund L, Körner C, Hoch G. Variation of mobile carbon reserves in trees at the alpine treeline ecotone is under environmental control. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2012; 195:794-802. [PMID: 22765223 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04214.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
In low temperature-adapted plants, including treeline trees, light-saturated photosynthesis is considerably less sensitive to temperature than growth. As a consequence, all plants tested so far show increased nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) tissue concentrations when exposed to low temperatures. Reduced carbon supply is thus an unlikely cause for low temperature range limits of plants. For altitudinal treeline trees there is, however, a possibility that high NSC genotypes have been selected. Here, we explored this possibility using afforestations with single-provenance conifers along elevational gradients in the Southern Chilean Andes and the Swiss Alps. Tree growth was measured at each of four approximately equidistant elevations at and below the treeline. Additionally, at the same elevations, needle, branch and stem sapwood tissues were collected to determine NSC concentrations. Overall, growth decreased and NSC concentrations increased with elevation. Along with previous empirical and experimental studies, the findings of this study provide no indication of NSC reduction at the treeline; NSC increased in most species (each represented by one common population) towards their upper climatic limit. The disparity between carbon acquisition and structural carbon investment at low temperature (accumulation of NSC) thus does occur even among genotypes not adapted to treeline environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Fajardo
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP) Conicyt-Regional R10C1003, Universidad Austral de Chile, Ignacio Serrano 509, Coyhaique, Chile
| | - Frida I Piper
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP) Conicyt-Regional R10C1003, Universidad Austral de Chile, Ignacio Serrano 509, Coyhaique, Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile
| | - Laura Pfund
- Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Körner
- Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Günter Hoch
- Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
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Abstract
Research on the degree to which carbon (C) availability limits growth in trees, as well as recent trends in climate change and concurrent increases in drought-related tree mortality, have led to a renewed focus on the physiological mechanisms associated with tree growth responses to current and future climate. This has led to some dispute over the role of stored non-structural C compounds as indicators of a tree's current demands for photosynthate. Much of the uncertainty surrounding this issue could be resolved by developing a better understanding of the potential functions of non-structural C stored within trees. In addition to functioning as a buffer to reconcile temporal asynchrony between C demand and supply, the storage of non-structural C compounds may be under greater regulation than commonly recognized. We propose that in the face of environmental stochasticity, large, long-lived trees may require larger C investments in storage pools as safety margins than previously recognized, and that an important function of these pools may be to maintain hydraulic transport, particularly during episodes of severe stress. If so, survival and long-term growth in trees remain a function of C availability. Given that drought, freeze-thaw events and increasing tree height all impose additional constraints on vascular transport, the common trend of an increase in non-structural carbohydrate concentrations with tree size, drought or cold is consistent with our hypothesis. If the regulated maintenance of relatively large constitutive stored C pools in trees serves to maintain hydraulic integrity, then the minimum thresholds are expected to vary depending on the specific tissues, species, environment, growth form and habit. Much research is needed to elucidate the extent to which allocation of C to storage in trees is a passive vs. an active process, the specific functions of stored C pools, and the factors that drive active C allocation to storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sala
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
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