Limited genetic variability and phenotypic plasticity detected for cavitation resistance in a Mediterranean pine

Drought effects on trait space of winter wheat are independent of land management

Investigating plant responses to climate change is key to develop suitable adaptation strategies. However, whether changes in land management can alleviate increasing drought threats to crops in the future is still unclear. We conducted a management × drought experiment with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to study plant water and vegetative traits in response to drought and management (conventional vs organic farming, with intensive vs conservation tillage). Water traits (root water uptake pattern, stem metaxylem area, leaf water potential, stomatal conductance) and vegetative traits (plant height, leaf area, leaf Chl content) were considered simultaneously to characterise the variability of multiple traits in a trait space, using principal component analysis. Management could not alleviate the drought impacts on plant water traits as it mainly affected vegetative traits, with yields ultimately being affected by both management and drought. Trait spaces were clearly separated between organic and conventional management as well as between drought and control conditions. Moreover, changes in trait space triggered by management and drought were independent from each other. Neither organic management nor conservation tillage eased drought impacts on winter wheat. Thus, our study raised concerns about the effectiveness of these management options as adaptation strategies to climate change.

Plasticity in branch water relations and stem hydraulic vulnerability enhances hydraulic safety in mangroves growing along a salinity gradient

Coping with water stress depends on maintaining cellular function and hydraulic conductance. Yet measurements of vulnerability to drought and salinity do not often focus on capacitance in branch organs that buffer hydraulic function during water stress. The relationships between branch water relations, stem hydraulic vulnerability and stem anatomy were investigated in two co-occurring mangroves Aegiceras corniculatum and Rhizophora stylosa growing at low and high salinity. The dynamics of branch water release acted to conserve water content in the stem at the expense of the foliage during extended drying. Hydraulic redistribution from the foliage to the stem increased stem relative water content by up to 21%. The water potentials at which 12% and 50% loss of stem hydraulic conductivity occurred decreased by ~1.7 MPa in both species between low and high salinity sites. These coordinated tissue adjustments increased hydraulic safety despite declining turgor safety margins at higher salinity sites. Our results highlight the complex interplay of plasticity in organ-level water relations with hydraulic vulnerability in the maintenance of stem hydraulic function in mangroves distributed along salinity gradients. These results emphasise the importance of combining water relations and hydraulic vulnerability parameters to understand vulnerability to water stress across the whole plant.

Weak local adaptation to drought in seedlings of a widespread conifer

Tree seedlings from populations native to drier regions are often assumed to be more drought tolerant than those from wetter provenances. However, intraspecific variation in drought tolerance has not been well-characterized despite being critical for developing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, and for predicting the effects of drought on forests. We used a large-scale common garden drought-to-death experiment to assess range-wide variation in drought tolerance, measured by decline of photosynthetic efficiency, growth, and plastic responses to extreme summer drought in seedlings of 73 natural populations of the two main varieties of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii and var. glauca). Local adaptation to drought was weak in var. glauca and nearly absent in menziesii. Var. glauca showed higher tolerance to drought but slower growth than var. menziesii. Clinal variation in drought tolerance and growth species-wide was mainly associated with temperature rather than precipitation. A higher degree of plasticity for growth was observed in var. menziesii in response to extreme drought. Genetic variation for drought tolerance in seedlings within varieties is maintained primarily within populations. Selective breeding within populations may facilitate adaptation to drought more than assisted gene flow.

Plant hydraulics at the heart of plant, crops and ecosystem functions in the face of climate change

Plant hydraulics is crucial for assessing the plants' capacity to extract and transport water from the soil up to their aerial organs. Along with their capacity to exchange water between plant compartments and regulate evaporation, hydraulic properties determine plant water relations, water status and susceptibility to pathogen attacks. Consequently, any variation in the hydraulic characteristics of plants is likely to significantly impact various mechanisms and processes related to plant growth, survival and production, as well as the risk of biotic attacks and forest fire behaviour. However, the integration of hydraulic traits into disciplines such as plant pathology, entomology, fire ecology or agriculture can be significantly improved. This review examines how plant hydraulics can provide new insights into our understanding of these processes, including modelling processes of vegetation dynamics, illuminating numerous perspectives for assessing the consequences of climate change on forest and agronomic systems, and addressing unanswered questions across multiple areas of knowledge.

Adaptive potential of maritime pine under contrasting environments

BACKGROUND

Predicting the adaptability of forest tree populations under future climates requires a better knowledge of both the adaptive significance and evolvability of measurable key traits. Phenotypic plasticity, standing genetic variation and degree of phenotypic integration shape the actual and future population genetic structure, but empirical estimations in forest tree species are still extremely scarce. We analysed 11 maritime pine populations covering the distribution range of the species (119 families and 8 trees/family, ca. 1300 trees) in a common garden experiment planted at two sites with contrasting productivity. We used plant height as a surrogate of fitness and measured five traits (mean and plasticity of carbon isotope discrimination, specific leaf area, needle biomass, Phenology growth index) related to four different strategies (acquisitive economics, photosynthetic organ size, growth allocation and avoidance of water stress).

RESULTS

Estimated values of additive genetic variation would allow adaptation of the populations to future environmental conditions. Overall phenotypic integration and selection gradients were higher at the high productivity site, while phenotypic integration within populations was higher at the low productivity site. Response to selection was related mainly to photosynthetic organ size and drought-avoidance mechanisms rather than to water use efficiency. Phenotypic plasticity of water use efficiency could be maladaptive, resulting from selection for height growth.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrary to the expectations in a drought tolerant species, our study suggests that variation in traits related to photosynthetic organ size and acquisitive investment of resources drive phenotypic selection across and within maritime pine populations. Both genetic variation and evolvability of key adaptive traits were considerably high, including plasticity of water use efficiency. These characteristics would enable a relatively fast micro-evolution of populations in response to the ongoing climate changes. Moreover, differentiation among populations in the studied traits would increase under the expected more productive future Atlantic conditions.

Key hydraulic traits control the dynamics of plant dehydration in four contrasting tree species during drought

Trees are at risk of mortality during extreme drought, yet our understanding of the traits that govern the timing of drought-induced hydraulic failure remains limited. To address this, we tested SurEau, a trait-based soil-plant-atmosphere model designed to predict the dynamics of plant dehydration as represented by the changes in water potential against those observed in potted trees of four contrasting species (Pinus halepensis Mill., Populus nigra L., Quercus ilex L. and Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carriére) exposed to drought. SurEau was parameterized with a range of plant hydraulic and allometric traits, soil and climatic variables. We found a close correspondence between the predicted and observed plant water potential (in MPa) dynamics during the early phase drought, leading to stomatal closure, as well as during the latter phase of drought, leading to hydraulic failure in all four species. A global model's sensitivity analysis revealed that, for a common plant size (leaf area) and soil volume, dehydration time from full hydration to stomatal closure (Tclose) was most strongly controlled by the leaf osmotic potential (Pi0) and its influence on stomatal closure, in all four species, while the maximum stomatal conductance (gsmax) also contributed to Tclose in Q. ilex and C. atlantica. Dehydration times from stomatal closure to hydraulic failure (Tcav) was most strongly controlled by Pi0, the branch residual conductance (gres) and Q10a sensitivity of gres in the three evergreen species, while xylem embolism resistance (P50) was most influential in the deciduous species P. nigra. Our findings point to SurEau as a highly useful model for predicting changes in plant water status during drought and suggest that adjustments made in key hydraulic traits are potentially beneficial to delaying the onset of drought-induced hydraulic failure in trees.

Accounting for trait variability and coordination in predictions of drought-induced range shifts in woody plants

Functional traits offer a promising avenue to improve predictions of species range shifts under climate change, which will entail warmer and often drier conditions. Although the conceptual foundation linking traits with plant performance and range shifts appears solid, the predictive ability of individual traits remains generally low. In this review, we address this apparent paradox, emphasizing examples of woody plants and traits associated with drought responses at the species' rear edge. Low predictive ability reflects the fact not only that range dynamics tend to be complex and multifactorial, as well as uncertainty in the identification of relevant traits and limited data availability, but also that trait effects are scale- and context-dependent. The latter results from the complex interactions among traits (e.g. compensatory effects) and between them and the environment (e.g. exposure), which ultimately determine persistence and colonization capacity. To confront this complexity, a more balanced coverage of the main functional dimensions involved (stress tolerance, resource use, regeneration and dispersal) is needed, and modelling approaches must be developed that explicitly account for: trait coordination in a hierarchical context; trait variability in space and time and its relationship with exposure; and the effect of biotic interactions in an ecological community context.

Optimal balancing of xylem efficiency and safety explains plant vulnerability to drought

In vast areas of the world, forests and vegetation are water limited and plant survival depends on the ability to avoid catastrophic hydraulic failure. Therefore, it is remarkable that plants take hydraulic risks by operating at water potentials (ψ) that induce partial failure of the water conduits (xylem). Here we present an eco-evolutionary optimality principle for xylem conduit design that explains this phenomenon based on the hypothesis that conductive efficiency and safety are optimally co-adapted to the environment. The model explains the relationship between the tolerance to negative water potential (ψ50 ) and the environmentally dependent minimum ψ (ψmin ) across a large number of species, and along the xylem pathway within individuals of two species studied. The wider hydraulic safety margin in gymnosperms compared to angiosperms can be explained as an adaptation to a higher susceptibility to accumulation of embolism. The model provides a novel optimality-based perspective on the relationship between xylem safety and efficiency.

Reduced within-population quantitative genetic variation is associated with climate harshness in maritime pine

How evolutionary forces interact to maintain genetic variation within populations has been a matter of extensive theoretical debates. While mutation and exogenous gene flow increase genetic variation, stabilizing selection and genetic drift are expected to deplete it. To date, levels of genetic variation observed in natural populations are hard to predict without accounting for other processes, such as balancing selection in heterogeneous environments. We aimed to empirically test three hypotheses: (i) admixed populations have higher quantitative genetic variation due to introgression from other gene pools, (ii) quantitative genetic variation is lower in populations from harsher environments (i.e., experiencing stronger selection), and (iii) quantitative genetic variation is higher in populations from heterogeneous environments. Using growth, phenological and functional trait data from three clonal common gardens and 33 populations (522 clones) of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton), we estimated the association between the population-specific total genetic variances (i.e., among-clone variances) for these traits and ten population-specific indices related to admixture levels (estimated based on 5165 SNPs), environmental temporal and spatial heterogeneity and climate harshness. Populations experiencing colder winters showed consistently lower genetic variation for early height growth (a fitness-related trait in forest trees) in the three common gardens. Within-population quantitative genetic variation was not associated with environmental heterogeneity or population admixture for any trait. Our results provide empirical support for the potential role of natural selection in reducing genetic variation for early height growth within populations, which indirectly gives insight into the adaptive potential of populations to changing environments.

Functional phenotypic plasticity mediated by water stress and [CO2] explains differences in drought tolerance of two phylogenetically close conifers

Forests are threatened globally by increased recurrence and intensity of hot droughts. Functionally close coexisting species may exhibit differences in drought vulnerability large enough to cause niche differentiation and affect forest dynamics. The effect of rising atmospheric [CO2], which could partly alleviate the negative effects of drought, may also differ between species. We analysed functional plasticity in seedlings of two taxonomically close pine species (Pinus pinaster Ait., Pinus pinea L.) under different [CO2] and water stress levels. The multidimensional functional trait variability was more influenced by water stress (preferentially xylem traits) and [CO2] (mostly leaf traits) than by differences between species. However, we observed differences between species in the strategies followed to coordinate their hydraulic and structural traits under stress. Leaf 13C discrimination decreased with water stress and increased under elevated [CO2]. Under water stress both species increased their sapwood area to leaf area ratios, tracheid density and xylem cavitation, whereas they reduced tracheid lumen area and xylem conductivity. Pinus pinea was more anisohydric than P. pinaster. Pinus pinaster produced larger conduits under well-watered conditions than P. pinea. Pinus pinea was more tolerant to water stress and more resistant to xylem cavitation under low water potentials. The higher xylem plasticity in P. pinea, particularly in tracheid lumen area, expressed a higher capacity of acclimation to water stress than P. pinaster. In contrast, P. pinaster coped with water stress comparatively more by increasing plasticity of leaf hydraulic traits. Despite the small differences observed in the functional response to water stress and drought tolerance between species, these interspecific differences agreed with ongoing substitution of P. pinaster by P. pinea in forests where both species co-occur. Increased [CO2] had little effect on the species-specific relative performance. Thus, a competitive advantage under moderate water stress of P. pinea compared with P. pinaster is expected to continue in the future.

Xylem resistance to cavitation increases during summer in Pinus halepensis

Cavitation resistance has often been viewed as a relatively static trait, especially for stems of forest trees. Meanwhile, other hydraulic traits, such as turgor loss point (Ψ_tlp ) and xylem anatomy, change during the season. In this study, we hypothesized that cavitation resistance is also dynamic, changing in coordination with Ψ_tlp . We began with a comparison of optical vulnerability (OV), microcomputed tomography (µCT) and cavitron methods. All three methods significantly differed in the slope of the curve,Ψ₁₂ and Ψ₈₈ , but not in Ψ₅₀ (xylem pressures that cause 12%, 88%, 50% cavitation, respectively). Thus, we followed the seasonal dynamics (across 2 years) of Ψ₅₀ in Pinus halepensis under Mediterranean climate using the OV method. We found that Ψ₅₀ is a plastic trait with a reduction of approximately 1 MPa from the end of the wet season to the end of the dry season, in coordination with the dynamics of the midday xylem water potential (Ψ_midday ) and the Ψ_tlp . The observed plasticity enabled the trees to maintain a stable positive hydraulic safety margin and avoid cavitation during the long dry season. Seasonal plasticity is vital for understanding the actual risk of cavitation to plants and for modeling species' ability to tolerate harsh environments.

Quantifying the grapevine xylem embolism resistance spectrum to identify varieties and regions at risk in a future dry climate

Maintaining wine production under global warming partly relies on optimizing the choice of plant material for a given viticultural region and developing drought-resistant cultivars. However, progress in these directions is hampered by the lack of understanding of differences in drought resistance among Vitis genotypes. We investigated patterns of xylem embolism vulnerability within and among 30 Vitis species and sub-species (varieties) from different locations and climates, and assessed the risk of drought vulnerability in 329 viticultural regions worldwide. Within a variety, vulnerability to embolism decreased during summer. Among varieties, we have found wide variations in drought resistance of the vascular system in grapevines. This is particularly the case within Vitis vinifera, with varieties distributed across four clusters of embolism vulnerability. Ugni blanc and Chardonnay featured among the most vulnerable, while Pinot noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon ranked among the most resistant. Regions possibly at greater risk of being vulnerable to drought, such as Poitou-Charentes, France and Marlborough, New Zealand, do not necessarily have arid climates, but rather bear a significant proportion of vulnerable varieties. We demonstrate that grapevine varieties may not respond equally to warmer and drier conditions, and highlight that hydraulic traits are key to improve viticulture suitability under climate change.

Decoupling of functional traits from intraspecific patterns of growth and drought stress resistance

Intraspecific variation in functional traits may mediate tree species' drought resistance, yet whether trait variation is due to genotype (G), environment (E), or G×E interactions remains unknown. Understanding the drivers of intraspecific trait variation and whether variation mediates drought response can improve predictions of species' response to future drought. Using populations of quaking aspen spanning a climate gradient, we investigated intraspecific variation in functional traits in the field as well as the influence of G and E among propagules in a common garden. We also tested for trait-mediated trade-offs in growth and drought stress tolerance. We observed intraspecific trait variation among the populations, yet this variation did not necessarily translate to higher drought stress tolerance in hotter/drier populations. Additionally, plasticity in the common garden was low, especially in propagules derived from the hottest/driest population. We found no growth-drought stress tolerance trade-offs and few traits exhibited significant relationships with mortality in the natural populations, suggesting that intraspecific trait variation among the traits measured did not strongly mediate responses to drought stress. Our results highlight the limits of trait-mediated responses to drought stress and the complex G×E interactions that may underlie drought stress tolerance variation in forests in dry environments.

Genetic and ecophysiological evidence that hybridization facilitated lineage diversification in yellow Camellia (Theaceae) species: a case study of natural hybridization between C. micrantha and C. flavida

BACKGROUND

Hybridization is generally considered an important creative evolutionary force, yet this evolutionary process is still poorly characterized in karst plants. In this study, we focus on natural hybridization in yellow Camellia species, a group of habitat specialists confined to karst/non-karst habitats in southwestern China.

RESULTS

Based on population genome data obtain from double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing, we found evidence for natural hybridization and introgression between C. micrantha and C. flavida, and specifically confirmed their hybrid population, C. "ptilosperma". Ecophysiological results suggested that extreme hydraulic traits were fixed in C. "ptilosperma", these being consistent with its distinct ecological niche, which lies outside its parental ranges.

CONCLUSION

The identified hybridization event is expected to have played a role in generating novel variation during, in which the hybrid population displays different phenological characteristics and novel ecophysiological traits associated with the colonization of a new niche in limestone karst.

Use of near-infrared spectroscopy to estimate physical, anatomical and hydraulic properties of Eucalyptus wood

Tree breeding programs and wood industries require simple, time- and cost-effective techniques to process large volumes of samples. In recent decades, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been acknowledged as one of the most powerful techniques for wood analysis, making it the most used tool for high-throughput phenotyping. Previous studies have shown that a significant number of anatomical, physical, chemical and mechanical wood properties can be estimated through NIRS, both for angiosperm and gymnosperm species. However, the ability of this technique to predict functional traits related to drought resistance has been poorly explored, especially in angiosperm species. This is particularly relevant since determining xylem hydraulic properties by conventional techniques is complex and time-consuming, clearly limiting its use in studies and applications that demand large amounts of samples. In this study, we measured several wood anatomical and hydraulic traits and collected NIR spectra in branches of two Eucalyptus L'Hér species. We developed NIRS calibration models and discussed their ability to accurately predict the studied traits. The models generated allowed us to adequately calibrate the reference traits, with high R2 (≥0.75) for traits such as P12, P88, the slope of the vulnerability curves to xylem embolism or the fiber wall fraction, and with lower R2 (0.39-0.52) for P50, maximum hydraulic conductivity or frequency of ray parenchyma. We found that certain wavenumbers improve models' calibration, with those in the range of 4000-5500 cm-1 predicting the highest number of both anatomical and functional traits. We concluded that the use of NIRS allows calibrating models with potential predictive value not only for wood structural and chemical variables but also for anatomical and functional traits related to drought resistance in wood types with complex structure as eucalypts. These results are promising in light of the required knowledge about species and genotypes adaptability to global climatic change.

Contributions of phenotypic integration, plasticity and genetic adaptation to adaptive capacity relating to drought in Banksia marginata (Proteaceae)

The frequency and intensity of drought events are predicted to increase because of climate change, threatening biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystems in many parts of the world. Drought has already led to declines in functionally important tree species, which are documented in dieback events, shifts in species distributions, local extinctions, and compromised ecosystem function. Understanding whether tree species possess the capacity to adapt to future drought conditions is a major conservation challenge. In this study, we assess the capacity of a functionally important plant species from south-eastern Australia (Banksia marginata, Proteaceae) to adapt to water-limited environments. A water-manipulated common garden experiment was used to test for phenotypic plasticity and genetic adaptation in seedlings sourced from seven provenances of contrasting climate-origins (wet and dry). We found evidence of local adaptation relating to plant growth investment strategies with populations from drier climate-origins showing greater growth in well-watered conditions. The results also revealed that environment drives variation in physiological (stomatal conductance, predawn and midday water potential) and structural traits (wood density, leaf dry matter content). Finally, these results indicate that traits are coordinated to optimize conservation of water under water-limited conditions and that trait coordination (phenotypic integration) does not constrain phenotypic plasticity. Overall, this study provides evidence for adaptive capacity relating to drought conditions in B. marginata, and a basis for predicting the response to climate change in this functionally important plant species.

Within-crown plasticity of hydraulic properties influence branch dieback patterns of two woody plants under experimental drought conditions

In recent year, widespread declines of Populus bolleana Lauche trees (P. bolleana, which dieback from the top down) and Haloxylon ammodendron shrubs (H. ammodendron, which dieback starting from their outer canopy) have occurred. To investigate how both intra-canopy hydraulic changes and plasticity in hydraulic properties create differences in vulnerability between these two species, we conducted a drought simulation field experiment. We analyzed branch hydraulic vulnerability, leaf water potential (Ψ), photosynthesis (A), stomatal conductance (gs), non-structural carbohydrate (NSCs) contents and morphological traits of the plants as the plants underwent a partial canopy dieback. Our results showed that: (1) the hydraulic architecture was very different between the two life forms; (2) H. ammodendron exhibited a drought tolerance response with weak stomatal control, and thus a sharp decline in Ψ while P. bolleana showed a drought avoidance response with tighter stomatal control that maintained a relatively stable Ψ; (3) the Ψ of H. ammodendron showed relative consistent symptoms of drought stress with increasing plant stature, but the Ψ of P. bolleana showed greater drought stress in higher portions of the crown; (4) prolonged drought caused P. bolleana to consume and H. ammodendron to accumulate NSCs in the branches of their upper canopy. Thus, the prolonged drought caused the shoots of the upper canopy of P. bolleana to experience greater vulnerability leading to dieback of the upper branches first, while all the twigs of the outer canopy of H. ammodendron experienced nearly identical degrees of vulnerability, and thus dieback occurred uniformly. Our results indicate that intra-canopy hydraulic change and their plasticity under drought was the main cause of the observed canopy dieback patterns in both species. However, more work is needed to further establish that hydraulic limitation as a function of plant stature was the sole mechanism for causing the divergent canopy dieback patterns.

Does leaf gas exchange correlate with petiole xylem structural traits in Ulmus laevis seedlings under well-watered and drought stress conditions?

Several studies have shown that petiole xylem structure could be an important predictor of leaf gas exchange capacity, but the question of how petiole xylem structure relates to leaf gas exchange under different environment conditions remains unresolved. Moreover, knowledge of the amount of leaf gas exchange and structural variation that exists within a single species is also limited. In this study, we investigated the intraspecies coordination of leaf gas exchange and petiole xylem traits in 2-year-old seedlings of Ulmus laevis Pall. under well-watered and drought conditions. It was found that all studied petiole xylem traits of the elm seedlings were positively correlated with each other. This shows that the development of petiole xylem structure is internally well-coordinated. Nevertheless, the lower correlation coefficients between some petiole xylem traits indicate that the coordination is also individually driven. Drought stress reduced all studied leaf gas exchange traits and significantly increased intraspecies variation. In addition, drought stress also shifted the relationships between physiological traits and exhibited more structure-function relationships. This indicates the importance of petiole xylem structure in dictating water loss during drought stress and could partly explain the inconsistencies between leaf structure-function relationships studied under optimal conditions. Although several structure-function traits were related, the wide ranges of correlation coefficients indicate that the internal coordination of these traits substantially differs between individual elm seedlings. These findings are very important in the context of expected climatic change, as some degree of intraspecies variation in structure-function relationships could ensure the survival of some individuals under different environmental conditions.

Turgor loss point and vulnerability to xylem embolism predict species-specific risk of drought-induced decline of urban trees

Increasing frequency and severity of drought events is posing risks to trees' health, including those planted in urban settlements. Drought-induced decline of urban trees negatively affects ecosystem services of urban green spaces and implies cost for maintenance and removal of plants. We aimed at identifying physiological traits that can explain and predict the species-specific vulnerability to climate change in urban habitats. We assessed the relationships between long-term risk of decline of different tree species in a medium-sized town and their key indicators of drought stress tolerance, i.e. turgor loss point (TLP) and vulnerability to xylem embolism (P₅₀ ). Starting from 2012, the study area experienced several summer seasons with positive anomalies of temperature and negative anomalies of precipitation. This trend was coupled with increasing percentages of urban trees showing signs of crown die-back and mortality. The species-specific risk of decline was higher for species with less negative TLP and P₅₀ values. The relationship between species-specific risk of climate change-induced decline of urban trees and key physiological indicators of drought tolerance confirms findings obtained in natural forests and highlights that TLP and P₅₀ are useful indicators for species selection for tree plantation in towns, to mitigate negative impacts of climate change.

The limiting effect of genome size on xylem vessel diameter is shifted by environmental pressures in seed plants

Current and previous studies have extensively studied the physiological and ecological consequences of genome size (GS) on plants because of the limiting effect of GS on cell size. However, it is still obscure whether such limiting effect could be shifted by environmental pressures, or not. Here, we compiled a global dataset comprised of GS, xylem vessel diameter (V _dia), xylem hydraulic conductivity (K _S), P ₅₀ (xylem water potential at the loss of 50% maximum K _S), and climate factors of 251 phylogeny and habitat divergent species from 59 families. The results showed that GS could limit the V _dia of the species from the same family sampled in the similar climate conditions. But the expected positive relationship between GS and V _dia became uncertain and even negative across different environmental conditions. V _dia was strongly positively coordinated with mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP), and potential evapotranspiration (PET). Furthermore, V _dia as the anatomic foundation of plant hydraulic performance was strongly positively coordinated with K _S and negatively coordinated with -P ₅₀. The strong environmental selection on K _S and P ₅₀ explained the concerted regulation of V _dia by environmental factors. The findings revealed the combined regulation of GS and environmental pressures on xylem cell size and thus affected plant eco-physiological performance. The shifted cell size limiting effect of GS by environmental factors manifests plants great plasticity under changed environmental conditions.

Strategies of tree species to adapt to drought from leaf stomatal regulation and stem embolism resistance to root properties

Considerable evidences highlight the occurrence of increasing widespread tree mortality as a result of global climate change-associated droughts. However, knowledge about the mechanisms underlying divergent strategies of various tree species to adapt to drought has remained remarkably insufficient. Leaf stomatal regulation and embolism resistance of stem xylem serves as two important strategies for tree species to prevent hydraulic failure and carbon starvation, as comprising interconnected physiological mechanisms underlying drought-induced tree mortality. Hence, the physiological and anatomical determinants of leaf stomatal regulation and stems xylem embolism resistance are evaluated and discussed. In addition, root properties related to drought tolerance are also reviewed. Species with greater investment in leaves and stems tend to maintain stomatal opening and resist stem embolism under drought conditions. The coordination between stomatal regulation and stem embolism resistance are summarized and discussed. Previous studies showed that hydraulic safety margin (HSM, the difference between minimum water potential and that causing xylem dysfunction) is a significant predictor of tree species mortality under drought conditions. Compared with HSM, stomatal safety margin (the difference between water potential at stomatal closure and that causing xylem dysfunction) more directly merge stomatal regulation strategies with xylem hydraulic strategies, illustrating a comprehensive framework to characterize plant response to drought. A combination of plant traits reflecting species' response and adaptation to drought should be established in the future, and we propose four specific urgent issues as future research priorities.

Drought acclimation of Quercus ilex leaves improves tolerance to moderate drought but not resistance to severe water stress

Increasing temperature and drought can result in leaf dehydration and defoliation even in drought-adapted tree species such as the Mediterranean evergreen Quercus ilex L. The stomatal regulation of leaf water potential plays a central role in avoiding this phenomenon and is constrained by a suite of leaf traits including hydraulic conductance and vulnerability, hydraulic capacitance, minimum conductance to water vapour, osmotic potential and cell wall elasticity. We investigated whether the plasticity in these traits may improve leaf tolerance to drought in two long-term rainfall exclusion experiments in Mediterranean forests. Osmotic adjustment was observed to lower the water potential at turgor loss in the rainfall-exclusion treatments, thus suggesting a stomatal closure at more negative water potentials and a more anisohydric behaviour in drier conditions. Conversely, leaf hydraulic conductance and vulnerability did not exhibit any plasticity between treatments so the hydraulic safety margins were narrower in the rainfall-exclusion treatments. The sequence of leaf responses to seasonal drought and dehydration was conserved among treatments and sites but trees were more likely to suffer losses of turgor and hydraulic functioning in the rainfall-exclusion treatments. We conclude that leaf plasticity might help the trees to tolerate moderate drought but not to resist severe water stress.

Lack of phenotypic plasticity in leaf hydraulics for 10 woody species common to urban forests of North China

The survival and performance of urban forests are increasingly challenged by urban drought, consequently compromising the sustainability and functionality of urban vegetation. Plant-water relations largely determine species drought tolerance, yet little is known about the hydraulics of urban forest species. Here, we report the leaf hydraulic and carbon traits that govern plant growth and drought resistance, including vulnerability to embolism, hydraulic conductivity and leaf gas exchange characteristics, as well as morphological traits that are potentially linked with these physiological attributes, with the aim of guiding species selection and management in urban forests. Plant materials were collected from mature shrubs and trees on our university campus in Beijing, representing 10 woody species common to urban forests in north China. We found that the leaf embolism resistance, represented by the water potential inducing 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity (P50), as well as the hydraulic safety margin (HSM) defined by P50 and the water potential threshold at the inception of embolism (P12), varied remarkably across species, but was unrelated to growth form. Likewise, stem and leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity (Kstem and kl) was also highly species-specific. Leaf P50 was positively correlated with hydraulic conductivity. However, neither P50 nor hydraulic conductivity was correlated with leaf gas exchange traits, including maximum photosynthetic rate (Amax) and stomatal conductance (gs). Plant morphological and physiological traits were not related, except for specific leaf area, which showed a negative relationship with HSM. Traits influencing plant-water transport were primarily correlated with the mean annual precipitation of species climatic niche. Overall, current common woody species in urban forest environments differed widely in their drought resistance and did not have the capacity to modify these characteristics in response to a changing climate. Species morphology provides limited information regarding physiological drought resistance. Thus, screening urban forest species based on plant physiology is essential to sustain the ecological services of urban forests.

The Role of Hydraulic Failure in a Massive Mangrove Die-Off Event

Between late 2015 and early 2016, more than 7,000 ha of mangrove forest died along the coastline of the Gulf of Carpentaria, in northern Australia. This massive die-off was preceded by a strong 2015/2016 El Niño event, resulting in lower precipitation, a drop in sea level and higher than average temperatures in northern Australia. In this study, we investigated the role of hydraulic failure in the mortality and recovery of the dominant species, Avicennia marina, 2 years after the mortality event. We measured predawn water potential (Ψ_pd) and percent loss of stem hydraulic conductivity (PLC) in surviving individuals across a gradient of impact. We also assessed the vulnerability to drought-induced embolism (Ψ₅₀) for the species. Areas with severe canopy dieback had higher native PLC (39%) than minimally impacted areas (6%), suggesting that hydraulic recovery was ongoing. The high resistance of A. marina to water-stress-induced embolism (Ψ₅₀ = -9.6 MPa), indicates that severe water stress (Ψ_pd < -10 MPa) would have been required to cause mortality in this species. Our data indicate that the natural gradient of water-stress enhanced the impact of El Niño, leading to hydraulic failure and mortality in A. marina growing on severely impacted (SI) zones. It is likely that lowered sea levels and less frequent inundation by seawater, combined with lower inputs of fresh water, high evaporative demand and high temperatures, led to the development of hyper-salinity and extreme water stress during the 2015/16 summer.

Adaptive plasticity in plant traits increases time to hydraulic failure under drought in a foundation tree

The viability of forest trees, in response to climate change-associated drought, will depend on their capacity to survive through genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in drought tolerance traits. Genotypes with enhanced plasticity for drought tolerance (adaptive plasticity) will have a greater ability to persist and delay the onset of hydraulic failure. By examining populations from different climate-origins grown under contrasting soil water availability, we tested for genotype (G), environment (E) and genotype-by-environment (G × E) effects on traits that determine the time it takes for saplings to desiccate from stomatal closure to 88% loss of stem hydraulic conductance (time to hydraulic failure, THF). Specifically, we hypothesized that: (i) THF is dependent on a G × E interaction, with longer THF for warm, dry climate populations in response to chronic water deficit treatment compared with cool, wet populations, and (ii) hydraulic and allometric traits explain the observed patterns in THF. Corymbia calophylla saplings from two populations originating from contrasting climates (warm-dry or cool-wet) were grown under well-watered and chronic soil water deficit treatments in large containers. Hydraulic and allometric traits were measured and then saplings were dried-down to critical levels of drought stress to estimate THF. Significant plasticity was detected in the warm-dry population in response to water-deficit, with enhanced drought tolerance compared with the cool-wet population. Projected leaf area and total plant water storage showed treatment variation, and minimum conductance showed significant population differences driving longer THF in trees from warm-dry origins grown in water-limited conditions. Our findings contribute information on intraspecific variation in key drought traits, including hydraulic and allometric determinants of THF. It highlights the need to quantify adaptive capacity in populations of forest trees in climate change-type drought to improve predictions of forest die-back.

Unlocking Drought-Induced Tree Mortality: Physiological Mechanisms to Modeling

Drought-related tree mortality has become a major concern worldwide due to its pronounced negative impacts on the functioning and sustainability of forest ecosystems. However, our ability to identify the species that are most vulnerable to drought, and to pinpoint the spatial and temporal patterns of mortality events, is still limited. Model is useful tools to capture the dynamics of vegetation at spatiotemporal scales, yet contemporary land surface models (LSMs) are often incapable of predicting the response of vegetation to environmental perturbations with sufficient accuracy, especially under stressful conditions such as drought. Significant progress has been made regarding the physiological mechanisms underpinning plant drought response in the past decade, and plant hydraulic dysfunction has emerged as a key determinant for tree death due to water shortage. The identification of pivotal physiological events and relevant plant traits may facilitate forecasting tree mortality through a mechanistic approach, with improved precision. In this review, we (1) summarize current understanding of physiological mechanisms leading to tree death, (2) describe the functionality of key hydraulic traits that are involved in the process of hydraulic dysfunction, and (3) outline their roles in improving the representation of hydraulic function in LSMs. We urge potential future research on detailed hydraulic processes under drought, pinpointing corresponding functional traits, as well as understanding traits variation across and within species, for a better representation of drought-induced tree mortality in models.

Associations between leaf developmental stability, variability, canalization, and phenotypic plasticity in Abutilon theophrasti

Developmental stability, canalization, and phenotypic plasticity are the most common sources of phenotypic variation, yet comparative studies investigating the relationships between these sources, specifically in plants, are lacking. To investigate the relationships among developmental stability or instability, developmental variability, canalization, and plasticity in plants, we conducted a field experiment with Abutilon theophrasti, by subjecting plants to three densities under infertile vs. fertile soil conditions. We measured the leaf width (leaf size) and calculated fluctuating asymmetry (FA), coefficient of variation within and among individuals (CVintra and CVinter), and plasticity (PIrel) in leaf size at days 30, 50, and 70 of plant growth, to analyze the correlations among these variables in response to density and soil conditions, at each of or across all growth stages. Results showed increased density led to lower leaf FA, CVintra, and PIrel and higher CVinter in fertile soil. A positive correlation between FA and PIrel occurred in infertile soil, while correlations between CVinter and PIrel and between CVinter and CVintra were negative at high density and/or in fertile soil, with nonsignificant correlations among them in other cases. Results suggested the complexity of responses of developmental instability, variability, and canalization in leaf size, as well as their relationships, which depend on the strength of stresses. Intense aboveground competition that accelerates the decrease in leaf size (leading to lower plasticity) will be more likely to reduce developmental instability, variability, and canalization in leaf size. Increased developmental instability and intra- and interindividual variability should be advantageous and facilitate adaptive plasticity in less stressful conditions; thus, they are more likely to positively correlate with plasticity, whereas developmental stability and canalization with lower developmental variability should be beneficial for stabilizing plant performance in more stressful conditions, where they tend to have more negative correlations with plasticity.

Differential Impact of the Pinewood Nematode on Pinus Species Under Drought Conditions

The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, responsible for the pine wilt disease (PWD), is a major threat to pine forests worldwide. Since forest mortality due to PWN might be exacerbated by climate, the concerns regarding PWD in the Mediterranean region are further emphasized by the projected scenarios of more drought events and higher temperatures. In this context, it is essential to better understand the pine species vulnerability to PWN under these conditions. To achieve that, physiological responses and wilting symptoms were monitored in artificially inoculated Pinus pinaster (P. pinaster), Pinus pinea (P. pinea), and Pinus radiata (P. radiata) saplings under controlled temperature (25/30°C) and water availability (watered/water stressed). The results obtained showed that the impact of PWN is species-dependent, being infected P. pinaster and P. radiata more prone to physiological and morphological damage than P. pinea. For the more susceptible species (P. pinaster and P. radiata), the presence of the nematode was the main driver of photosynthetic responses, regardless of their temperature or water regime conditions. Nevertheless, water potential was revealed to be highly affected by the synergy of PWN and the studied abiotic conditions, with higher temperatures (P. pinaster) or water limitation (P. radiata) increasing the impact of nematodes on trees' water status. Furthermore, water limitation had an influence on nematodes density and its allocation on trees' structures, with P. pinaster revealing the highest nematode abundance and inner dispersion. In inoculated P. pinea individuals, nematodes' population decreased significantly, emphasizing this species resistance to PWN. Our findings revealed a synergistic impact of PWN infection and stressful environmental conditions, particularly on the water status of P. pinaster and P. radiata, triggering disease symptoms and mortality of these species. Our results suggest that predicted drought conditions might facilitate proliferation and exacerbate the impact of PWN on these two species, through xylem cavitation, leading to strong changes in pine forests of the Mediterranean regions.

Soil water availability and branch age explain variability in xylem safety of European beech in Central Europe

Xylem embolism resistance has been identified as a key trait with a causal relation to drought-induced tree mortality, but not much is known about its intra-specific trait variability (ITV) in dependence on environmental variation. We measured xylem safety and efficiency in 300 European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees across 30 sites in Central Europe, covering a precipitation reduction from 886 to 522 mm year⁻¹. A broad range of variables that might affect embolism resistance in mature trees, including climatic and soil water availability, competition, and branch age, were examined. The average P₅₀ value varied by up to 1 MPa between sites. Neither climatic aridity nor structural variables had a significant influence on P₅₀. However, P₅₀ was less negative for trees with a higher soil water storage capacity, and positively related to branch age, while specific conductivity (K_s) was not significantly associated with either of these variables. The greatest part of the ITV for xylem safety and efficiency was attributed to random variability within populations. We conclude that the influence of site water availability on P₅₀ and K_s is low in European beech, and that the high degree of within-population variability for P₅₀, partly due to variation in branch age, hampers the identification of a clear environmental signal.

Differences in branch hydraulic architecture related to the aridity of growing sites and seed sources of coastal Douglas-fir saplings

To better understand hydraulic adaptations of coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) to local climate, we examined genetic (G) and environmental (E) responses of branch hydraulic architecture of 7-year-old saplings from dry and wet climates of origin grown at a relatively dry and a relatively wet common garden site in western Oregon. We sampled 2 years of branch growth from three dry-source and three wet-source families grown at both sites (72 branches, total). Overall, only 4 of the 11 traits had significant genetic (G) effects, whereas 9 traits had significant environmental (E) effects (P < 0.05). Both dry and wet sources had higher leaf-specific conductance (kl) at the dry than the wet site, but the values were achieved by different mechanisms and driven by G × E effects for leaf area/sapwood area (Al/As), shoot length (L), specific conductivity (Ks) and leaf-specific conductivity (Kl). Dry sources achieved higher kl in the dry site through higher Kl (via a lower Al/As and no change in Ks) with no difference in L. Wet sources achieved higher kl at the dry site through no difference in Kl (via no effect on Al/As, despite decreases in Al and As, and lower Ks) with lower L. Vulnerability to embolism (measured as percentage loss of conductivity at 4 MPa) had no G effect but an E effect, with slightly lower values at the dry site. Specific leaf area had G and E effects, with lower values for the dry sources and site. There were no G or E effects on wood density. The different responses of dry and wet sources to site aridity suggest that populations are differentially adapted to the aridity of growing sites. Population variation in response to aridity should be considered when selecting seed sources for establishing forests for future climates.

The xylem of anisohydric Quercus alba L. is more vulnerable to embolism than isohydric codominants

The coordination of plant leaf water potential (Ψ_L ) regulation and xylem vulnerability to embolism is fundamental for understanding the tradeoffs between carbon uptake and risk of hydraulic damage. There is a general consensus that trees with vulnerable xylem more conservatively regulate Ψ_L than plants with resistant xylem. We evaluated if this paradigm applied to three important eastern US temperate tree species, Quercus alba L., Acer saccharum Marsh. and Liriodendron tulipifera L., by synthesizing 1600 Ψ_L observations, 122 xylem embolism curves and xylem anatomical measurements across 10 forests spanning pronounced hydroclimatological gradients and ages. We found that, unexpectedly, the species with the most vulnerable xylem (Q. alba) regulated Ψ_L less strictly than the other species. This relationship was found across all sites, such that coordination among traits was largely unaffected by climate and stand age. Quercus species are perceived to be among the most drought tolerant temperate US forest species; however, our results suggest their relatively loose Ψ_L regulation in response to hydrologic stress occurs with a substantial hydraulic cost that may expose them to novel risks in a more drought-prone future.

Climate of origin has no influence on drought adaptive traits and the drought responses of a widely distributed polymorphic shrub

Climate has a significant influence on species distribution and the expression of functional traits in different plant species. However, it is unknown if subspecies with different climate envelopes also show differences in their expression of plant functional traits or if they respond differently to drought stress. We measured functional traits and drought responses of five subspecies of a widely distributed, cosmopolitan polymorphic shrub, Dodonaea viscosa (L.) Jacq., in an experiment with 1-year-old plants. Functional traits, such as leaf size, specific leaf area, turgor loss point (ΨTLP), maximum stomatal conductance and maximum plant hydraulic conductance, differed among the five subspecies. However, while the were some differences among traits, these were not related to their climate of origin, as measured by mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation and mean annual aridity index. Drought response was also not related to climate of origin, and all subspecies showed a combination of drought avoiding and drought tolerance responses. All subspecies closed their stomata at very high water potentials (between -1.0 and -1.3 MPa) and had large hydraulic safety margins (drought avoidance). All subspecies adjusted their ΨTLP via osmotic adjustment, and subspecies with inherently lower ΨTLP showed greater osmotic adjustment (drought tolerance). All subspecies adjusted their midday water potentials in response to drought but subspecies from more arid environments did not show greater adjustments. The results indicated that climate niche was not related to plant trait expression or response to drought. The combination of drought avoidance and drought tolerance behavior seems to be a successful strategy for this widely distributed species that occupies many different climate zones and ecosystems. Hence, the wide distribution of D. viscosa seems to be related to plasticity of trait expression and drought response rather than long-term genetic adaptations to different environmental conditions.

Genetic basis of growth, spring phenology, and susceptibility to biotic stressors in maritime pine

Forest ecosystems are increasingly challenged by extreme events, for example, drought, storms, pest attacks, and fungal pathogen outbreaks, causing severe ecological and economic losses. Understanding the genetic basis of adaptive traits in tree species is of key importance to preserve forest ecosystems, as genetic variation in a trait (i.e., heritability) determines its potential for human-mediated or evolutionary change. Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton), a conifer widely distributed in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa, grows under contrasted environmental conditions promoting local adaptation. Genetic variation at adaptive phenotypes, including height, spring phenology, and susceptibility to two fungal pathogens (Diplodia sapinea and Armillaria ostoyae) and an insect pest (Thaumetopoea pityocampa), was assessed in a range-wide clonal common garden of maritime pine. Broad-sense heritability was significant for height (0.219), spring phenology (0.165-0.310), and pathogen susceptibility (necrosis length caused by D. sapinea, 0.152; and by A. ostoyae, 0.021, measured on inoculated, excised branches under controlled conditions), but not for pine processionary moth incidence in the common garden. The correlations of trait variation among populations revealed contrasting trends for pathogen susceptibility to D. sapinea and A. ostoyae with respect to height. Taller trees showed longer necrosis length caused by D. sapinea while shorter trees were more affected by A. ostoyae. Moreover, maritime pine populations from areas with high summer temperatures and frequent droughts were less susceptible to D. sapinea but more susceptible to A. ostoyae. Finally, an association study using 4227 genome-wide SNPs revealed several loci significantly associated with each trait (range of 3-26), including a possibly disease-induced translation initiation factor, eIF-5, associated with needle discoloration caused by D. sapinea. This study provides important insights to develop genetic conservation and breeding strategies integrating species responses to biotic stressors.

Acclimation of hydraulic and morphological traits to water deficit delays hydraulic failure during simulated drought in poplar

The capacity of trees to tolerate and survive increasing drought conditions in situ will depend in part on their ability to acclimate (via phenotypic plasticity) key hydraulic and morphological traits that increase drought tolerance and delay the onset of drought-induced hydraulic failure. However, the effect of water-deficit acclimation in key traits that determine time to hydraulic failure (THF) during extreme drought remains largely untested. We measured key hydraulic and morphological traits in saplings of a hybrid poplar grown under well-watered and water-limited conditions. The time for plants to dry-down to critical levels of water stress (90% loss of stem hydraulic conductance), as well as the relative contribution of drought acclimation in each trait to THF, was simulated using a soil-plant hydraulic model (SurEau). Compared with controls, water-limited plants exhibited significantly lower stem hydraulic vulnerability (P50stem), stomatal conductance and total canopy leaf area (LA). Taken together, adjustments in these and other traits resulted in longer modelled THF in water-limited (~160 h) compared with well-watered plants (~50 h), representing an increase of more than 200%. Sensitivity analysis revealed that adjustment in P50stem and LA contributed the most to longer THF in water-limited plants. We observed a high degree of trait plasticity in poplar saplings in response to water-deficit growth conditions, with decreases in stem hydraulic vulnerability and leaf area playing a key role in delaying the onset of hydraulic failure during a simulated drought event. These findings suggest that understanding the capacity of plants to acclimate to antecedent growth conditions will enable better predictions of plant survivorship during future drought.

Hydraulic variability of three temperate broadleaf tree species along a water availability gradient in central Europe

Plant hydraulic traits are key for understanding and predicting tree drought responses. Information about the degree of the traits' intra-specific variability may guide the selection of drought-resistant genotypes and is crucial for trait-based modelling approaches. For the three temperate minor broadleaf tree species Acer platanoides, Carpinus betulus and Tilia cordata, we measured xylem embolism resistance (P₅₀ ), leaf turgor loss point (P_TLP ), specific hydraulic conductivity (K_S ), Huber values (HVs), and hydraulic safety margins in adult trees across a precipitation gradient. We further quantified trait variability on different organizational levels (inter-specific to within-canopy variation), and analysed its relationship to climatic and soil water availability. Although we observed a certain intra-specific trait variability (ITV) in safety-related traits (P₅₀ , P_TLP ) with higher within-tree and between-tree than between populations variability, the magnitude was small compared to inter-specific differences, which explained 78.4% and 58.3% of the variance in P₅₀ and P_TLP , respectively. In contrast, efficiency-related traits (K_S , HV) showed a high ITV both within populations and within the crowns of single trees. Surprisingly, the observed ITV of all traits was neither driven by climatic nor soil water availability. In conclusion, the high degree of conservatism in safety-related traits highlights their potential for trait-based modelling approaches.

Previous drought exposure leads to greater drought resistance in eucalypts through changes in morphology rather than physiology

Over their lifetime, trees are repeatedly exposed to droughts. It is therefore important to understand whether repeated drought exposure makes trees more or less drought tolerant. Here, we investigated the effect of repeated droughts on functional trait expression and tree function in Eucalyptus obliqua. Further, we tested whether previous drought exposure enabled trees to avoid leaf death for longer under a subsequent severe drought. Trees were subjected for 1 year to 2 drought-rewatering cycles (drought treatment) or well-watered conditions, before imposing a severe drought. Trees in the drought treatment reduced their overall leaf area and biomass, whereas leaf-level anatomical, morphological and physiological traits remained mostly unaffected. There were no differences in water potential at the turgor loss point, leaf xylem vulnerability to embolism, leaf size, maximum xylem vessel diameter or cell wall thickness between treatments after the conditioning period. When exposed to a subsequent severe drought, trees previously exposed to drought were more drought tolerant due to a lower water potential at leaf death and tree-level morphological rather than physiological adjustments. Trees previously exposed to drought were smaller and used less water, which delayed leaf death for 39 days compared with 22 days for the well-watered trees. Our study indicates that previous drought exposure can facilitate tree-level morphological adjustment, which potentially enhances survival of E. obliqua trees during subsequent drought events.

Vulnerability to xylem cavitation of Hakea species (Proteaceae) from a range of biomes and life histories predicted by climatic niche

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Extreme drought conditions across the globe are impacting biodiversity, with serious implications for the persistence of native species. However, quantitative data on physiological tolerance are not available for diverse flora to inform conservation management. We quantified physiological resistance to cavitation in the diverse Hakea genus (Proteaceae) to test predictions based on climatic origin, life history and functional traits.

METHODS

We sampled terminal branches of replicate plants of 16 species in a common garden. Xylem cavitation was induced in branches under varying water potentials (tension) in a centrifuge, and the tension generating 50 % loss of conductivity (stem P50) was characterized as a metric for cavitation resistance. The same branches were used to estimate plant functional traits, including wood density, specific leaf area and Huber value (sap flow area to leaf area ratio).

KEY RESULTS

There was significant variation in stem P50 among species, which was negatively associated with the species climate origin (rainfall and aridity). Cavitation resistance did not differ among life histories; however, a drought avoidance strategy with terete leaf form and greater Huber value may be important for species to colonize and persist in the arid biome.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights climate (rainfall and aridity), rather than life history and functional traits, as the key predictor of variation in cavitation resistance (stem P50). Rainfall for species origin was the best predictor of cavitation resistance, explaining variation in stem P50, which appears to be a major determinant of species distribution. This study also indicates that stem P50 is an adaptive trait, genetically determined, and hence reliable and robust for predicting species vulnerability to climate change. Our findings will contribute to future prediction of species vulnerability to drought and adaptive management under climate change.

Evolutionary relationships between drought-related traits and climate shape large hydraulic safety margins in western North American oaks

Quantitative knowledge of xylem physical tolerance limits to dehydration is essential to understanding plant drought tolerance but is lacking in many long-vessel angiosperms. We examine the hypothesis that a fundamental association between sustained xylem water transport and downstream tissue function should select for xylem that avoids embolism in long-vessel trees by quantifying xylem capacity to withstand air entry of western North American oaks (Quercus spp.). Optical visualization showed that 50% of embolism occurs at water potentials below -2.7 MPa in all 19 species, and -6.6 MPa in the most resistant species. By mapping the evolution of xylem vulnerability to embolism onto a fossil-dated phylogeny of the western North American oaks, we found large differences between clades (sections) while closely related species within each clade vary little in their capacity to withstand air entry. Phylogenetic conservatism in xylem physical tolerance, together with a significant correlation between species distributions along rainfall gradients and their dehydration tolerance, suggests that closely related species occupy similar climatic niches and that species' geographic ranges may have shifted along aridity gradients in accordance with their physical tolerance. Such trends, coupled with evolutionary associations between capacity to withstand xylem embolism and other hydraulic-related traits, yield wide margins of safety against embolism in oaks from diverse habitats. Evolved responses of the vascular system to aridity support the embolism avoidance hypothesis and reveal the importance of quantifying plant capacity to withstand xylem embolism for understanding function and biogeography of some of the Northern Hemisphere's most ecologically and economically important plants.

Why is Tree Drought Mortality so Hard to Predict?

Widespread tree mortality following droughts has emerged as an environmentally and economically devastating 'ecological surprise'. It is well established that tree physiology is important in understanding drought-driven mortality; however, the accuracy of predictions based on physiology alone has been limited. We propose that complicating factors at two levels stymie predictions of drought-driven mortality: (i) organismal-level physiological and site factors that obscure understanding of drought exposure and vulnerability and (ii) community-level ecological interactions, particularly with biotic agents whose effects on tree mortality may reverse expectations based on stress physiology. We conclude with a path forward that emphasizes the need for an integrative approach to stress physiology and biotic agent dynamics when assessing forest risk to drought-driven morality in a changing climate.

An increase in xylem embolism resistance of grapevine leaves during the growing season is coordinated with stomatal regulation, turgor loss point and intervessel pit membranes

Although xylem embolism resistance is traditionally considered as static, we hypothesized that in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) leaf xylem becomes more embolism-resistant over the growing season. We evaluated xylem architecture, turgor loss point (Ψ_TLP ) and water potentials leading to 25% of maximal stomatal conductance (g_s25 ) or 50% embolism in the leaf xylem (P₅₀ ) in three irrigation treatments and at three time points during the growing season, while separating the effects of leaf age and time of season. Hydraulic traits acclimated over the growing season in a coordinated manner. Without irrigation, Ψ_TLP , g_s25 , and P₅₀ decreased between late May and late August by 0.95, 0.77 and 0.71 MPa, respectively. A seasonal shift in P₅₀ occurred even in mature leaves, while irrigation had only a mild effect (< 0.2 MPa) on P₅₀ . Vessel size and pit membrane thickness were also seasonally dynamic, providing a plausible explanation for the shift in P₅₀ . Our findings provide clear evidence that grapevines can modify their hydraulic traits along a growing season to allow lower xylem water potential, without compromising gas exchange, leaf turgor or xylem integrity. Seasonal changes should be considered when modeling ecosystem vulnerability to drought or comparing datasets acquired at different phenological stages.

Juniperus communis populations exhibit low variability in hydraulic safety and efficiency

The performance and distribution of woody species strongly depend on their adjustment to environmental conditions based on genotypic and phenotypic properties. Since more intense and frequent drought events are expected due to climate change, xylem hydraulic traits will play a key role under future conditions, and thus, knowledge of hydraulic variability is of key importance. In this study, we aimed to investigate the variability in hydraulic safety and efficiency of the conifer shrub Juniperus communis based on analyses along an elevational transect and a common garden approach. We studied (i) juniper plants growing between 700 and 2000 m a.s.l. Innsbruck, Austria, and (ii) plants grown in the Innsbruck botanical garden (Austria) from seeds collected at different sites across Europe (France, Austria, Ireland, Germany and Sweden). Due to contrasting environmental conditions at different elevation and provenance sites and the wide geographical study area, pronounced variation in xylem hydraulics was expected. Vulnerability to drought-induced embolisms (hydraulic safety) was assessed via the Cavitron and ultrasonic acoustic emission techniques, and the specific hydraulic conductivity (hydraulic efficiency) via flow measurements. Contrary to our hypothesis, relevant variability in hydraulic safety and efficiency was neither observed across elevations, indicating a low phenotypic variation, nor between provenances, despite expected genotypic differences. Interestingly, the provenance from the most humid and warmest site (Ireland) and the northernmost provenance (Sweden) showed the highest and the lowest embolism resistance, respectively. The hydraulic conductivity was correlated with plant height, which indicates that observed variation in hydraulic traits was mainly related to morphological differences between plants. We encourage future studies to underlie anatomical traits and the role of hydraulics for the broad ecological amplitude of J. communis.

Assessing adaptive and plastic responses in growth and functional traits in a 10-year-old common garden experiment with pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) suggests that directional selection can drive climatic adaptation

Understanding how tree species will respond to a future climate requires reliable and quantitative estimates of intra-specific variation under current climate conditions. We studied three 10-year-old common garden experiments established across a rainfall and drought gradient planted with nearly 10,000 pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) trees from ten provenances with known family structure. We aimed at disentangling adaptive and plastic responses for growth (height and diameter at breast height) as well as for leaf and wood functional traits related to adaptation to dry environments. We used restricted maximum likelihood approaches to assess additive genetic variation expressed as narrow-sense heritability (h2), quantitative trait differentiation among provenances (QST), and genotype-by-environment interactions (GxE). We found strong and significant patterns of local adaptation in growth in all three common gardens, suggesting that transfer of seed material should not exceed a climatic distance of approximately 1°C under current climatic conditions, while transfer along precipitation gradients seems to be less stringent. Moreover, heritability reached 0.64 for tree height and 0.67 for dbh at the dry margin of the testing spectrum, suggesting significant additive genetic variation of potential use for future selection and tree breeding. GxE interactions in growth were significant and explained less phenotypic variation than origin of seed source (4% versus 10%). Functional trait variation among provenances was partly related to drought regimes at provenances origins but had moderate explanatory power for growth. We conclude that directional selection, either naturally or through breeding, is the most likely and feasible outcome for pedunculate oak to adapt to warmer and drier climate conditions in the future.

Identifying areas at risk of drought-induced tree mortality across South-Eastern Australia

South-East Australia has recently been subjected to two of the worst droughts in the historical record (Millennium Drought, 2000-2009 and Big Dry, 2017-2019). Unfortunately, a lack of forest monitoring has made it difficult to determine whether widespread tree mortality has resulted from these droughts. Anecdotal observations suggest the Big Dry may have led to more significant tree mortality than the Millennium drought. Critically, to be able to robustly project future expected climate change effects on Australian vegetation, we need to assess the vulnerability of Australian trees to drought. Here we implemented a model of plant hydraulics into the Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange (CABLE) land surface model. We parameterized the drought response behaviour of five broad vegetation types, based on a common garden dry-down experiment with species originating across a rainfall gradient (188-1,125 mm/year) across South-East Australia. The new hydraulics model significantly improved (~35%-45% reduction in root mean square error) CABLE's previous predictions of latent heat fluxes during periods of water stress at two eddy covariance sites in Australia. Landscape-scale predictions of the greatest percentage loss of hydraulic conductivity (PLC) of about 40%-60%, were broadly consistent with satellite estimates of regions of the greatest change in both droughts. In neither drought did CABLE predict that trees would have reached critical PLC in widespread areas (i.e. it projected a low mortality risk), although the model highlighted critical levels near the desert regions of South-East Australia where few trees live. Overall, our experimentally constrained model results imply significant resilience to drought conferred by hydraulic function, but also highlight critical data and scientific gaps. Our approach presents a promising avenue to integrate experimental data and make regional-scale predictions of potential drought-induced hydraulic failure.

Adaptation to drought is coupled with slow growth, but independent from phenology in marginal silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) populations

Drought is one of the most important selection pressures for forest trees in the context of climate change. Yet, the different evolutionary mechanisms, and their environmental drivers, by which certain populations become more drought tolerant than others is still little understood. We studied adaptation to drought in 16 silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) populations from the French Mediterranean Alps by combining observations on seedlings from a greenhouse experiment (N = 8,199) and on adult tress in situ (N = 315). In the greenhouse, we followed half-sib families for four growing seasons for growth and phenology traits, and tested their water stress response in a "drought until death" experiment. Adult trees in the field were assessed for δ 13C, a proxy for water use efficiency, and genotyped at 357 SNP loci. SNP data was used to generate a null expectation for seedling trait divergence between populations in order to detect the signature of selection, and 31 environmental variables were used to identify the selective environment. We found that seedlings originating from populations with low soil water capacity grew more slowly, attained a smaller stature, and resisted water stress for a longer period of time in the greenhouse. Additionally, adult trees of these populations exhibited a higher water use efficiency as evidenced by their δ 13C. These results suggest a correlated evolution of the growth-drought tolerance trait complex. Population divergence in bud break phenology was adaptive only in the second growing season, and evolved independently from the growth-drought tolerance trait complex. Adaptive divergence in bud break phenology was principally driven by the inter- and intra-annual variation in temperature at the geographic origin of the population. Our results illustrate the different evolutionary strategies used by populations to cope with drought stress at the range limits across a highly heterogeneous landscape, and can be used to inform assisted migration programs.

Adaptation and coordinated evolution of plant hydraulic traits

Hydraulic properties control plant responses to climate and are likely to be under strong selective pressure, but their macro-evolutionary history remains poorly characterised. To fill this gap, we compiled a global dataset of hydraulic traits describing xylem conductivity (K_s ), xylem resistance to embolism (P50), sapwood allocation relative to leaf area (Hv) and drought exposure (ψ_min ), and matched it with global seed plant phylogenies. Individually, these traits present medium to high levels of phylogenetic signal, partly related to environmental selective pressures shaping lineage evolution. Most of these traits evolved independently of each other, being co-selected by the same environmental pressures. However, the evolutionary correlations between P50 and ψ_min and between K_s and Hv show signs of deeper evolutionary integration because of functional, developmental or genetic constraints, conforming to evolutionary modules. We do not detect evolutionary integration between conductivity and resistance to embolism, rejecting a hardwired trade-off for this pair of traits.

Hydraulic acclimation in a Mediterranean oak subjected to permanent throughfall exclusion results in increased stem hydraulic capacitance

Stem water storage capacity and hydraulic capacitance (C_S ) play a crucial role in tree survival under drought-stress. To investigate whether C_S adjusts to increasing water deficit, variation in stem water content (StWC) was monitored in vivo for 2 years and related to periodical measurements of tree water potential in Mediterranean Quercus ilex trees subjected either to permanent throughfall exclusion (TE) or to control conditions. Seasonal reductions in StWC were larger in TE trees relative to control ones, resulting in greater seasonal C_S (154 and 80 kg m^-3 MPa^-1 , respectively), but only during the first phase of the desorption curve, when predawn water potential was above -1.1 MPa. Below this point, C_S decreased substantially and did not differ between treatments (<20 kg m^-3 MPa^-1 ). The allometric relationship between tree diameter and sapwood area, measured via electrical resistivity tomography, was not affected by TE. Our results suggest that (a) C_S response to water deficit in the drought-tolerant Q. ilex might be more important to optimize carbon gain during well-hydrated periods than to prevent drought-induced embolism formation during severe drought stress, and (b) enhanced C_S during early summer does not result from proportional increases in sapwood volume, but mostly from increased elastic water.

A New Perspective on Ecological Prediction Reveals Limits to Climate Adaptation in a Temperate Tree Species

Forests absorb a large fraction of anthropogenic CO2 emission, but their ability to continue to act as a sink under climate change depends in part on plant species undergoing rapid adaptation. Yet models of forest response to climate change currently ignore local adaptation as a response mechanism. Thus, considering the evolution of intraspecific trait variation is necessary for reliable, long-term species and climate projections. Here, we combine ecophysiology and predictive climate modeling with analyses of genomic variation to determine whether sugar and starch storage, energy reserves for trees under extreme conditions, have the heritable variation and genetic diversity necessary to evolve in response to climate change within populations of black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa). Despite current patterns of local adaptation and extensive range-wide heritable variation in storage, we demonstrate that adaptive evolution in response to climate change will be limited by a lack of heritable variation within northern populations and by a need for extreme genetic changes in southern populations. Our method can help design more targeted species management interventions and highlights the power of using genomic tools in ecological prediction to scale from molecular to regional processes to determine the ability of a species to respond to future climates.