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Guo JJ, Gong XW, Li XH, Zhang C, Duan CY, Lohbeck M, Sterck F, Hao GY. Coupled hydraulics and carbon economy underlie age-related growth decline and revitalisation of sand-fixing shrubs after crown removal. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:2999-3014. [PMID: 38644635 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Crown removal revitalises sand-fixing shrubs that show declining vigour with age in drought-prone environments; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we addressed this knowledge gap by comparing the growth performance, xylem hydraulics and plant carbon economy across different plant ages (10, 21 and 33 years) and treatments (control and crown removal) using a representative sand-fixing shrub (Caragana microphylla Lam.) in northern China. We found that growth decline with plant age was accompanied by simultaneous decreases in soil moisture, plant hydraulic efficiency and photosynthetic capacity, suggesting that these interconnected changes in plant water relations and carbon economy were responsible for this decline. Following crown removal, quick resprouting, involving remobilisation of root nonstructural carbohydrate reserves, contributed to the reconstruction of an efficient hydraulic system and improved plant carbon status, but this became less effective in older shrubs. These age-dependent effects of carbon economy and hydraulics on plant growth vigour provide a mechanistic explanation for the age-related decline and revitalisation of sand-fixing shrubs. This understanding is crucial for the development of suitable management strategies for shrub plantations constructed with species having the resprouting ability and contributes to the sustainability of ecological restoration projects in water-limited sandy lands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Jing Guo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Daqinggou Ecological Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Xue-Wei Gong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Daqinggou Ecological Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Xue-Hua Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Chun-Yang Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Madelon Lohbeck
- Forest Ecology and Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Frank Sterck
- Forest Ecology and Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Guang-You Hao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Daqinggou Ecological Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
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2
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Paligi SS, Lichter J, Kotowska M, Schwutke RL, Audisio M, Mrak K, Penanhoat A, Schuldt B, Hertel D, Leuschner C. Water status dynamics and drought tolerance of juvenile European beech, Douglas fir and Norway spruce trees as dependent on neighborhood and nitrogen supply. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 44:tpae044. [PMID: 38662576 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpae044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
To increase the resilience of forests to drought and other hazards, foresters are increasingly planting mixed stands. This requires knowledge about the drought response of tree species in pure and mixed-culture neighborhoods. In addition, drought frequently interacts with continued atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition. To disentangle these factors for European beech, Norway spruce and Douglas fir, we conducted a replicated 3-factorial sapling growth experiment with three moisture levels, (high, medium, and low), two N levels (high and ambient), and pure and mixed-culture neighborhoods. We measured biomass, stomatal conductance (GS), shoot water potential (at predawn: ΨPD, midday, and turgor loss point: ΨTLP), branch xylem embolism resistance (Ψ50) and minimum epidermal conductance (Gmin). The three species differed most with respect to Gmin (10-fold higher in beech than in the conifers), hydroscape area (larger in beech), and the time elapsed to reach stomatal closure (TΨGS90) and ΨTLP (TTLP; shorter in beech), while Ψ50 and ΨTLP were remarkably similar. Neighborhood (pure vs mixed-culture) influenced biomass production, water status and hydraulic traits, notably GS (higher in Douglas fir, but lower in spruce and beech, in mixtures than pure culture), hydraulic safety margin (smaller for beech in mixtures), and TΨGS90 and TTLP (shorter for spruce in mixture). High N generally increased GS, but no consistent N effects on leaf water status and hydraulic traits were detected, suggesting that neighbor identity had a larger effect on plant water relations than N availability. We conclude that both tree neighborhood and N availability modulate the drought response of beech, spruce, and Douglas fir. Species mixing can alleviate the drought stress of some species, but often by disadvantaging other species. Thus, our study suggests that stabilizing and building resilience of production forests against a drier and warmer climate may depend primarily on the right species choice; species mixing can support the agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharath S Paligi
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Jens Lichter
- Chair of Statistics, University of Goettingen, Humboldtallee 3, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Martyna Kotowska
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
- School of Natural Sciences, Wallumattagal Campus, Macquarie University, 4-6 Eastern Road Macquarie Park NSW 2109, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rebecca L Schwutke
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Michela Audisio
- Forest Botany and Tree Physiology, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 2, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Klara Mrak
- Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 2, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Alice Penanhoat
- Department of Spatial Structures and Digitization of Forests, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schuldt
- Chair of Forest Botany, Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technical University of Dresden, Pienner Street 7, 01737 Tharandt, Germany
| | - Dietrich Hertel
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Leuschner
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
- Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
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3
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Tang W, Liu X, Liang X, Liu H, Yu K, He P, McAdam S, Zhao H, Ye Q. Hydraulic vulnerability difference between branches and roots increases with environmental aridity. Oecologia 2024; 205:177-190. [PMID: 38772916 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05562-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The vulnerability of plant xylem to embolism can be described as the water potential at which xylem conductivity is lost by 50% (P50). According to the traditional hypothesis of hydraulic vulnerability segmentation, the difference in vulnerability to embolism between branches and roots is positive (P50 root-branch > 0). It is not clear whether this occurs broadly across species or how segmentation might vary across aridity gradients. We compiled hydraulic and anatomical datasets from branches and roots across 104 woody species (including new measurements from 10 species) in four biomes to investigate the relationships between P50 root-branch and environmental factors associated with aridity. We found a positive P50 root-branch relationship across species, and evidence that P50 root-branch increases with aridity. Branch xylem hydraulic conductivity transitioned from more efficient (e.g., wider conduit, higher hydraulic conductivity) to safer (e.g., narrower conduit, more negative P50) in response to the increase of aridity, while root xylem hydraulic conductivity remained unchanged across aridity gradients. Our results demonstrate that the hydraulic vulnerability difference between branches and roots is more positive in species from arid regions, largely driven by modifications to branch traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weize Tang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany and Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723, Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaorong Liu
- Sichuan University of Arts and Science, Tashi Road 519, Dazhou, 635000, China
| | - Xingyun Liang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany and Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723, Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany and Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723, Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Kailiang Yu
- High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Pengcheng He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany and Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723, Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Scott McAdam
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Han Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany and Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723, Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Qing Ye
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany and Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723, Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
- College of Life Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, 341000, China.
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Bachofen C, Tumber-Dávila SJ, Mackay DS, McDowell NG, Carminati A, Klein T, Stocker BD, Mencuccini M, Grossiord C. Tree water uptake patterns across the globe. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024. [PMID: 38649790 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Plant water uptake from the soil is a crucial element of the global hydrological cycle and essential for vegetation drought resilience. Yet, knowledge of how the distribution of water uptake depth (WUD) varies across species, climates, and seasons is scarce relative to our knowledge of aboveground plant functions. With a global literature review, we found that average WUD varied more among biomes than plant functional types (i.e. deciduous/evergreen broadleaves and conifers), illustrating the importance of the hydroclimate, especially precipitation seasonality, on WUD. By combining records of rooting depth with WUD, we observed a consistently deeper maximum rooting depth than WUD with the largest differences in arid regions - indicating that deep taproots act as lifelines while not contributing to the majority of water uptake. The most ubiquitous observation across the literature was that woody plants switch water sources to soil layers with the highest water availability within short timescales. Hence, seasonal shifts to deep soil layers occur across the globe when shallow soils are drying out, allowing continued transpiration and hydraulic safety. While there are still significant gaps in our understanding of WUD, the consistency across global ecosystems allows integration of existing knowledge into the next generation of vegetation process models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Bachofen
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, EPFL, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Functional Plant Ecology, Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape WSL, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Dávila
- Department of Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA, 01316, USA
| | - D Scott Mackay
- Department of Geography, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14261, USA
| | - Nate G McDowell
- Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99354, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99163, USA
| | - Andrea Carminati
- Physics of Soils and Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tamir Klein
- Plant & Environmental Sciences Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Benjamin D Stocker
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, 3013, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maurizio Mencuccini
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
- ICREA at CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
| | - Charlotte Grossiord
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, EPFL, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Functional Plant Ecology, Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape WSL, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Kim D, Guadagno CR, Ewers BE, Mackay DS. Combining PSII photochemistry and hydraulics improves predictions of photosynthesis and water use from mild to lethal drought. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:1255-1268. [PMID: 38178610 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Rising temperatures and increases in drought negatively impact the efficiency and sustainability of both agricultural and forest ecosystems. Although hydraulic limitations on photosynthesis have been extensively studied, a solid understanding of the links between whole plant hydraulics and photosynthetic processes at the cellular level under changing environmental conditions is still missing, hampering our predictive power for plant mortality. Here, we examined plant hydraulic traits and CO2 assimilation rate under progressive water limitation by implementing Photosystem II (PSII) dynamics with a whole plant process model (TREES). The photosynthetic responses to plant water status were parameterized based on measurements of chlorophyll a fluorescence, gas exchange and water potential for Brassica rapa (R500) grown in a greenhouse under fully watered to lethal drought conditions. The updated model significantly improved predictions of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and leaf water potential. TREES with PSII knowledge predicted a larger hydraulic safety margin and a decrease in percent loss of conductivity. TREES predicted a slower decrease in leaf water potential, which agreed with measurements. Our results highlight the pressing need for incorporating PSII drought photochemistry into current process models to capture cross-scale plant water dynamics from cell to whole plant level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dohyoung Kim
- Department of Geography, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | | | - Brent E Ewers
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - D Scott Mackay
- Department of Geography, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Li S, Huang X, Zheng R, Zhang M, Zou Z, Heal KV, Zhou L. Xylem plasticity of root, stem, and branch in Cunninghamia lanceolata under drought stress: implications for whole-plant hydraulic integrity. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1308360. [PMID: 38439985 PMCID: PMC10910014 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1308360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Introduction A better understanding of xylem hydraulic characteristics in trees is critical to elucidate the mechanisms of forest decline and tree mortality from water deficit. As well as temperate forests and forests growing in arid regions, subtropical and tropical forests are also predicted to experience an increased frequency and intensity of climate change-induced drought in the near future. Methods In this study, 1-year-old Cunninghamia lanceolata seedlings (a typical subtropical species in southern China) were selected for a continuous controlled drought pot experiment of 45 days duration. The experimental treatments were non-drought (control), light drought, moderate drought and severe drought stress, which were 80%, 60%, 50%, and 40%, respectively of soil field maximum moisture capacity. Results The hydraulic conductivity, specific conductivity and water potential of roots, stems, and branches of C. lanceolata all decreased with the prolonging of drought in the different drought intensities. The relative decrease in these hydraulic values were greater in roots than in stems and branches, indicating that roots are more sensitive to drought. Root tracheid diameters normally reduce to ensure security of water transport with prolonged drought, whilst the tracheid diameters of stems and branches expand initially to ensure water transport and then decrease to reduce the risk of embolism with continuing drought duration. The pit membrane diameter of roots, stems and branches generally increased to different extents during the 15-45 days drought duration, which is conducive to enhanced radial water transport ability. The tracheid density and pit density of stems generally decreased during drought stress, which decreased water transport efficiency and increased embolism occurrence. Correlation analysis indicated that anatomical plasticity greatly influenced the hydraulic properties, whilst the relationships varied among different organs. In roots, tracheid diameter decreased and tracheid density increased to enhance water transport security; stems and branches may increase tracheid diameter and pit membrane diameter to increase hydraulic conductivity ability, but may increase the occurrence of xylem embolism. Discussion In summary, under drought stress, the xylem anatomical characteristics of C. lanceolata organs were highly plastic to regulate water transport vertically and radially to maintain the trade-off between hydraulic conductivity efficiency and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubin Li
- Forestry College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Chinese Fir Engineering Technology Research Center of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Huang
- Forestry College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Chinese Fir Engineering Technology Research Center of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ruping Zheng
- Forestry College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Huaying Forestry Development Center, Huaying, China
| | - Maxiao Zhang
- Chinese Fir Engineering Technology Research Center of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Fuzhou, China
- College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhiguang Zou
- Forestry College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Chinese Fir Engineering Technology Research Center of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Fuzhou, China
| | - Kate V. Heal
- School of Geo Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lili Zhou
- Chinese Fir Engineering Technology Research Center of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Fuzhou, China
- College of Geography and Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, China
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Sanchez-Martinez P, Mencuccini M, García-Valdés R, Hammond WM, Serra-Diaz JM, Guo WY, Segovia RA, Dexter KG, Svenning JC, Allen C, Martínez-Vilalta J. Increased hydraulic risk in assemblages of woody plant species predicts spatial patterns of drought-induced mortality. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1620-1632. [PMID: 37640766 PMCID: PMC10555820 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02180-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Predicting drought-induced mortality (DIM) of woody plants remains a key research challenge under climate change. Here, we integrate information on the edaphoclimatic niches, phylogeny and hydraulic traits of species to model the hydraulic risk of woody plants globally. We combine these models with species distribution records to estimate the hydraulic risk faced by local woody plant species assemblages. Thus, we produce global maps of hydraulic risk and test for its relationship with observed DIM. Our results show that local assemblages modelled as having higher hydraulic risk present a higher probability of DIM. Metrics characterizing this hydraulic risk improve DIM predictions globally, relative to models accounting only for edaphoclimatic predictors or broad functional groupings. The methodology we present here allows mapping of functional trait distributions and elucidation of global macro-evolutionary and biogeographical patterns, improving our ability to predict potential global change impacts on vegetation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Sanchez-Martinez
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona, Spain.
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona, Spain.
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | | | - Raúl García-Valdés
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Josep M Serra-Diaz
- Université de Lorraine, AgroParisTech, INRAE, Nancy, France
- Eversource Energy Center, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Wen-Yong Guo
- Research Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems & Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Department of Biology, Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) & Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Ricardo A Segovia
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Kyle G Dexter
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Department of Biology, Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) & Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Craig Allen
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona, Spain
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8
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Martínez-Vilalta J, García-Valdés R, Jump A, Vilà-Cabrera A, Mencuccini M. Accounting for trait variability and coordination in predictions of drought-induced range shifts in woody plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:23-40. [PMID: 37501525 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Raúl García-Valdés
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), E25280, Solsona, Spain
- Department of Biology, Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, School of Experimental Sciences and Technology, Rey Juan Carlos University, E28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alistair Jump
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, UK
| | - Albert Vilà-Cabrera
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Stirling, UK
| | - Maurizio Mencuccini
- CREAF, E08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, E08010, Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Férriz M, Martin-Benito D, Fernández-de-Simón MB, Conde M, García-Cervigón AI, Aranda I, Gea-Izquierdo G. Functional phenotypic plasticity mediated by water stress and [CO2] explains differences in drought tolerance of two phylogenetically close conifers. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 43:909-924. [PMID: 36809504 PMCID: PMC10255776 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpad021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Férriz
- ICIFOR-INIA, CSIC. Ctra La Coruña km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - D Martin-Benito
- ICIFOR-INIA, CSIC. Ctra La Coruña km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - M Conde
- ICIFOR-INIA, CSIC. Ctra La Coruña km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - A I García-Cervigón
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry Rey Juan Carlos University, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - I Aranda
- ICIFOR-INIA, CSIC. Ctra La Coruña km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - G Gea-Izquierdo
- ICIFOR-INIA, CSIC. Ctra La Coruña km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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10
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Higher productivity in forests with mixed mycorrhizal strategies. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1377. [PMID: 36914630 PMCID: PMC10011551 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36888-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Decades of theory and empirical studies have demonstrated links between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, yet the putative processes that underlie these patterns remain elusive. This is especially true for forest ecosystems, where the functional traits of plant species are challenging to quantify. We analyzed 74,563 forest inventory plots that span 35 ecoregions in the contiguous USA and found that in ~77% of the ecoregions mixed mycorrhizal plots were more productive than plots where either arbuscular or ectomycorrhizal fungal-associated tree species were dominant. Moreover, the positive effects of mixing mycorrhizal strategies on forest productivity were more pronounced at low than high tree species richness. We conclude that at low richness different mycorrhizal strategies may allow tree species to partition nutrient uptake and thus can increase community productivity, whereas at high richness other dimensions of functional diversity can enhance resource partitioning and community productivity. Our findings highlight the importance of mixed mycorrhizal strategies, in addition to that of taxonomic diversity in general, for maintaining ecosystem functioning in forests.
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11
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Zhang C, Khan A, Duan CY, Cao Y, Wu DD, Hao GY. Xylem hydraulics strongly influence the niche differentiation of tree species along the slope of a river valley in a water-limited area. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:106-118. [PMID: 36253806 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Xylem hydraulic characteristics govern plant water transport, affecting both drought resistance and photosynthetic gas exchange. Therefore, they play critical roles in determining the adaptation of different species to environments with various water regimes. Here, we tested the hypothesis that variation in xylem traits associated with a trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and safety against drought-induced embolism contributes to niche differentiation of tree species along a sharp water availability gradient on the slope of a unique river valley located in a semi-humid area. We found that tree species showed clear niche differentiation with decreasing water availability from the bottom towards the top of the valley. Tree species occupying different positions, in terms of vertical distribution distance from the bottom of the valley, showed a strong trade-off between xylem water transport efficiency and safety, as evidenced by variations in xylem structural traits at both the tissue and pit levels. This optimized their xylem hydraulics in their respective water regimes. Thus, the trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and safety contributes to clear niche differentiation and, thereby, to the coexistence of tree species in the valley with heterogeneous water availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Daqinggou Ecological Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Attaullah Khan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Daqinggou Ecological Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Chun-Yang Duan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Daqinggou Ecological Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Cao
- Institute of Sand Land Control and Utilization, Liaoning Province, Fuxin, China
| | - De-Dong Wu
- Institute of Sand Land Control and Utilization, Liaoning Province, Fuxin, China
| | - Guang-You Hao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Daqinggou Ecological Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
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12
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Kahmen A, Basler D, Hoch G, Link RM, Schuldt B, Zahnd C, Arend M. Root water uptake depth determines the hydraulic vulnerability of temperate European tree species during the extreme 2018 drought. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2022; 24:1224-1239. [PMID: 36219537 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We took advantage of the European 2018 drought and assessed the mechanisms causing differences in drought vulnerability among mature individuals of nine co-occurring tree species at the Swiss Canopy Crane II site in Switzerland. Throughout the drought we monitored leaf water status and determined native embolism formation in the canopy of the trees as indicators of drought vulnerability. We also determined hydraulic vulnerability thresholds (Ψ12 -, Ψ50 - and Ψ88 -values), corresponding hydraulic safety margins (HSMs) and carbohydrate reserves for all species as well as total average leaf area per tree, and used stable isotopes to assess differences in root water uptake depth among the nine species as variables predicting differences in drought vulnerability among species. Marked differences in drought vulnerability were observed among the nine tree species. Six species maintained their water potentials above hydraulic thresholds, while three species, Fagus sylvatica, Carpinus betulus and Picea abies, were pushed beyond their hydraulic thresholds and showed loss of hydraulic conductivity in their canopies at the end of the drought. Embolism resistance thresholds and associated HSMs did not explain why the co-existing species differed in their drought vulnerability, neither did their degree of isohydry, nor their regulation of carbohydrate reserves. Instead, differences in structural-morphological traits, in particular root water uptake depth, were associated with the risk of reaching hydraulic vulnerability thresholds and embolism formation among the nine species. Our study shows that structural-morphological traits, such as root water uptake depth, determine how quickly different species approach hydraulic vulnerability thresholds during a drought event and can thus explain species differences in drought vulnerability among mature field-grown trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kahmen
- Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - D Basler
- Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - G Hoch
- Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - R M Link
- Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - B Schuldt
- Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - C Zahnd
- Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - M Arend
- Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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13
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Frei ER, Gossner MM, Vitasse Y, Queloz V, Dubach V, Gessler A, Ginzler C, Hagedorn F, Meusburger K, Moor M, Samblás Vives E, Rigling A, Uitentuis I, von Arx G, Wohlgemuth T. European beech dieback after premature leaf senescence during the 2018 drought in northern Switzerland. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2022; 24:1132-1145. [PMID: 36103113 PMCID: PMC10092601 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
During the particularly severe hot summer drought in 2018, widespread premature leaf senescence was observed in several broadleaved tree species in Central Europe, particularly in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). For beech, it is yet unknown whether the drought evoked a decline towards tree mortality or whether trees can recover in the longer term. In this study, we monitored crown dieback, tree mortality and secondary drought damage symptoms in 963 initially live beech trees that exhibited either premature or normal leaf senescence in 2018 in three regions in northern Switzerland from 2018 to 2021. We related the observed damage to multiple climate- and stand-related parameters. Cumulative tree mortality continuously increased up to 7.2% and 1.3% in 2021 for trees with premature and normal leaf senescence in 2018, respectively. Mean crown dieback in surviving trees peaked at 29.2% in 2020 and 8.1% in 2019 for trees with premature and normal leaf senescence, respectively. Thereafter, trees showed first signs of recovery. Crown damage was more pronounced and recovery was slower for trees that showed premature leaf senescence in 2018, for trees growing on drier sites, and for larger trees. The presence of bleeding cankers peaked at 24.6% in 2019 and 10.7% in 2020 for trees with premature and normal leaf senescence, respectively. The presence of bark beetle holes peaked at 22.8% and 14.8% in 2021 for trees with premature and normal leaf senescence, respectively. Both secondary damage symptoms occurred more frequently in trees that had higher proportions of crown dieback and/or showed premature senescence in 2018. Our findings demonstrate context-specific differences in beech mortality and recovery reflecting the importance of regional and local climate and soil conditions. Adapting management to increase forest resilience is gaining importance, given the expected further beech decline on dry sites in northern Switzerland.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. R. Frei
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFDavos DorfSwitzerland
- SwissForestLabBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Climate Change and Extremes in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERCDavos DorfSwitzerland
| | - M. M. Gossner
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- SwissForestLabBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Y. Vitasse
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- SwissForestLabBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - V. Queloz
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- SwissForestLabBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - V. Dubach
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - A. Gessler
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- SwissForestLabBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - C. Ginzler
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- SwissForestLabBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - F. Hagedorn
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- SwissForestLabBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - K. Meusburger
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- SwissForestLabBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - M. Moor
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - E. Samblás Vives
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)Cerdanyola del VallesSpain
| | - A. Rigling
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- SwissForestLabBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - I. Uitentuis
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - G. von Arx
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- SwissForestLabBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change ResearchUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - T. Wohlgemuth
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- SwissForestLabBirmensdorfSwitzerland
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14
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Wilschut RA, De Long JR, Geisen S, Hannula SE, Quist CW, Snoek B, Steinauer K, Wubs ERJ, Yang Q, Thakur MP. Combined effects of warming and drought on plant biomass depend on plant woodiness and community type: a meta-analysis. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221178. [PMID: 36196543 PMCID: PMC9533002 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming and precipitation extremes (drought or increased precipitation) strongly affect plant primary production and thereby terrestrial ecosystem functioning. Recent syntheses show that combined effects of warming and precipitation extremes on plant biomass are generally additive, while individual experiments often show interactive effects, indicating that combined effects are more negative or positive than expected based on the effects of single factors. Here, we examined whether variation in biomass responses to single and combined effects of warming and precipitation extremes can be explained by plant growth form and community type. We performed a meta-analysis of 37 studies, which experimentally crossed warming and precipitation treatments, to test whether biomass responses to combined effects of warming and precipitation extremes depended on plant woodiness and community type (monocultures versus mixtures). Our results confirmed that the effects of warming and precipitation extremes were overall additive. However, combined effects of warming and drought on above- and belowground biomass were less negative in woody- than in herbaceous plant systems and more negative in plant mixtures than in monocultures. We further show that drought effects on plant biomass were more negative in greenhouse- than in field studies, suggesting that greenhouse experiments may overstate drought effects in the field. Our results highlight the importance of plant system characteristics to better understand plant responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rutger A Wilschut
- Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz 78464, Germany.,Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Jonathan R De Long
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.,Louis Bolk Institute, Kosterijland 3-5, Bunnik 3981 AJ, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Geisen
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.,Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - S Emilia Hannula
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.,Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, Leiden 2333CC, The Netherlands
| | - Casper W Quist
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.,Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Basten Snoek
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.,Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Katja Steinauer
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - E R Jasper Wubs
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.,Sustainable Agroecosystems Group, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Qiang Yang
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.,State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, People's Republic of China
| | - Madhav P Thakur
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
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15
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Salvi AM, Gosetti SG, Smith DD, Adams MA, Givnish TJ, McCulloh KA. Hydroscapes, hydroscape plasticity and relationships to functional traits and mesophyll photosynthetic sensitivity to leaf water potential in Eucalyptus species. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:2573-2588. [PMID: 35706133 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The isohydric-anisohydric continuum describes the relative stringency of stomatal control of leaf water potential (ψleaf ) during drought. Hydroscape area (HA)-the water potential landscape over which stomata regulate ψleaf -has emerged as a useful metric of the iso/anisohydric continuum because it is strongly linked to several hydraulic, photosynthetic and structural traits. Previous research on HA focused on broad ecological patterns involving several plant clades. Here we investigate the relationships between HA and climatic conditions and functional traits across ecologically diverse but closely related species while accounting for phylogeny. Across a macroclimatic moisture gradient, defined by the ratio of mean annual precipitation to mean annual pan evaporation (P/Ep ), HA decreased with increased P/Ep across 10 Eucalyptus species. Greater anisohydry reflects lower turgor loss points and greater hydraulic safety, mirroring global patterns. Larger HA coincides with mesophyll photosynthetic capacity that is more sensitive to ψleaf . Hydroscapes exhibit little plasticity in response to variation in water supply, and the extent of plasticity does not vary with P/Ep of native habitats. These findings strengthen the case that HA is a useful metric for characterizing drought tolerance and water-status regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Salvi
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sophia G Gosetti
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Duncan D Smith
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Creswick, Victoria, Australia
- Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mark A Adams
- Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Thomas J Givnish
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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16
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Johnson DM, Katul G, Domec J. Catastrophic hydraulic failure and tipping points in plants. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:2231-2266. [PMID: 35394656 PMCID: PMC9544843 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Water inside plants forms a continuous chain from water in soils to the water evaporating from leaf surfaces. Failures in this chain result in reduced transpiration and photosynthesis and are caused by soil drying and/or cavitation-induced xylem embolism. Xylem embolism and plant hydraulic failure share several analogies to 'catastrophe theory' in dynamical systems. These catastrophes are often represented in the physiological and ecological literature as tipping points when control variables exogenous (e.g., soil water potential) or endogenous (e.g., leaf water potential) to the plant are allowed to vary on time scales much longer than time scales associated with cavitation events. Here, plant hydraulics viewed from the perspective of catastrophes at multiple spatial scales is considered with attention to bubble expansion within a xylem conduit, organ-scale vulnerability to embolism, and whole-plant biomass as a proxy for transpiration and hydraulic function. The hydraulic safety-efficiency tradeoff, hydraulic segmentation and maximum plant transpiration are examined using this framework. Underlying mechanisms for hydraulic failure at fine scales such as pit membranes and cell-wall mechanics, intermediate scales such as xylem network properties and at larger scales such as soil-tree hydraulic pathways are discussed. Understudied areas in plant hydraulics are also flagged where progress is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M. Johnson
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - Gabriel Katul
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jean‐Christophe Domec
- Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of ForestryBordeaux Sciences Agro, UMR INRAE‐ISPA 1391GradignanFrance
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17
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Zlobin IE. Linking the growth patterns of coniferous species with their performance under climate aridization. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 831:154971. [PMID: 35367548 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Tree growth is highly sensitive to water deficit. At the same time, growth processes substantially influence tree performance under water stress by changing the root-absorbing surface, leaf-transpiring surface, amount of conducting xylem, etc. Drought-induced growth suppression is often higher in conifers than in broadleaf species. This review is devoted to the relations between the growth of coniferous plants and their performance under increasing climate aridization in the temperate and boreal zones of the Northern Hemisphere. For adult trees, available evidence suggests that increasing the frequency and severity of water deficit would be more detrimental to those plants that have higher growth in favorable conditions but decrease growth more prominently under water shortage, compared to trees whose growth is less sensitive to moisture availability. Not only the overall sensitivity of growth processes to water supply but also the asymmetry in response to lower-than-average and higher-than-average moisture conditions can be important for the performance of coniferous trees under upcoming adverse climate change. To fully understand the tree response under future climate change, the responses to both drier and wetter years need to be analyzed separately. In coniferous seedlings, more active growth is usually linked with better drought survival, although physiological reasons for such a link can be different. Growth stability under exacerbating summer water deficit in coniferous plants can be maintained by more active spring growth and/or by a bimodal growth pattern; each strategy has specific advantages and drawbacks. The optimal choice of growth strategy would be critical for future reforestation programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya E Zlobin
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, RAS, 35 Botanicheskaya St., Moscow 127276, Russia.
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18
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Song J, Trueba S, Yin XH, Cao KF, Brodribb TJ, Hao GY. Hydraulic vulnerability segmentation in compound-leaved trees: Evidence from an embolism visualization technique. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 189:204-214. [PMID: 35099552 PMCID: PMC9070814 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The hydraulic vulnerability segmentation (HVS) hypothesis implies the existence of differences in embolism resistance between plant organs along the xylem pathway and has been suggested as an adaptation allowing the differential preservation of more resource-rich tissues during drought stress. Compound leaves in trees are considered a low-cost means of increasing leaf area and may thus be expected to show evidence of strong HVS, given the tendency of compound-leaved tree species to shed their leaf units during drought. However, the existence and role of HVS in compound-leaved tree species during drought remain uncertain. We used an optical visualization technique to estimate embolism occurrence in stems, petioles, and leaflets of shoots in two compound-leaved tree species, Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica) and Manchurian walnut (Juglans mandshurica). We found higher (less negative) water potentials corresponding to 50% loss of conductivity (P50) in leaflets and petioles than in stems in both species. Overall, we observed a consistent pattern of stem > petiole > leaflet in terms of xylem resistance to embolism and hydraulic safety margins (i.e. the difference between mid-day water potential and P50). The coordinated variation in embolism vulnerability between organs suggests that during drought conditions, trees benefit from early embolism and subsequent shedding of more expendable organs such as leaflets and petioles, as this provides a degree of protection to the integrity of the hydraulic system of the more carbon costly stems. Our results highlight the importance of HVS as an adaptive mechanism of compound-leaved trees to withstand drought stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management & Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality Liaoning Province, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- School of Environmental and Geographical Science, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
- Yangtze River Delta National Observatory of Wetland Ecosystem, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Santiago Trueba
- University of Bordeaux, INRAE, BIOGECO, 33615 Pessac, France
| | - Xiao-Han Yin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management & Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality Liaoning Province, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Kun-Fang Cao
- Plant Ecophysiology and Evolution Group, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, and College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, China
| | - Timothy J Brodribb
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
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19
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Li X, Xi B, Wu X, Choat B, Feng J, Jiang M, Tissue D. Unlocking Drought-Induced Tree Mortality: Physiological Mechanisms to Modeling. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:835921. [PMID: 35444681 PMCID: PMC9015645 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.835921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximeng Li
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Benye Xi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Silviculture and Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuchen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Brendan Choat
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Jinchao Feng
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Mingkai Jiang
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - David Tissue
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
- Global Centre for Land-based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
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20
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Duan H, Resco de Dios V, Wang D, Zhao N, Huang G, Liu W, Wu J, Zhou S, Choat B, Tissue DT. Testing the limits of plant drought stress and subsequent recovery in four provenances of a widely distributed subtropical tree species. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:1187-1203. [PMID: 34985807 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14254] [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: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Drought-induced tree mortality may increase with ongoing climate change. Unraveling the links between stem hydraulics and mortality thresholds, and the effects of intraspecific variation, remain important unresolved issues. We conducted a water manipulation experiment in a rain-out shelter, using four provenances of Schima superba originating from a gradient of annual precipitation (1124-1796 mm) and temperature (16.4-22.4°C). Seedlings were droughted to three levels of percentage loss of hydraulic conductivity (i.e., P50 , P88 and P99) and subsequently rewatered to field capacity for 30 days; traits related to water and carbon relations were measured. The lethal water potential associated with incipient mortality was between P50 and P88 . Seedlings exhibited similar drought responses in xylem water potential, hydraulic conductivity and gas exchange. Upon rehydration, patterns of gas exchange differed among provenances but were not related to the climate at the origin. The four provenances exhibited a similar degree of stem hydraulic recovery, which was correlated with the magnitude of antecedent drought and stem soluble sugar at the end of the drought. Results suggest that there were intraspecific differences in the capacity of S. superba seedlings for carbon assimilation during recovery, indicating a decoupling between gas exchange recovery and stem hydraulics across provenances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honglang Duan
- Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, Key Laboratory of Forest Cultivation in Plateau Mountain of Guizhou Province, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems & Watershed Ecohydrology, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang, China
| | - Víctor Resco de Dios
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, Unversitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Joint Research Unit CTFC-AGROTECNIO-CERCA Centre, Lleida, Spain
| | - Defu Wang
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems & Watershed Ecohydrology, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang, China
| | - Nan Zhao
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems & Watershed Ecohydrology, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang, China
| | - Guomin Huang
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems & Watershed Ecohydrology, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang, China
| | - Wenfei Liu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems & Watershed Ecohydrology, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang, China
| | - Jianping Wu
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Shuangxi Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Brendan Choat
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David T Tissue
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia
- Global Centre for Land-based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia
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21
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Starns HD, Wonkka CL, Dickinson MB, Lodge AG, Treadwell ML, Kavanagh KL, Tolleson DR, Twidwell D, Rogers WE. Prosopis glandulosa persistence is facilitated by differential protection of buds during low- and high-energy fires. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 303:114141. [PMID: 34838383 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Rangelands worldwide have experienced significant shifts from grass-dominated to woody-plant dominated states over the past century. In North America, these shifts are largely driven by overgrazing and landscape-scale fire suppression. Such shifts reduce productivity for livestock, can have broad-scale impacts to biodiversity, and are often difficult to reverse. Restoring grass dominance often involves restoring fire as an ecological process. However, many resprouting woody plants persist following disturbance, including fire, by resprouting from protected buds, rendering fire ineffective for reducing resprouting woody plant density. Recent research has shown that extreme fire (high-energy fires during periods of water stress) may reduce resprouting capacity. This previous research did not examine whether high-energy fires alone would be sufficient to cause mortality. We created an experimental framework for assessing the "buds-protection-resources" hypothesis of resprouting persistence under different fire energies. In July-August 2018 we exposed 48 individuals of a dominant resprouting woody plant in the region, honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), to two levels of fire energy (high and low) and root crown exposure (exposed vs unexposed) and evaluated resprouting capacity. We censused basal and epicormic resprouts for two years following treatment. Water stress was moderate for several months leading up to fires but low in subsequent years. Epicormic and basal buds were somewhat protected from low- and high-energy fire. However, epicormic buds were protected in very few mesquites subjected to high-energy fires. High-energy fires decreased survival, caused loss of apical dominance, and left residual dead stems, which may increase chances of mortality from future fires. Basal resprout numbers were reduced by high-energy fires, which may have additional implications for long-term mesquite survival. While the buds, protection, and resources components of resprouter persistence all played a role in resprouting, high-energy fire decreased mesquite survival and reduced resprouting. This suggests that high-energy fires affect persistence mechanisms to different extents than low-energy fires. In addition, high-energy fires during normal rainfall can have negative impacts on resprouting capacity; water stress is not a necessary precursor to honey mesquite mortality from high-energy fire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heath D Starns
- Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management Department, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Sonora, TX, 76950, USA.
| | - Carissa L Wonkka
- USDA ARS, Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab, Sidney, MT, 59270, USA
| | | | - Alexandra G Lodge
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Morgan L Treadwell
- Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management Department, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, San Angelo, TX, USA
| | | | - Douglas R Tolleson
- Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management Department, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Sonora, TX, 76950, USA
| | - Dirac Twidwell
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - William E Rogers
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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22
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Benson MC, Miniat CF, Oishi AC, Denham SO, Domec JC, Johnson DM, Missik JE, Phillips RP, Wood JD, Novick KA. The xylem of anisohydric Quercus alba L. is more vulnerable to embolism than isohydric codominants. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:329-346. [PMID: 34902165 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The coordination of plant leaf water potential (ΨL ) 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 ΨL 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 ΨL 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 ΨL 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 ΨL 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Benson
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Chelcy F Miniat
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, Otto, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrew C Oishi
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, Otto, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sander O Denham
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Jean-Christophe Domec
- Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRA UMR 1391 ISPA, Gradignan, France
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel M Johnson
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Justine E Missik
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Richard P Phillips
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Wood
- University of Missouri, School of Natural Resources, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Kimberly A Novick
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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23
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Xu GQ, Farrell C, Arndt SK. Climate of origin has no influence on drought adaptive traits and the drought responses of a widely distributed polymorphic shrub. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 42:86-98. [PMID: 34259315 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpab085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Qing Xu
- State Key Lab of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011, China
| | - Claire Farrell
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Richmond, VIC 3121, Australia
| | - Stefan K Arndt
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Richmond, VIC 3121, Australia
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24
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Buttó V, Millan M, Rossi S, Delagrange S. Contrasting Carbon Allocation Strategies of Ring-Porous and Diffuse-Porous Species Converge Toward Similar Growth Responses to Drought. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:760859. [PMID: 34975943 PMCID: PMC8716880 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.760859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Extreme climatic events that are expected under global warming expose forest ecosystems to drought stress, which may affect the growth and productivity. We assessed intra-annual growth responses of trees to soil water content in species belonging to different functional groups of tree-ring porosity. We pose the hypothesis that species with contrasting carbon allocation strategies, which emerge from different relationships between wood traits and canopy architecture, display divergent growth responses to drought. We selected two diffuse-porous species (Acer saccharum and Betula alleghaniensis) and two ring-porous species (Quercus rubra and Fraxinus americana) from the mixed forest of Quebec (Canada). We measured anatomical wood traits and canopy architecture in eight individuals per species and assessed tree growth sensitivity to water balance during 2008-2017 using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI). Stem elongation in diffuse-porous species mainly depended upon the total number of ramifications and hydraulic diameter of the tree-ring vessels. In ring-porous species, stem elongation mainly depended upon the productivity of the current year, i.e., number of vessels and basal area increment. Diffuse-porous and ring-porous species had similar responses to soil water balance. The effect of soil water balance on tree growth changed during the growing season. In April, decreasing soil temperature linked to wet conditions could explain the negative relationship between SPEI and tree growth. In late spring, greater water availability affected carbon partitioning, by promoting the formation of larger xylem vessels in both functional groups. Results suggest that timings and duration of drought events affect meristem growth and carbon allocation in both functional groups. Drought induces the formation of fewer xylem vessels in ring-porous species, and smaller xylem vessels in diffuse-porous species, the latter being also prone to a decline in stem elongation due to a reduced number of ramifications. Indeed, stem elongation of diffuse-porous species is influenced by environmental conditions of the previous year, which determine the total number of ramifications during the current year. Drought responses in different functional groups are thus characterized by different drivers, express contrasting levels of resistance or resilience, but finally result in an overall similar loss of productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Buttó
- Département des Sciences Naturelles, Institut des Sciences de la Forêt Tempérée, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Ripon, QC, Canada
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada
| | - Mathilde Millan
- Département des Sciences Naturelles, Institut des Sciences de la Forêt Tempérée, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Ripon, QC, Canada
| | - Sergio Rossi
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sylvain Delagrange
- Département des Sciences Naturelles, Institut des Sciences de la Forêt Tempérée, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Ripon, QC, Canada
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25
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Pivovaroff AL, McDowell NG, Rodrigues TB, Brodribb T, Cernusak LA, Choat B, Grossiord C, Ishida Y, Jardine KJ, Laurance S, Leff R, Li W, Liddell M, Mackay DS, Pacheco H, Peters J, de J Sampaio Filho I, Souza DC, Wang W, Zhang P, Chambers J. Stability of tropical forest tree carbon-water relations in a rainfall exclusion treatment through shifts in effective water uptake depth. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:6454-6466. [PMID: 34469040 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Increasing severity and frequency of drought is predicted for large portions of the terrestrial biosphere, with major impacts already documented in wet tropical forests. Using a 4-year rainfall exclusion experiment in the Daintree Rainforest in northeast Australia, we examined canopy tree responses to reduced precipitation and soil water availability by quantifying seasonal changes in plant hydraulic and carbon traits for 11 tree species between control and drought treatments. Even with reduced soil volumetric water content in the upper 1 m of soil in the drought treatment, we found no significant difference between treatments for predawn and midday leaf water potential, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, foliar stable carbon isotope composition, leaf mass per area, turgor loss point, xylem vessel anatomy, or leaf and stem nonstructural carbohydrates. While empirical measurements of aboveground traits revealed homeostatic maintenance of plant water status and traits in response to reduced soil moisture, modeled belowground dynamics revealed that trees in the drought treatment shifted the depth from which water was acquired to deeper soil layers. These findings reveal that belowground acclimation of tree water uptake depth may buffer tropical rainforests from more severe droughts that may arise in future with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria L Pivovaroff
- Atmospheric Science and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Nate G McDowell
- Atmospheric Science and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Tayana Barrozo Rodrigues
- Forest Management Laboratory, National Institute of Amazonian Research, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Tim Brodribb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Lucas A Cernusak
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Brendan Choat
- University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Charlotte Grossiord
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Functional Plant Ecology, Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yoko Ishida
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kolby J Jardine
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Susan Laurance
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Riley Leff
- Atmospheric Science and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Weibin Li
- Atmospheric Science and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Michael Liddell
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - D Scott Mackay
- Department of Geography and Department of Environment & Sustainability, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Heather Pacheco
- Atmospheric Science and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Jennifer Peters
- University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Climate Change Science Institute & Environmental Science Division, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Daisy C Souza
- Forest Management Laboratory, National Institute of Amazonian Research, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Wenzhi Wang
- Atmospheric Science and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Peipei Zhang
- Atmospheric Science and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Jeff Chambers
- Climate Sciences Department, Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
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26
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Chitra‐Tarak R, Xu C, Aguilar S, Anderson‐Teixeira KJ, Chambers J, Detto M, Faybishenko B, Fisher RA, Knox RG, Koven CD, Kueppers LM, Kunert N, Kupers SJ, McDowell NG, Newman BD, Paton SR, Pérez R, Ruiz L, Sack L, Warren JM, Wolfe BT, Wright C, Wright SJ, Zailaa J, McMahon SM. Hydraulically-vulnerable trees survive on deep-water access during droughts in a tropical forest. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 231:1798-1813. [PMID: 33993520 PMCID: PMC8457149 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Deep-water access is arguably the most effective, but under-studied, mechanism that plants employ to survive during drought. Vulnerability to embolism and hydraulic safety margins can predict mortality risk at given levels of dehydration, but deep-water access may delay plant dehydration. Here, we tested the role of deep-water access in enabling survival within a diverse tropical forest community in Panama using a novel data-model approach. We inversely estimated the effective rooting depth (ERD, as the average depth of water extraction), for 29 canopy species by linking diameter growth dynamics (1990-2015) to vapor pressure deficit, water potentials in the whole-soil column, and leaf hydraulic vulnerability curves. We validated ERD estimates against existing isotopic data of potential water-access depths. Across species, deeper ERD was associated with higher maximum stem hydraulic conductivity, greater vulnerability to xylem embolism, narrower safety margins, and lower mortality rates during extreme droughts over 35 years (1981-2015) among evergreen species. Species exposure to water stress declined with deeper ERD indicating that trees compensate for water stress-related mortality risk through deep-water access. The role of deep-water access in mitigating mortality of hydraulically-vulnerable trees has important implications for our predictive understanding of forest dynamics under current and future climates.
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27
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Chen YJ, Choat B, Sterck F, Maenpuen P, Katabuchi M, Zhang SB, Tomlinson KW, Oliveira RS, Zhang YJ, Shen JX, Cao KF, Jansen S. Hydraulic prediction of drought-induced plant dieback and top-kill depends on leaf habit and growth form. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2350-2363. [PMID: 34409716 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Hydraulic failure caused by severe drought contributes to aboveground dieback and whole-plant death. The extent to which dieback or whole-plant death can be predicted by plant hydraulic traits has rarely been tested among species with different leaf habits and/or growth forms. We investigated 19 hydraulic traits in 40 woody species in a tropical savanna and their potential correlations with drought response during an extreme drought event during the El Niño-Southern Oscillation in 2015. Plant hydraulic trait variation was partitioned substantially by leaf habit but not growth form along a trade-off axis between traits that support drought tolerance versus avoidance. Semi-deciduous species and shrubs had the highest branch dieback and top-kill (complete aboveground death) among the leaf habits or growth forms. Dieback and top-kill were well explained by combining hydraulic traits with leaf habit and growth form, suggesting integrating life history traits with hydraulic traits will yield better predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Jun Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China.,Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China.,Yuanjiang Savanna Ecosystem Research Station, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuanjiang, Yunnan, China.,Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Brendan Choat
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Frank Sterck
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Phisamai Maenpuen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Masatoshi Katabuchi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Shu-Bin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China.,Yuanjiang Savanna Ecosystem Research Station, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuanjiang, Yunnan, China
| | - Kyle W Tomlinson
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Rafael S Oliveira
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, CP6109, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Yong-Jiang Zhang
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Jing-Xian Shen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China.,Institute of Ecology and Geobotany, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Kun-Fang Cao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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28
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Feng F, Losso A, Tyree M, Zhang S, Mayr S. Cavitation fatigue in conifers: a study on eight European species. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 186:1580-1590. [PMID: 33905499 PMCID: PMC8260135 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
After drought-induced embolism and repair, tree xylem may be weakened against future drought events (cavitation fatigue). As there are few data on cavitation fatigue in conifers available, we quantified vulnerability curves (VCs) after embolism/repair cycles on eight European conifer species. We induced 50% and 100% loss of conductivity (LC) with a cavitron, and analyzed VCs. Embolism repair was obtained by vacuum infiltration. All species demonstrated complete embolism repair and a lack of any cavitation fatigue after 50% LC . After 100% LC, European larch (Larix decidua), stone pine (Pinus cembra), Norway spruce (Picea abies), and silver fir (Abies alba) remained unaffected, while mountain pine (Pinus mugo), yew (Taxus baccata), and common juniper (Juniperus communis) exhibited 0.4-0.9 MPa higher vulnerability to embolism. A small cavitation fatigue observed in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) was probably biased by incomplete embolism repair, as indicated by a correlation of vulnerability shifts and conductivity restoration. Our data demonstrate that cavitation fatigue in conifers is species-specific and depends on the intensity of preceding LC. The lack of fatigue effects after moderate LC, and relevant effects in only three species after high LC, indicate that conifers are relatively resistant against cavitation fatigue. This is remarkable considering the complex and delicate conifer pit architecture and may be important considering climate change projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Feng
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- Qinling National Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Huoditang, Ningshan, Shaanxi 711600, China
| | - Adriano Losso
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Melvin Tyree
- College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004, China
| | - Shuoxin Zhang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- Qinling National Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Huoditang, Ningshan, Shaanxi 711600, China
| | - Stefan Mayr
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
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Venturas MD, Todd HN, Trugman AT, Anderegg WRL. Understanding and predicting forest mortality in the western United States using long-term forest inventory data and modeled hydraulic damage. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:1896-1910. [PMID: 33112415 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Global warming is expected to exacerbate the duration and intensity of droughts in the western United States, which may lead to increased tree mortality. A prevailing proximal mechanism of drought-induced tree mortality is hydraulic damage, but predicting tree mortality from hydraulic theory and climate data still remains a major scientific challenge. We used forest inventory data and a plant hydraulic model (HM) to address three questions: can we capture regional patterns of drought-induced tree mortality with HM-predicted damage thresholds; do HM metrics improve predictions of mortality across broad spatial areas; and what are the dominant controls of forest mortality when considering stand characteristics, climate metrics, and simulated hydraulic stress? We found that the amount of variance explained by models predicting mortality was limited (R2 median = 0.10, R2 range: 0.00-0.52). HM outputs, including hydraulic damage and carbon assimilation diagnostics, moderately improve mortality prediction across the western US compared with models using stand and climate predictors alone. Among factors considered, metrics of stand density and tree size tended to be some of the most critical factors explaining mortality, probably highlighting the important roles of structural overshoot, stand development, and biotic agent host selection and outbreaks in mortality patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin D Venturas
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Henry N Todd
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Anna T Trugman
- Department of Geography, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - William R L Anderegg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
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30
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Nolan RH, Gauthey A, Losso A, Medlyn BE, Smith R, Chhajed SS, Fuller K, Song M, Li X, Beaumont LJ, Boer MM, Wright IJ, Choat B. Hydraulic failure and tree size linked with canopy die-back in eucalypt forest during extreme drought. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:1354-1365. [PMID: 33629360 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Eastern Australia was subject to its hottest and driest year on record in 2019. This extreme drought resulted in massive canopy die-back in eucalypt forests. The role of hydraulic failure and tree size on canopy die-back in three eucalypt tree species during this drought was examined. We measured pre-dawn and midday leaf water potential (Ψleaf ), per cent loss of stem hydraulic conductivity and quantified hydraulic vulnerability to drought-induced xylem embolism. Tree size and tree health was also surveyed. Trees with most, or all, of their foliage dead exhibited high rates of native embolism (78-100%). This is in contrast to trees with partial canopy die-back (30-70% canopy die-back: 72-78% native embolism), or relatively healthy trees (little evidence of canopy die-back: 25-31% native embolism). Midday Ψleaf was significantly more negative in trees exhibiting partial canopy die-back (-2.7 to -6.3 MPa), compared with relatively healthy trees (-2.1 to -4.5 MPa). In two of the species the majority of individuals showing complete canopy die-back were in the small size classes. Our results indicate that hydraulic failure is strongly associated with canopy die-back during drought in eucalypt forests. Our study provides valuable field data to help constrain models predicting mortality risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael H Nolan
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Alice Gauthey
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Adriano Losso
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestraße 15, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Belinda E Medlyn
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Rhiannon Smith
- Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
| | - Shubham S Chhajed
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Kathryn Fuller
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Magnolia Song
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Xine Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, China
| | - Linda J Beaumont
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Matthias M Boer
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia
| | - Ian J Wright
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Brendan Choat
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
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31
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Ding Y, Nie Y, Chen H, Wang K, Querejeta JI. Water uptake depth is coordinated with leaf water potential, water-use efficiency and drought vulnerability in karst vegetation. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:1339-1353. [PMID: 32989748 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Root access to bedrock water storage or groundwater is an important trait allowing plant survival in seasonally dry environments. However, the degree of coordination between water uptake depth, leaf-level water-use efficiency (WUEi) and water potential in drought-prone plant communities is not well understood. We conducted a 135-d rainfall exclusion experiment in a subtropical karst ecosystem with thin skeletal soils to evaluate the responses of 11 co-occurring woody species of contrasting life forms and leaf habits to a severe drought during the wet growing season. Marked differences in xylem water isotopic composition during drought revealed distinct ecohydrological niche separation among species. The contrasting behaviour of leaf water potential in coexisting species during drought was largely explained by differences in root access to deeper, temporally stable water sources. Smaller-diameter species with shallower water uptake, more negative water potentials and lower WUEi showed extensive drought-induced canopy defoliation and/or mortality. By contrast, larger-diameter species with deeper water uptake, higher leaf-level WUEi and more isohydric behaviour survived drought with only moderate canopy defoliation. Severe water limitation imposes strong environmental filtering and/or selective pressures resulting in tight coordination between tree diameter, water uptake depth, iso/anisohydric behaviour, WUEi and drought vulnerability in karst plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Ding
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, 410125, China
- Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi, 547100, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yunpeng Nie
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, 410125, China
- Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi, 547100, China
| | - Hongsong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, 410125, China
- Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi, 547100, China
| | - Kelin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, 410125, China
- Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi, 547100, China
| | - José I Querejeta
- Soil and Water Conservation Department, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEBAS-CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Murcia, E30100, Spain
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32
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Gea-Izquierdo G, Natalini F, Cardillo E. Holm oak death is accelerated but not sudden and expresses drought legacies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 754:141793. [PMID: 32920381 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The increase in abiotic and biotic stress driven by global change threatens forest ecosystems and challenges understanding of mechanisms producing mortality. Phytophthora spp. like P. cinnamomi (PHYCI) are among the most lethal pathogens for many woody species including Quercus spp. Dynamics of biotic agents and their hosts are complex and influenced by climatic conditions. We analysed radial growth trends of dead and live adult Quercus ilex trees from agrosilvopastoral open woodlands under intense land-use. A pronounced warming trend since the 1980s has coincided in these woodlands with high oak mortality rates generally attributed to PHYCI. Yet, tree mortality and latency of the pathogen could be expressed at variable time spans, whereas, like in many other forests worldwide, tree death could also be explained by other factors like drought. PHYCI was isolated from roots of all dead oaks from one region. Trees were younger than generally believed and ages of dead trees ranged between 38 and 230 years. Growth of dead trees reached a tipping point in 1980 and 1990 coincident with two-year extraordinary droughts. These dates set the start of growth declines up to 30 years before tree death. Live trees did not exhibit any recent growth decline. Tree growth was highly sensitive to climatic variability associated with water stress and climate-growth relationships suggested phenological changes since the 1980s. Live and dead trees showed differences in their sensitivity to moisture availability and temperature. The sensitivity of growth to climate was partially related to site environmental conditions. Simulated gross and net primary productivity were higher in live sites with less atmospheric demand for water. Tree death was not sudden but a slow multiannual process as expressed by radial growth declines likely triggered by drought. Regardless of the causal agent or mechanism, the observed mortality affected trees exhibiting negative drought and land-use legacies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabio Natalini
- ETSI, Universidad de Huelva, 21819 Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, Spain
| | - Enrique Cardillo
- CICYTEX-ICMC, Polígono Industrial El Prado, c/ Pamplona 64, 06800 Mérida, Badajoz, Spain
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33
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Walthert L, Ganthaler A, Mayr S, Saurer M, Waldner P, Walser M, Zweifel R, von Arx G. From the comfort zone to crown dieback: Sequence of physiological stress thresholds in mature European beech trees across progressive drought. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 753:141792. [PMID: 33207466 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Drought responses of mature trees are still poorly understood making it difficult to predict species distributions under a warmer climate. Using mature European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), a widespread and economically important tree species in Europe, we aimed at developing an empirical stress-level scheme to describe its physiological response to drought. We analysed effects of decreasing soil and leaf water potential on soil water uptake, stem radius, native embolism, early defoliation and crown dieback with comprehensive measurements from overall nine hydrologically distinct beech stands across Switzerland, including records from the exceptional 2018 drought and the 2019/2020 post-drought period. Based on the observed responses to decreasing water potential we derived the following five stress levels: I (predawn leaf water potential >-0.4 MPa): no detectable hydraulic limitations; II (-0.4 to -1.3): persistent stem shrinkage begins and growth ceases; III (-1.3 to -2.1): onset of native embolism and defoliation; IV (-2.1 to -2.8): onset of crown dieback; V (<-2.8): transpiration ceases and crown dieback is >20%. Our scheme provides, for the first time, quantitative thresholds regarding the physiological downregulation of mature European beech trees under drought and therefore synthesises relevant and fundamental information for process-based species distribution models. Moreover, our study revealed that European beech is drought vulnerable, because it still transpires considerably at high levels of embolism and because defoliation occurs rather as a result of embolism than preventing embolism. During the 2018 drought, an exposure to the stress levels III-V of only one month was long enough to trigger substantial crown dieback in beech trees on shallow soils. On deep soils with a high water holding capacity, in contrast, water reserves in deep soil layers prevented drought stress in beech trees. This emphasises the importance to include local data on soil water availability when predicting the future distribution of European beech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenz Walthert
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
| | - Andrea Ganthaler
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Stefan Mayr
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Matthias Saurer
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Peter Waldner
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Marco Walser
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Roman Zweifel
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Georg von Arx
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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34
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Hanley PA, Arndt SK, Livesley SJ, Szota C. Relating the climate envelopes of urban tree species to their drought and thermal tolerance. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 753:142012. [PMID: 33207433 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Analysing the climate envelope of plant species has been suggested as a tool to predict the vulnerability of tree species in future urban climates. However, there is little evidence that the climate envelope of a plant species directly relates to the drought and thermal tolerance of that species, at least not at the resolution required to identify or rank species vulnerability. Here, we attempted to predict drought and thermal tolerance of commonly used urban tree species using climate variables derived exclusively from open-source global occurrence data. We quantified three drought and thermal tolerance traits for 43 urban tree species in a common garden experiment: stomatal sensitivity to vapour pressure deficit, leaf water potential at the turgor loss point, and leaf thermal tolerance. We then attempted to predict each tolerance trait from variables derived from the climate envelope of each species, using occurrence data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. We found no strong relationships between drought and thermal tolerance traits and climatic variables. Across wide environmental gradients, plant tolerance and climate are inherently linked. But our results suggest that climate envelopes determined from species occurrence data alone may not predict drought or thermal tolerance at the resolution required to select tree species for future urban forests. We should focus on identifying the most relevant strategies and traits required to describe tolerance which in combination with climate envelope analysis should ultimately predict growth and mortality of trees in urban landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Hanley
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stefan K Arndt
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stephen J Livesley
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christopher Szota
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
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35
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Yan CL, Ni MY, Cao KF, Zhu SD. Leaf hydraulic safety margin and safety-efficiency trade-off across angiosperm woody species. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200456. [PMID: 33202185 PMCID: PMC7728672 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Leaf hydraulic conductance and the vulnerability to water deficits have profound effects on plant distribution and mortality. In this study, we compiled a leaf hydraulic trait dataset with 311 species-at-site combinations from biomes worldwide. These traits included maximum leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf), water potential at 50% loss of Kleaf (P50leaf), and minimum leaf water potential (Ψmin). Leaf hydraulic safety margin (HSMleaf) was calculated as the difference between Ψmin and P50leaf. Our results indicated that 70% of the studied species had a narrow HSMleaf (less than 1 MPa), which was consistent with the global pattern of stem hydraulic safety margin. There was a positive relationship between HSMleaf and aridity index (the ratio of mean annual precipitation to potential evapotranspiration), as species from humid sites tended to have larger HSMleaf. We found a significant relationship between Kleaf and P50leaf across global angiosperm woody species and within each of the different plant groups. This global analysis of leaf hydraulic traits improves our understanding of plant hydraulic response to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Long Yan
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Guangxi University, Daxuedong Road 10 0, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, People's Republic of China
- School of Chemical Engineering and Resource Recycling, Wuzhou University, Fuminsan Road 82, Wuzhou, Guangxi 543000, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming-Yuan Ni
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Guangxi University, Daxuedong Road 10 0, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, People's Republic of China
| | - Kun-Fang Cao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Guangxi University, Daxuedong Road 10 0, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, People's Republic of China
| | - Shi-Dan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Guangxi University, Daxuedong Road 10 0, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, People's Republic of China
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36
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Wang DR, Venturas MD, Mackay DS, Hunsaker DJ, Thorp KR, Gore MA, Pauli D. Use of hydraulic traits for modeling genotype-specific acclimation in cotton under drought. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:898-909. [PMID: 32557592 PMCID: PMC7586954 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the genetic and physiological basis of abiotic stress tolerance under field conditions is key to varietal crop improvement in the face of climate variability. Here, we investigate dynamic physiological responses to water stress in silico and their relationships to genotypic variation in hydraulic traits of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), an economically important species for renewable textile fiber production. In conjunction with an ecophysiological process-based model, heterogeneous data (plant hydraulic traits, spatially-distributed soil texture, soil water content and canopy temperature) were used to examine hydraulic characteristics of cotton, evaluate their consequences on whole plant performance under drought, and explore potential genotype × environment effects. Cotton was found to have R-shaped hydraulic vulnerability curves (VCs), which were consistent under drought stress initiated at flowering. Stem VCs, expressed as percent loss of conductivity, differed across genotypes, whereas root VCs did not. Simulation results demonstrated how plant physiological stress can depend on the interaction between soil properties and irrigation management, which in turn affect genotypic rankings of transpiration in a time-dependent manner. Our study shows how a process-based modeling framework can be used to link genotypic variation in hydraulic traits to differential acclimating behaviors under drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane R. Wang
- Department of GeographyUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNY14261USA
- Present address:
Department of AgronomyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIN47907USA
| | | | - D. Scott Mackay
- Department of GeographyUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNY14261USA
| | | | - Kelly R. Thorp
- US Arid‐Land Agricultural Research CenterMaricopaAZ37860USA
| | - Michael A. Gore
- Plant Breeding and Genetics SectionSchool of Integrative Plant ScienceCornell UniversityIthacaNY14853USA
| | - Duke Pauli
- School of Plant SciencesUniversity of ArizonaTucsonAZ85721USA
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37
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Peters JMR, Gauthey A, Lopez R, Carins-Murphy MR, Brodribb TJ, Choat B. Non-invasive imaging reveals convergence in root and stem vulnerability to cavitation across five tree species. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:6623-6637. [PMID: 32822502 PMCID: PMC7586747 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Root vulnerability to cavitation is challenging to measure and under-represented in current datasets. This gap limits the precision of models used to predict plant responses to drought because roots comprise the critical interface between plant and soil. In this study, we measured vulnerability to drought-induced cavitation in woody roots and stems of five tree species (Acacia aneura, Cedrus deodara, Eucalyptus crebra, Eucalytus saligna, and Quercus palustris) with a wide range of xylem anatomies. X-ray microtomography was used to visualize the accumulation of xylem embolism in stems and roots of intact plants that were naturally dehydrated to varying levels of water stress. Vulnerability to cavitation, defined as the water potential causing a 50% loss of hydraulic function (P50), varied broadly among the species (-4.51 MPa to -11.93 MPa in stems and -3.13 MPa to -9.64 MPa in roots). The P50 of roots and stems was significantly related across species, with species that had more vulnerable stems also having more vulnerable roots. While there was strong convergence in root and stem vulnerability to cavitation, the P50 of roots was significantly higher than the P50 of stems in three species. However, the difference in root and stem vulnerability for these species was small; between 1% and 31% of stem P50. Thus, while some differences existed between organs, roots were not dramatically more vulnerable to embolism than stems, and the differences observed were less than those reported in previous studies. Further study is required to evaluate the vulnerability across root orders and to extend these conclusions to a greater number of species and xylem functional types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M R Peters
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Climate Change Science Institute & Environmental Science Division, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Alice Gauthey
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Rosana Lopez
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
- Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Timothy J Brodribb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Brendan Choat
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
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38
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Hydraulic traits of co-existing conifers do not correlate with local hydroclimate condition: a case study in the northern Rocky Mountains, U.S.A. Oecologia 2020; 197:1049-1062. [PMID: 33025266 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04772-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we examined the inter- and intra-specific variation of hydraulic traits of three conifers of the Northern Rockies: Pinus ponderosa, Picea engelmannii, and Pseudotsuga menziesii to understand the mechanisms that allow different plant species to co-exist across a watershed. We quantified differences in plant xylem water potential (ψx), xylem tissue vulnerability to cavitation (P50, or ψ causing 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity), and safety margins for co-occurring trees from low and high elevations. We then investigated xylem vulnerability to cavitation with rooting depth. We found that xylem vulnerability to cavitation did not correspond to where tree species were found in the landscape. For example, P. ponderosa grew in more xeric locations, while P. engelmannii were largely confined to more mesic locations, yet P. engelmannii had more negative P50 values. P. menziesii had the lowest P50 value, but displayed little variation in vulnerability to cavitation across the hydroclimatic gradient. These patterns were also reflected in the safety margins; P. menziesii had the widest safety margin, P. engelmannii was intermediate, and P. ponderosa displayed the narrowest safety margin. All three species were also using water sources deeper than 30 cm in depth, allowing them to persist throughout the mid-summer drought. Overall, species-specific hydraulic traits did not necessarily follow a predictable response to the environment; instead, a combination of physiological and morphological traits likely allow trees to persist across a broader hydroclimatic gradient than would be otherwise expected from hydraulic trait measurements alone.
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39
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Miller ML, Roddy AB, Brodersen CR, McElrone AJ, Johnson DM. Anatomical and hydraulic responses to desiccation in emergent conifer seedlings. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:1177-1188. [PMID: 32754914 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE The young seedling life stage is critical for reforestation after disturbance and for species migration under climate change, yet little is known regarding their basic hydraulic function or vulnerability to drought. Here, we sought to characterize responses to desiccation including hydraulic vulnerability, xylem anatomical traits, and impacts on other stem tissues that contribute to hydraulic functioning. METHODS Larix occidentalis, Pseudotsuga menziesii, and Pinus ponderosa (all ≤6 weeks old) were imaged using x-ray computed microtomography during desiccation to assess seedling biomechanical responses with concurrently measured hydraulic conductivity (ks ) and water potential (Ψ) to assess vulnerability to xylem embolism formation and other tissue damage. RESULTS In non-stressed samples for all species, pith and cortical cells appeared circular and well hydrated, but they started to empty and deform with decreasing Ψ which resulted in cell tearing and eventual collapse. Despite the severity of this structural damage, the vascular cambium remained well hydrated even under the most severe drought. There were significant differences among species in vulnerability to xylem embolism formation, with 78% xylem embolism in L. occidentalis by Ψ of -2.1 MPa, but only 47.7% and 62.1% in P. ponderosa and P. menziesii at -4.27 and -6.73 MPa, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Larix occidentalis seedlings appeared to be more susceptible to secondary xylem embolism compared to the other two species, but all three maintained hydration of the vascular cambium under severe stress, which could facilitate hydraulic recovery by regrowth of xylem when stress is relieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Miller
- Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1133, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA
| | - Adam B Roddy
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Craig R Brodersen
- School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Andrew J McElrone
- Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- USDA-ARS, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Daniel M Johnson
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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40
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Guadagno C, Millar D, Lai R, Mackay D, Pleban J, McClung C, Weinig C, Wang D, Ewers B. Use of transcriptomic data to inform biophysical models via Bayesian networks. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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41
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Kramer RD, Ishii HR, Carter KR, Miyazaki Y, Cavaleri MA, Araki MG, Azuma WA, Inoue Y, Hara C. Predicting effects of climate change on productivity and persistence of forest trees. Ecol Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Russell D. Kramer
- School of Environmental and Forest Science, College of the Environment University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - H. Roaki Ishii
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Kobe University Kobe Japan
| | - Kelsey R. Carter
- College of Forest Resources & Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton Michigan USA
- Earth and Environmental Science Division Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos New Mexico USA
| | - Yuko Miyazaki
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science Okayama University Okayama Japan
| | - Molly A. Cavaleri
- College of Forest Resources & Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton Michigan USA
| | - Masatake G. Araki
- Department of Plant Ecology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Tsukuba Japan
| | - Wakana A. Azuma
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Kobe University Kobe Japan
| | - Yuta Inoue
- Department of Plant Ecology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Tsukuba Japan
| | - Chinatsu Hara
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Kobe University Kobe Japan
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Ripullone F, Camarero JJ, Colangelo M, Voltas J. Variation in the access to deep soil water pools explains tree-to-tree differences in drought-triggered dieback of Mediterranean oaks. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 40:591-604. [PMID: 32159804 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in the access to deep soil water pools may explain the differential damage among coexisting, conspecific trees as a consequence of drought-induced dieback. We addressed this issue by comparing the responses to a severe drought of three Mediterranean oak species with different drought tolerance, Quercus pubescens L. and Quercus frainetto Ten., mainly thriving at xeric and mesic sites, respectively, and Quercus cerris L., which dominates at intermediate sites. For each species, we compared coexisting declining (D) and non-declining (ND) trees. The stable isotope composition (δ2H, δ18O) of xylem and soil water was used to infer a differential use of soil water sources. We also measured tree size and radial growth to quantify the long-term divergence of wood production between D and ND trees and non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) in sapwood to evaluate if D trees presented lower NSC values. The ND trees had access to deeper soil water than D trees except in Q. frainetto, as indicated by significantly more depleted xylem water values. However, a strong δ2H offset between soil and xylem water isotopes observed in peak summer could suggest that both tree types were not physiologically active under extreme drought conditions. Alternative processes causing deuterium fractionation, however, could not be ruled out. Tree height and recent (last 15-25 years) growth rates in all species studied were lower in D than in ND trees by 22 and 44%, respectively. Lastly, there was not a consistent pattern of NSC sapwood concentration; in Q. pubescens, it was higher in ND trees while in Q. frainetto, the D trees were the ones exhibiting the higher NSC concentration. We conclude that the vulnerability to drought among conspecific Mediterranean oaks depends on the differential access to deep soil water pools, which may be related to differences in rooting depth, tree size and growth rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ripullone
- School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, Potenza I-85100, Italy
| | - J Julio Camarero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda Montañana 1005, Zaragoza E-50059, Spain
| | - Michele Colangelo
- School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, Potenza I-85100, Italy
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda Montañana 1005, Zaragoza E-50059, Spain
| | - Jordi Voltas
- Joint Research Unit CTFC-AGROTECNIO, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, Lleida 25198, Spain
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, Lleida 25198, Spain
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43
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Trait velocities reveal that mortality has driven widespread coordinated shifts in forest hydraulic trait composition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:8532-8538. [PMID: 32229563 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1917521117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the driving mechanisms behind existing patterns of vegetation hydraulic traits and community trait diversity is critical for advancing predictions of the terrestrial carbon cycle because hydraulic traits affect both ecosystem and Earth system responses to changing water availability. Here, we leverage an extensive trait database and a long-term continental forest plot network to map changes in community trait distributions and quantify "trait velocities" (the rate of change in community-weighted traits) for different regions and different forest types across the United States from 2000 to the present. We show that diversity in hydraulic traits and photosynthetic characteristics is more related to local water availability than overall species diversity. Finally, we find evidence for coordinated shifts toward communities with more drought-tolerant traits driven by tree mortality, but the magnitude of responses differs depending on forest type. The hydraulic trait distribution maps provide a publicly available platform to fundamentally advance understanding of community trait change in response to climate change and predictive abilities of mechanistic vegetation models.
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44
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Väänänen PJ, Osem Y, Cohen S, Grünzweig JM. Differential drought resistance strategies of co-existing woodland species enduring the long rainless Eastern Mediterranean summer. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 40:305-320. [PMID: 31860712 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpz130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In anticipation of a drier climate and to project future changes in forest dynamics, it is imperative to understand species-specific differences in drought resistance. The objectives of this study were to form a comprehensive understanding of the drought resistance strategies adopted by Eastern Mediterranean woodland species, and to elaborate specific ecophysiological traits that can explain the observed variation in survival among these species. We examined leaf water potential (𝛹), gas exchange and stem hydraulics during 2-3 years in mature individuals of the key woody species Phillyrea latifolia L., Pistacia lentiscus L. and Quercus calliprinos Webb that co-exist in a dry woodland experiencing ~ 6 rainless summer months. As compared with the other two similarly functioning species, Phillyrea displayed considerably lower 𝛹 (minimum 𝛹 of -8.7 MPa in Phillyrea vs -4.2 MPa in Pistacia and Quercus), lower 𝛹 at stomatal closure and lower leaf turgor loss point (𝛹TLP ), but reduced hydraulic vulnerability and wider safety margins. Notably, Phillyrea allowed 𝛹 to drop below 𝛹TLP under severe drought, whereas the other two species maintained positive turgor. These results indicate that Phillyrea adopted a more anisohydric drought resistance strategy, while Pistacia and Quercus exhibited a more isohydric strategy and probably relied on deeper water reserves. Unlike the two relatively isohydric species, Phillyrea reached complete stomatal closure at the end of the dry summer. Despite assessing a large number of physiological traits, none of them could be directly related to tree mortality. Higher mortality was observed for Quercus than for the other two species, which may result from higher water consumption due to its 2.5-10 times larger crown volume. The observed patterns suggest that similar levels of drought resistance in terms of survival can be achieved via different drought resistance strategies. Conversely, similar resistance strategies in terms of isohydricity can lead to different levels of vulnerability to extreme drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Päivi J Väänänen
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
- Department of Natural Resources, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - Yagil Osem
- Department of Natural Resources, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - Shabtai Cohen
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - José M Grünzweig
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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45
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Kannenberg SA, Schwalm CR, Anderegg WRL. Ghosts of the past: how drought legacy effects shape forest functioning and carbon cycling. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:891-901. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 12/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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46
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Eisenach C, Meinzer FC. Hydraulics of woody plants. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2020; 43:529-531. [PMID: 31916589 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
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47
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Torquato PR, Zou CB, Adhikari A, Adams HD, Will RE. Drought Tolerance and Competition in Eastern Redcedar ( Juniperus virginiana) Encroachment of the Oak-Dominated Cross Timbers. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:59. [PMID: 32117395 PMCID: PMC7020614 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00059] [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: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
On the dry, western edge of the eastern deciduous forest of the USA (Cross Timbers), the drought-tolerant, evergreen eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) is encroaching into post oak- (Quercus stellata) dominated woodlands. The overall goal of this study was to examine whether the drought tolerance strategies of eastern redcedar provide it a competitive advantage over post oak and whether this is a key attribute facilitating its successful establishment in the Cross Timbers. Specifically, we assessed xylem water potential and leaf gas exchange of these two species growing in single-species stands and in a mixed-species stand. We found that both species exhibit a similar degree of isohydry and close their stomates to the same extent in response to declining xylem water potentials. Both species had similar relative reductions in gas exchange in response to drought, despite differences in xylem anatomy. However, post oak had leaf-level gas exchange rates approximately 5× greater than eastern redcedar during periods of high moisture availability. Therefore, it did not appear that eastern redcedar encroachment into an oak-dominated forest is facilitated by growing season differences in carbon gain, although evergreen eastern redcedar can conduct gas exchange year-round when conditions are favorable while post oak is deciduous. We found that volumetric soil water content (0-45 cm) was lower in the pure eastern redcedar stand than the mixed-species or pure post oak stand which may indicate that eastern redcedar may experience favorable soil moisture conditions when encroaching into open oak woodlands. Moreover, water potentials in eastern redcedar tended to be more negative in pure stands compared to the mixed stand. Our results suggest the two species may be using water from different depths, reducing competition. Overall, our findings indicate that eastern redcedar encroachment into formerly oak-dominated Cross Timbers forests likely will continue under moderate drought, in the absence of fire, with consequences for water budgets, carbon cycling, grazing forage, wildlife habitat, and wildfire risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia R. Torquato
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Burnley, VIC, Australia
| | - Chris B. Zou
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Arjun Adhikari
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Henry D. Adams
- Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Rodney E. Will
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
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48
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O'Donnell L, Pickles BJ, Campbell CM, Moulton LL, Hauwert NM, Gorzelak MA. Native tree and shrub canopy facilitates oak seedling regeneration in semiarid woodland. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa O'Donnell
- City of Austin Balcones Canyonlands Preserve 3621 Ranch Road 620 South Austin Texas 78738 USA
| | - Brian J. Pickles
- School of Biological Sciences University of Reading Harborne Building, Whiteknights Reading RG6 6AS UK
| | - Cristina M. Campbell
- City of Austin Balcones Canyonlands Preserve 3621 Ranch Road 620 South Austin Texas 78738 USA
| | - Laurel L. Moulton
- City of Austin Balcones Canyonlands Preserve 3621 Ranch Road 620 South Austin Texas 78738 USA
| | - Nico M. Hauwert
- City of Austin Balcones Canyonlands Preserve 3621 Ranch Road 620 South Austin Texas 78738 USA
| | - Monika A. Gorzelak
- School of Biological Sciences University of Reading Harborne Building, Whiteknights Reading RG6 6AS UK
- Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada Lethbridge Development and Research Centre 5403‐1 Avenue South Lethbridge Alberta T1J 4B1 Canada
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49
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Mackay DS, Savoy PR, Grossiord C, Tai X, Pleban JR, Wang DR, McDowell NG, Adams HD, Sperry JS. Conifers depend on established roots during drought: results from a coupled model of carbon allocation and hydraulics. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 225:679-692. [PMID: 31276231 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Trees may survive prolonged droughts by shifting water uptake to reliable water sources, but it is unknown if the dominant mechanism involves activating existing roots or growing new roots during drought, or some combination of the two. To gain mechanistic insights on this unknown, a dynamic root-hydraulic modeling framework was developed that set up a feedback between hydraulic controls over carbon allocation and the role of root growth on soil-plant hydraulics. The new model was tested using a 5 yr drought/heat field experiment on an established piñon-juniper stand with root access to bedrock groundwater. Owing to the high carbon cost per unit root area, modeled trees initialized without adequate bedrock groundwater access experienced potentially lethal declines in water potential, while all of the experimental trees maintained nonlethal water potentials. Simulated trees were unable to grow roots rapidly enough to mediate the hydraulic stress, particularly during warm droughts. Alternatively, modeled trees initiated with root access to bedrock groundwater matched the hydraulics of the experimental trees by increasing their water uptake from bedrock groundwater when soil layers dried out. Therefore, the modeling framework identified a critical mechanism for drought response that required trees to shift water uptake among existing roots rather than growing new roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Scott Mackay
- Department of Geography, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14261, USA
| | - Philip R Savoy
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Charlotte Grossiord
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Xiaonan Tai
- Department of Geography, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14261, USA
| | - Jonathan R Pleban
- Department of Geography, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14261, USA
| | - Diane R Wang
- Department of Geography, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14261, USA
| | | | - Henry D Adams
- Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - John S Sperry
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
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50
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Baker KV, Tai X, Miller ML, Johnson DM. Six co-occurring conifer species in northern Idaho exhibit a continuum of hydraulic strategies during an extreme drought year. AOB PLANTS 2019; 11:plz056. [PMID: 31656556 PMCID: PMC6804486 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plz056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
As growing seasons in the northwestern USA lengthen, on track with climate predictions, the mixed conifer forests that dominate this region will experience extended seasonal drought conditions. The year of 2015, which had the most extreme drought for the area on record, offered a potential analogue of future conditions. During this period, we measured the daily courses of water potential and gas exchange as well as the hydraulic conductivity and vulnerability to embolism of six dominant native conifer species, Abies grandis, Larix occidentalis, Pinus ponderosa, Pinus monticola, Pseudotsuga menziesii and Thuja occidentalis, to determine their responses to 5 months of record-low precipitation. The deep ash-capped soils of the region allowed gas exchange to continue without significant evidence of water stress for almost 2 months after the last rainfall event. Midday water potentials never fell below -2.2 MPa in the evergreen species and -2.7 MPa in the one deciduous species. Branch xylem was resistant to embolism, with P 50 values ranging from -3.3 to -7.0 MPa. Root xylem, however, was more vulnerable, with P 50 values from -1.3 to -4.6 MPa. With predawn water potentials as low as -1.3 MPa, the two Pinus species likely experienced declines in root hydraulic conductivity. Stomatal conductance of all six species was significantly responsive to vapour pressure only in the dry months (August-October), with no response evident in the wet months (June-July). While there were similarities among species, they exhibited a continuum of isohydry and safety margins. Despite the severity of this drought, all species were able to continue photosynthesis until mid-October, likely due to the mediating effects of the meter-deep, ash-capped silty-loam soils with large water storage capacity. Areas with these soil types, which are characteristic of much of the northwestern USA, could serve as refugia under drier and warmer future conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn V Baker
- Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA
| | - Xiaonan Tai
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Megan L Miller
- Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Daniel M Johnson
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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