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Zlobin IE. Tree post-drought recovery: scenarios, regulatory mechanisms and ways to improve. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1595-1612. [PMID: 38581143 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13083] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Efficient post-drought recovery of growth and assimilation enables a plant to return to its undisturbed state and functioning. Unlike annual plants, trees suffer not only from the current drought, but also from cumulative impacts of consecutive water stresses which cause adverse legacy effects on survival and performance. This review provides an integrated assessment of ecological, physiological and molecular evidence on the recovery of growth and photosynthesis in trees, with a view to informing the breeding of trees with a better ability to recover from water stress. Suppression of recovery processes can result not only from stress damage but also from a controlled downshift of recovery as part of tree acclimation to water-limited conditions. In the latter case, recovery processes could potentially be activated by turning off the controlling mechanisms, but several obstacles make this unlikely. Tree phenology, and specifically photoperiodic constraints, can limit post-drought recovery of growth and photosynthesis, and targeting these constraints may represent a promising way to breed trees with an enhanced ability to recover post-drought. The mechanisms of photoperiod-dependent regulation of shoot, secondary and root growth and of assimilation processes are reviewed. Finally, the limitations and trade-offs of altering the photoperiodic regulation of growth and assimilation processes are discussed.
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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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2
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Song Y, Sapes G, Chang S, Chowdhry R, Mejia T, Hampton A, Kucharski S, Sazzad TMS, Zhang Y, Tillman BL, Resende MFR, Koppal S, Wilson C, Gerber S, Zare A, Hammond WM. Hyperspectral signals in the soil: Plant-soil hydraulic connection and disequilibrium as mechanisms of drought tolerance and rapid recovery. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024. [PMID: 38924477 DOI: 10.1111/pce.15011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Predicting soil water status remotely is appealing due to its low cost and large-scale application. During drought, plants can disconnect from the soil, causing disequilibrium between soil and plant water potentials at pre-dawn. The impact of this disequilibrium on plant drought response and recovery is not well understood, potentially complicating soil water status predictions from plant spectral reflectance. This study aimed to quantify drought-induced disequilibrium, evaluate plant responses and recovery, and determine the potential for predicting soil water status from plant spectral reflectance. Two species were tested: sweet corn (Zea mays), which disconnected from the soil during intense drought, and peanut (Arachis hypogaea), which did not. Sweet corn's hydraulic disconnection led to an extended 'hydrated' phase, but its recovery was slower than peanut's, which remained connected to the soil even at lower water potentials (-5 MPa). Leaf hyperspectral reflectance successfully predicted the soil water status of peanut consistently, but only until disequilibrium occurred in sweet corn. Our results reveal different hydraulic strategies for plants coping with extreme drought and provide the first example of using spectral reflectance to quantify rhizosphere water status, emphasizing the need for species-specific considerations in soil water status predictions from canopy reflectance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Song
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Gerard Sapes
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Spencer Chang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ritesh Chowdhry
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Tomas Mejia
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Anna Hampton
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Shelby Kucharski
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - T M Shahiar Sazzad
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Yuxuan Zhang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Barry L Tillman
- North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Marianna, Florida, USA
| | - Márcio F R Resende
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Sanjeev Koppal
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Chris Wilson
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Stefan Gerber
- Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Alina Zare
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - William M Hammond
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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3
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Waite PA, Kumar M, Link RM, Schuldt B. Coordinated hydraulic traits influence the two phases of time to hydraulic failure in five temperate tree species differing in stomatal stringency. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 44:tpae038. [PMID: 38606678 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpae038] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Worldwide, forests are increasingly exposed to extreme droughts causing tree mortality. Because of the complex nature of the mechanisms involved, various traits have been linked to tree drought responses with contrasting results. This may be due to species-specific strategies in regulating water potential, a process that unfolds in two distinct phases: a first phase until stomatal closure, and a second phase until reaching lethal xylem hydraulic thresholds. We conducted dry-down experiments with five broadleaved temperate tree species differing in their degree of isohydry to estimate the time to stomatal closure (tsc) and subsequent time to critical hydraulic failure (tcrit). We measured various traits linked to tree drought responses, such as the water potentials at turgor loss point (Ptlp), stomatal closure (Pgs90), and 12%, 50% and 88% loss of xylem hydraulic conductance (P12, P50, P88), hydraulic capacitance (C), minimum leaf conductance (gmin), hydroscape area (HSA) and hydraulic safety margins (HSM). We found that Pgs90 followed previously recorded patterns of isohydry and was associated with HSA. Species ranked from more to less isohydric in the sequence Acer pseudoplatanus < Betula pendula < Tilia cordata < Sorbus aucuparia < Fagus sylvatica. Their degree of isohydry was associated with leaf safety (Ptlp and gmin), drought avoidance (C) and tsc, but decoupled from xylem safety (HSM and P88) and tcrit. Regardless of their stomatal stringency, species with wider HSM and lower P88 reached critical hydraulic failure later. We conclude that the duration of the first phase is determined by stomatal regulation, while the duration of the second phase is associated with xylem safety. Isohydry is thus linked to water use rather than to drought survival strategies, confirming the proposed use of HSA as a complement to HSM for describing plant drought responses before and after stomatal closure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-André Waite
- Julius-von-Sachs-Institute of Biological Sciences, Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 3, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
- Forest Botany, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Pienner Straße 7, 01737, Tharandt, Germany
- CIRAD, UPR AIDA, 34398 Montpellier, France
| | - Manish Kumar
- Julius-von-Sachs-Institute of Biological Sciences, Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 3, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
- ICAR - Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal, 132001, India
| | - Roman M Link
- Julius-von-Sachs-Institute of Biological Sciences, Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 3, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
- Forest Botany, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Pienner Straße 7, 01737, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schuldt
- Julius-von-Sachs-Institute of Biological Sciences, Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 3, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
- Forest Botany, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Pienner Straße 7, 01737, Tharandt, Germany
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4
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Castillo-Argaez R, Sapes G, Mallen N, Lippert A, John GP, Zare A, Hammond WM. Spectral ecophysiology: hyperspectral pressure-volume curves to estimate leaf turgor loss. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:935-946. [PMID: 38482720 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19669] [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: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Turgor loss point (TLP) is an important proxy for plant drought tolerance, species habitat suitability, and drought-induced plant mortality risk. Thus, TLP serves as a critical tool for evaluating climate change impacts on plants, making it imperative to develop high-throughput and in situ methods to measure TLP. We developed hyperspectral pressure-volume curves (PV curves) to estimate TLP using leaf spectral reflectance. We used partial least square regression models to estimate water potential (Ψ) and relative water content (RWC) for two species, Frangula caroliniana and Magnolia grandiflora. RWC and Ψ's model for each species had R2 ≥ 0.7 and %RMSE = 7-10. We constructed PV curves with model estimates and compared the accuracy of directly measured and spectra-predicted TLP. Our findings indicate that leaf spectral measurements are an alternative method for estimating TLP. F. caroliniana TLP's values were -1.62 ± 0.15 (means ± SD) and -1.62 ± 0.34 MPa for observed and reflectance predicted, respectively (P > 0.05), while M. grandiflora were -1.78 ± 0.34 and -1.66 ± 0.41 MPa (P > 0.05). The estimation of TLP through leaf reflectance-based PV curves opens a broad range of possibilities for future research aimed at understanding and monitoring plant water relations on a large scale with spectral ecophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerard Sapes
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Nicole Mallen
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Alston Lippert
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Grace P John
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Alina Zare
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - William M Hammond
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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5
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Wang S, Hoch G, Grun G, Kahmen A. Water loss after stomatal closure: quantifying leaf minimum conductance and minimal water use in nine temperate European tree species during a severe drought. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 44:tpae027. [PMID: 38412116 PMCID: PMC10993720 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpae027] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Residual canopy transpiration (Emin_canop) is a key physiological trait that determines trees' survival time under drought after stomatal closure and after trees have limited access to soil water. Emin_canop mainly depends on leaf minimum conductance (gmin) and vapor pressure deficit. Here we determined the seasonal variation of gmin and how gmin is related to interspecies variation in leaf cuticular and stomatal traits for nine European tree species in a mature forest. In addition, we determined the species-specific temperature responses of gmin. With this newly obtained insight, we calculated Emin_canop for the nine species for one day at our research site during the 2022 central European hot drought. Our results show that at ambient temperatures gmin ranged from 0.8 to 4.8 mmol m-2 s-1 across the nine species and was stable in most species throughout the growing season. The interspecies variation of gmin was associated with leaf cuticular and stomatal traits. Additionally, gmin exhibited strong temperature responses and increased, depending on species, by a factor of two to four in the range of 25-50 °C. For the studied species at the site, during a single hot drought day, Emin_canop standardized by tree size (stem basal area) ranged from 2.0 to 36.7 L m-2, and non-standardized Emin_canop for adult trees ranged from 0.3 to 5.3 L. Emin_canop also exhibited species-specific rapid increases under hotter temperatures. Our results suggest that trees, depending on species, need reasonable amounts of water during a drought, even when stomates are fully closed. Species differences in gmin and ultimately Emin_canop can, together with other traits, affect the ability of a tree to keep its tissue hydrated during a drought and is likely to contribute to species-specific differences in drought vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songwei Wang
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Günter Hoch
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Georges Grun
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ansgar Kahmen
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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6
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Munné-Bosch S, Villadangos S. Cheap, cost-effective, and quick stress biomarkers for drought stress detection and monitoring in plants. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:527-536. [PMID: 36764869 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The detection and monitoring of drought stress in plants growing in their natural habitat are essential for the study of plant stress physiology. However, with the advent of plant phenotyping and new -omics technologies, the application of simple, cheap, cost-effective, quick, and practical methods to assess drought stress in plants seems more challenging than ever, particularly in low-income countries. Here, currently available methods that do not require specialized equipment, but reliably detect and monitor drought stress in plants at low cost will be discussed. This will not only boost research on plant stress physiology in low-income countries but will also help several laboratories with very limited resources around the globe to perform high-quality research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergi Munné-Bosch
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, Barcelona, E-08028, Spain; Institute of Research in Biodiversity (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, Barcelona, E-08028, Spain.
| | - Sabina Villadangos
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, Barcelona, E-08028, Spain; Institute of Research in Biodiversity (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Faculty of Biology, Av. Diagonal 643, Barcelona, E-08028, Spain
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7
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Volaire F, Barkaoui K, Grémillet D, Charrier G, Dangles O, Lamarque LJ, Martin-StPaul N, Chuine I. Is a seasonally reduced growth potential a convergent strategy to survive drought and frost in plants? ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 131:245-254. [PMID: 36567631 PMCID: PMC9992932 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac153] [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: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plants have adapted to survive seasonal life-threatening frost and drought. However, the timing and frequency of such events are impacted by climate change, jeopardizing plant survival. Understanding better the strategies of survival to dehydration stress is therefore timely and can be enhanced by the cross-fertilization of research between disciplines (ecology, physiology), models (woody, herbaceous species) and types of stress (drought, frost). SCOPE We build upon the 'growth-stress survival' trade-off, which underpins the identification of global plant strategies across environments along a 'fast-slow' economics spectrum. Although phenological adaptations such as dormancy are crucial to survive stress, plant global strategies along the fast-slow economic spectrum rarely integrate growth variations across seasons. We argue that the growth-stress survival trade-off can be a useful framework to identify convergent plant ecophysiological strategies to survive both frost and drought. We review evidence that reduced physiological activity, embolism resistance and dehydration tolerance of meristematic tissues are interdependent strategies that determine thresholds of mortality among plants under severe frost and drought. We show that complete dormancy, i.e. programmed growth cessation, before stress occurrence, minimizes water flows and maximizes dehydration tolerance during seasonal life-threatening stresses. We propose that incomplete dormancy, i.e. the programmed reduction of growth potential during the harshest seasons, could be an overlooked but major adaptation across plants. Quantifying stress survival in a range of non-dormant versus winter- or summer-dormant plants, should reveal to what extent incomplete to complete dormancy could represent a proxy for dehydration tolerance and stress survival. CONCLUSIONS Our review of the strategies involved in dehydration stress survival suggests that winter and summer dormancy are insufficiently acknowledged as plant ecological strategies. Incorporating a seasonal fast-slow economics spectrum into global plant strategies improves our understanding of plant resilience to seasonal stress and refines our prevision of plant adaptation to extreme climatic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Volaire
- CEFE, Université Montpellier, INRAE, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, F-34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Karim Barkaoui
- CIRAD, UMR ABSys, F-34398 Montpellier, France
- ABSys, Université F-34060 Montpellier, CIHEAM-IAMM, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - David Grémillet
- CEFE, Université Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, F-34090 Montpellier, France
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Guillaume Charrier
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, F-63000 Clermont Ferrand, France
| | - Olivier Dangles
- CEFE, Université Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, F-34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent J Lamarque
- Département des Sciences de l’Environnement, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, G9A 5H7, Canada
| | - Nicolas Martin-StPaul
- INRAE, URFM, Domaine Saint Paul, Centre de recherche PACA, 228 route de l’Aérodrome, CS 40509, Domaine Saint-Paul, Site Agroparc, France
| | - Isabelle Chuine
- CEFE, Université Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, F-34090 Montpellier, France
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8
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Verslues PE, Bailey-Serres J, Brodersen C, Buckley TN, Conti L, Christmann A, Dinneny JR, Grill E, Hayes S, Heckman RW, Hsu PK, Juenger TE, Mas P, Munnik T, Nelissen H, Sack L, Schroeder JI, Testerink C, Tyerman SD, Umezawa T, Wigge PA. Burning questions for a warming and changing world: 15 unknowns in plant abiotic stress. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:67-108. [PMID: 36018271 PMCID: PMC9806664 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
We present unresolved questions in plant abiotic stress biology as posed by 15 research groups with expertise spanning eco-physiology to cell and molecular biology. Common themes of these questions include the need to better understand how plants detect water availability, temperature, salinity, and rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels; how environmental signals interface with endogenous signaling and development (e.g. circadian clock and flowering time); and how this integrated signaling controls downstream responses (e.g. stomatal regulation, proline metabolism, and growth versus defense balance). The plasma membrane comes up frequently as a site of key signaling and transport events (e.g. mechanosensing and lipid-derived signaling, aquaporins). Adaptation to water extremes and rising CO2 affects hydraulic architecture and transpiration, as well as root and shoot growth and morphology, in ways not fully understood. Environmental adaptation involves tradeoffs that limit ecological distribution and crop resilience in the face of changing and increasingly unpredictable environments. Exploration of plant diversity within and among species can help us know which of these tradeoffs represent fundamental limits and which ones can be circumvented by bringing new trait combinations together. Better defining what constitutes beneficial stress resistance in different contexts and making connections between genes and phenotypes, and between laboratory and field observations, are overarching challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia Bailey-Serres
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Center for Plant Cell Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Craig Brodersen
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Thomas N Buckley
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Lucio Conti
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Alexander Christmann
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan 85354, Germany
| | - José R Dinneny
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Erwin Grill
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan 85354, Germany
| | - Scott Hayes
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Plant Sciences Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Robert W Heckman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Po-Kai Hsu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Thomas E Juenger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Paloma Mas
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Teun Munnik
- Department of Plant Cell Biology, Green Life Sciences Cluster, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam NL-1098XH, The Netherlands
| | - Hilde Nelissen
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Julian I Schroeder
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Christa Testerink
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Plant Sciences Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen D Tyerman
- ARC Center Excellence, Plant Energy Biology, School of Agriculture Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5064, Australia
| | - Taishi Umezawa
- Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 6708 PB, Japan
| | - Philip A Wigge
- Leibniz-Institut für Gemüse- und Zierpflanzenbau, Großbeeren 14979, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14476, Germany
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9
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Wang L, Li J, Wang Y, Xue H, Dai Y, Han Y. Interactive effect between tree ageing and trunk-boring pest reduces hydraulics and carbon metabolism in Hippophae rhamnoides. AOB PLANTS 2022; 14:plac051. [PMID: 36545298 PMCID: PMC9762721 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plac051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is widely distributed across the Eurasian continent. Recently sea-buckthorn has shown premature ageing and decline when confronted with water deficiency and Holcocerus hippophaecolus damage in northwest China and the Loess Plateau region. However, the physiological process of sea-buckthorn senescence in response to drought and pest damage is still unknown. In this study, 4-year-old (4y), 15-year-old normal growth (15yN) and 15-year-old seriously moth-damaged sea-buckthorn plants (15yH) were used as the research objects. The growth of branches and roots, branch water potential and percentage loss of conductivity (PLC), branch vulnerability to embolism (quantified by P50, xylem water potential at 50 % of PLC), branch xylem parenchyma cell viability, photosynthesis and the non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) content in branches and roots in dry and wet seasons were measured. The results showed that the length, basal diameter of 1-year-old branches and the leaf area of 4y trees were significantly larger than that of 15yN and 15yH trees, and the fine root density of 15yH trees was significantly lower than that of 15yN trees in all measured areas. The branch-specific hydraulic conductivity of 15yN and 15yH trees was only 50.2 % and 12.3 % of that of 4y trees, and the P50 of 4y, 15yH and 15yN trees was -3.69 MPa, -2.71 MPa and -1.15 MPa, respectively. The midday water potential and photosynthetic rate were highest in 4y trees, followed by 15yN and then 15yH trees in both the dry season and wet seasons, while branch PLC declined in the opposite direction (15yH trees highest, 4y trees lowest). The degree of PLC repair within a day was highest in 4y trees, followed by 15yN and then 15yH trees, and the viability of xylem cells was consistent with this pattern. The branch xylem starch and NSC content of 4y and 15yN trees were significantly higher than that of 15yH trees in the dry season, and the root starch and NSC content of 4y trees were significantly higher than that of 15yH trees in the two seasons. The above results suggest that the hydraulic properties of the normal elderly and seriously pest-damaged sea-buckthorn were significantly worse than in juvenile plants. Narrower early wood width and vessel density, high embolism vulnerability and weak embolism repair capacity led to the decline in water-conducting ability, and similarly further affected photosynthesis and the root NSC content. The decline in xylem parenchyma cell viability was the main reason for the limited embolism repair in the branches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wang
- Corresponding author’s e-mail address:
| | - Junpeng Li
- College of Forestry, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, P.R. China
| | - Yang Wang
- College of Forestry, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, P.R. China
| | - Hao Xue
- College of Forestry, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, P.R. China
| | - Yongxin Dai
- College of Forestry, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, P.R. China
| | - Youzhi Han
- College of Forestry, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, P.R. China
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10
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Chen Z, Li S, Wan X, Liu S. Strategies of tree species to adapt to drought from leaf stomatal regulation and stem embolism resistance to root properties. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:926535. [PMID: 36237513 PMCID: PMC9552884 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.926535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Considerable evidences highlight the occurrence of increasing widespread tree mortality as a result of global climate change-associated droughts. However, knowledge about the mechanisms underlying divergent strategies of various tree species to adapt to drought has remained remarkably insufficient. Leaf stomatal regulation and embolism resistance of stem xylem serves as two important strategies for tree species to prevent hydraulic failure and carbon starvation, as comprising interconnected physiological mechanisms underlying drought-induced tree mortality. Hence, the physiological and anatomical determinants of leaf stomatal regulation and stems xylem embolism resistance are evaluated and discussed. In addition, root properties related to drought tolerance are also reviewed. Species with greater investment in leaves and stems tend to maintain stomatal opening and resist stem embolism under drought conditions. The coordination between stomatal regulation and stem embolism resistance are summarized and discussed. Previous studies showed that hydraulic safety margin (HSM, the difference between minimum water potential and that causing xylem dysfunction) is a significant predictor of tree species mortality under drought conditions. Compared with HSM, stomatal safety margin (the difference between water potential at stomatal closure and that causing xylem dysfunction) more directly merge stomatal regulation strategies with xylem hydraulic strategies, illustrating a comprehensive framework to characterize plant response to drought. A combination of plant traits reflecting species' response and adaptation to drought should be established in the future, and we propose four specific urgent issues as future research priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhicheng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Li
- Department of Environmental Science and Ecology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, China
| | - Xianchong Wan
- Institute of Ecological Conservation and Restoration, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Shirong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
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11
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Preisler Y, Hölttä T, Grünzweig JM, Oz I, Tatarinov F, Ruehr NK, Rotenberg E, Yakir D. The importance of tree internal water storage under drought conditions. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 42:771-783. [PMID: 34726242 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpab144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Global warming and drying trends, as well as the increase in frequency and intensity of droughts, may have unprecedented impacts on various forest ecosystems. We assessed the role of internal water storage (WS) in drought resistance of mature pine trees in the semi-arid Yatir Forest. Transpiration (T), soil moisture and sap flow (SF) were measured continuously, accompanied by periodical measurements of leaf and branch water potential (Ψleaf) and water content (WC). The data were used to parameterize a tree hydraulics model to examine the impact of WS capacitance on the tree water relations. The results of the continuous measurements showed a 5-h time lag between T and SF in the dry season, which peaked in the early morning and early afternoon, respectively. A good fit between model results and observations was only obtained when the empirically estimated WS capacitance was included in the model. Without WS during the dry season, Ψleaf would drop below a threshold known to cause hydraulic failure and cessation of gas exchange in the studied tree species. Our results indicate that tree WS capacitance is a key drought resistance trait that could enhance tree survival in a drying climate, contributing up to 45% of the total daily transpiration during the dry season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yakir Preisler
- Earth and Planetary Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl St. Rehovot, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Herzl Street POB 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Teemu Hölttä
- Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, 3 Yliopistonkatu st, 0001 Helsinki, Finland
| | - José M Grünzweig
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Herzl Street POB 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Itay Oz
- Earth and Planetary Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl St. Rehovot, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Herzl Street POB 12, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Fedor Tatarinov
- Earth and Planetary Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl St. Rehovot, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Nadine K Ruehr
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research-Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Garmisch-Partenkirchen 82467, Germany
| | - Eyal Rotenberg
- Earth and Planetary Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl St. Rehovot, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Dan Yakir
- Earth and Planetary Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl St. Rehovot, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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12
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Preisler Y, Tatarinov F, Grünzweig JM, Yakir D. Seeking the "point of no return" in the sequence of events leading to mortality of mature trees. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2021; 44:1315-1328. [PMID: 33175417 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Drought-related tree mortality is increasing globally, but the sequence of events leading to it remains poorly understood. To identify this sequence, we used a 2016 tree mortality event in a semi-arid pine forest where dendrometry and sap flow measurements were carried out in 31 trees, of which seven died. A comparative analysis revealed three stages leading to mortality. First, a decrease in tree diameter in all dying trees, but not in the surviving trees, 8 months "prior to the visual signs of mortality" (PVSM; e.g., near complete canopy browning). Second, a decay to near zero in the diurnal stem swelling/shrinkage dynamics, reflecting the loss of stem radial water flow in the dying trees, 6 months PVSM. Third, cessation of stem sap flow 3 months PVSM. Eventual mortality could therefore be detected long before visual signs were observed, and the three stages identified here demonstrated the differential effects of drought on stem growth, water storage capacity and soil water uptake. The results indicated that breakdown of stem radial water flow and phloem function is a critical element in defining the "point of no return" in the sequence of events leading to mortality of mature trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yakir Preisler
- Earth and Planetary Science Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Fedor Tatarinov
- Earth and Planetary Science Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - José M Grünzweig
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Dan Yakir
- Earth and Planetary Science Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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13
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Rapid hydraulic collapse as cause of drought-induced mortality in conifers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2025251118. [PMID: 33846261 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025251118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the vulnerability of trees to drought-induced mortality is key to predicting the fate of forests in a future climate with more frequent and intense droughts, although the underlying mechanisms are difficult to study in adult trees. Here, we explored the dynamic changes of water relations and limits of hydraulic function in dying adults of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) during the progression of the record-breaking 2018 Central European drought. In trees on the trajectory to drought-induced mortality, we observed rapid, nonlinear declines of xylem pressure that commenced at the early onset of xylem cavitation and caused a complete loss of xylem hydraulic conductance within a very short time. We also observed severe depletions of nonstructural carbohydrates, though carbon starvation could be ruled out as the cause of the observed tree death, as both dying and surviving trees showed these metabolic limitations. Our observations provide striking field-based evidence for fast dehydration and hydraulic collapse as the cause of drought-induced mortality in adult Norway spruce. The nonlinear decline of tree water relations suggests that considering the temporal dynamics of dehydration is critical for predicting tree death. The collapse of the hydraulic system within a short time demonstrates that trees can rapidly be pushed out of the zone of hydraulic safety during the progression of a severe drought. In summary, our findings point toward a higher mortality risk for Norway spruce than previously assumed, which is in line with current reports of unprecedented levels of drought-induced mortality in this major European tree species.
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14
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Gattmann M, Birami B, Nadal Sala D, Ruehr NK. Dying by drying: Timing of physiological stress thresholds related to tree death is not significantly altered by highly elevated CO 2. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2021; 44:356-370. [PMID: 33150582 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Drought-induced tree mortality is expected to occur more frequently under predicted climate change. However, the extent of a possibly mitigating effect of simultaneously rising atmospheric [CO2 ] on stress thresholds leading to tree death is not fully understood, yet. Here, we studied the drought response, the time until critical stress thresholds were reached and mortality occurrence of Pinus halepensis (Miller). In order to observe a large potential benefit from eCO2 , the seedlings were grown with ample of water and nutrient supply under either highly elevated [CO2 ] (eCO2 , c. 936 ppm) or ambient (aCO2 , c. 407 ppm) during 2 years. The subsequent exposure to a fast or a slow lethal drought was monitored using whole-tree gas exchange chambers, measured leaf water potential and non-structural carbohydrates. Using logistic regressions to derive probabilities for physiological parameters to reach critical drought stress thresholds, indicated a longer period for halving needle starch storage under eCO2 than aCO2 . Stomatal closure, turgor loss, the duration until the daily tree C balance turned negative, leaf water potential at thresholds and time-of-death were unaffected by eCO2 . Overall, our study provides for the first-time insights into the chronological interplay of physiological drought thresholds under long-term acclimation to elevated [CO2 ].
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Affiliation(s)
- Marielle Gattmann
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research - Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Birami
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research - Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Daniel Nadal Sala
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research - Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Nadine Katrin Ruehr
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research - Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
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15
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Gauthey A, Peters JMR, Carins-Murphy MR, Rodriguez-Dominguez CM, Li X, Delzon S, King A, López R, Medlyn BE, Tissue DT, Brodribb TJ, Choat B. Visual and hydraulic techniques produce similar estimates of cavitation resistance in woody species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:884-897. [PMID: 32542732 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Hydraulic failure of the plant vascular system is a principal cause of forest die-off under drought. Accurate quantification of this process is essential to our understanding of the physiological mechanisms underpinning plant mortality. Imaging techniques increasingly are applied to estimate xylem cavitation resistance. These techniques allow for in situ measurement of embolism formation in real time, although the benefits and trade-offs associated with different techniques have not been evaluated in detail. Here we compare two imaging methods, microcomputed tomography (microCT) and optical vulnerability (OV), to standard hydraulic methods for measurement of cavitation resistance in seven woody species representing a diversity of major phylogenetic and xylem anatomical groups. Across the seven species, there was strong agreement between cavitation resistance values (P50 ) estimated from visualization techniques (microCT and OV) and between visual techniques and hydraulic techniques. The results indicate that visual techniques provide accurate estimates of cavitation resistance and the degree to which xylem hydraulic function is impacted by embolism. Results are discussed in the context of trade-offs associated with each technique and possible causes of discrepancy between estimates of cavitation resistance provided by visual and hydraulic techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Gauthey
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Jennifer M R Peters
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Madeline R Carins-Murphy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia
| | - Celia M Rodriguez-Dominguez
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia
- Irrigation and Crop Ecophysiology Group, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS, CSIC), Avenida Reina Mercedes, 10, Sevilla, 41012, Spain
| | - Ximeng Li
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Sylvain Delzon
- UMR BIOGECO, INRA, Univ Bordeaux, Talence, 33450, France
| | - Andrew King
- L'Orme de Merisiers, Synchrotron SOLEIL, 91190 Saint-Aubin-BP48, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Rosana López
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
- Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- PIAF, INRA, University of Clermont-Auvergne, 63100, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Belinda E Medlyn
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - David T Tissue
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Tim J Brodribb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia
| | - Brendan Choat
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
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16
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Gebauer R, Plichta R, Urban J, Volařík D, Hájíčková M. The resistance and resilience of European beech seedlings to drought stress during the period of leaf development. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 40:1147-1164. [PMID: 32470134 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Spring drought is becoming a frequently occurring stress factor in temperate forests. However, the understanding of tree resistance and resilience to the spring drought remains insufficient. In this study, European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seedlings at the early stage of leaf development were moderately and severely drought stressed for 1 month and then subjected to a 2-week recovery period after rewatering. The study aimed to disentangle the complex relationships between leaf gas exchange, vascular anatomy, tree morphology and patterns of biomass allocation. Stomatal conductance decreased by 80 and 85% upon moderate and severe drought stress, respectively, which brought about a decline in net photosynthesis. However, drought did not affect the indices of slow chlorophyll fluorescence, indicating no permanent damage to the light part of the photosynthetic apparatus. Stem hydraulic conductivity decreased by more than 92% at both drought levels. Consequently, the cambial activity of stressed seedlings declined, which led to lower stem biomass, reduced tree ring width and a lower number of vessels in the current tree ring, these latter also with smaller dimensions. In contrast, the petiole structure was not affected, but at the cost of reduced leaf biomass. Root biomass was reduced only by severe drought. After rewatering, the recovery of gas exchange and regrowth of the current tree ring were observed, all delayed by several days and by lower magnitudes in severely stressed seedlings. The reduced stem hydraulic conductivity inhibited the recovery of gas exchange, but xylem function started to recover by regrowth and refilling of embolized vessels. Despite the damage to conductive xylem, no mortality occurred. These results suggest the low resistance but high resilience of European beech to spring drought. Nevertheless, beech resilience could be weakened if the period between drought events is short, as the recovery of severely stressed seedlings took longer than 14 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Gebauer
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Plichta
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Urban
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
- Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny pr., 660041 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Daniel Volařík
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Hájíčková
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
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17
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Hammond WM, Yu K, Wilson LA, Will RE, Anderegg WRL, Adams HD. Dead or dying? Quantifying the point of no return from hydraulic failure in drought-induced tree mortality. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 223:1834-1843. [PMID: 31087656 PMCID: PMC6771894 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Determining physiological mechanisms and thresholds for climate-driven tree die-off could help improve global predictions of future terrestrial carbon sinks. We directly tested for the lethal threshold in hydraulic failure - an inability to move water due to drought-induced xylem embolism - in a pine sapling experiment. In a glasshouse experiment, we exposed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) saplings (n = 83) to drought-induced water stress ranging from mild to lethal. Before rewatering to relieve drought stress, we measured native hydraulic conductivity and foliar color change. We monitored all measured individuals for survival or mortality. We found a lethal threshold at 80% loss of hydraulic conductivity - a point of hydraulic failure beyond which it is more likely trees will die, than survive, and describe mortality risk across all levels of water stress. Foliar color changes lagged behind hydraulic failure - best predicting when trees had been dead for some time, rather than when they were dying. Our direct measurement of native conductivity, while monitoring the same individuals for survival or mortality, quantifies a continuous probability of mortality risk from hydraulic failure. Predicting tree die-off events and understanding the mechanism involved requires knowledge not only of when trees are dead, but when they begin dying - having passed the point of no return.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M. Hammond
- Plant Biology, Ecology and EvolutionOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOK74078USA
| | - Kailiang Yu
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUT84112USA
| | - Luke A. Wilson
- Plant Biology, Ecology and EvolutionOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOK74078USA
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOK74078USA
| | - Rodney E. Will
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOK74078USA
| | | | - Henry D. Adams
- Plant Biology, Ecology and EvolutionOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOK74078USA
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