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Li Z, Luo D, Ibrahim MM, Hou E, Wang C. Adaptive strategies to freeze-thaw cycles in branch hydraulics of tree species coexisting in a temperate forest. Plant Physiol Biochem 2024; 206:108223. [PMID: 38043252 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) limit the distribution and survival of temperate tree species. Tree species with different wood types coexist in temperate forests and are subjected to the same FTCs. It is essential to understand how these trees differentially cope with xylem hydraulic failure induced by FTCs in the field. The branch hydraulic traits and nonstructural carbohydrate concentration of six coexisting tree species in a temperate forest were measured from mid-winter to early spring when the FTCs occurred from January to April. The percentage loss of hydraulic conductivity (PLC) was lower, and the water potential inducing a 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity (P50) was more negative in tracheid trees than in ring- and diffuse-porous trees, suggesting tracheid trees with narrow tracheid diameters showed less vulnerable to embolism and provided a lower degree of hydraulic failure during FTCs (stronger resistance). Ring-porous trees always showed lower hydraulic conductivity and higher PLC and P50, and these traits did not change during FTCs, suggesting that they might lose the hydraulic functions in winter and abandon the last year xylem. The P50 in diffuse-porous increased after several FTCs (frost fatigue), but that in tracheid species continued to increase (or even decrease) until the end of FTCs (69 cycles), suggesting that tracheid trees were less sensitive to frost fatigue than diffuse-porous trees. Soluble sugar concentration in deciduous trees negatively correlated with PLC at the end of FTCs, indicating that the effect of soluble sugar on refilling embolism occurred in early spring. While the soluble sugar concentration of deciduous trees decreased, that of two evergreen tracheid trees gradually increased, possibly due to the winter photosynthesis of evergreen leaves. Our results suggest temperate trees adopt different strategies to cope with the same FTCs. These findings enrich the understanding of plant hydraulics and carbon physiology in winter and provide insights into the response of different species coexisting in temperate forests under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Li
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, China; Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China.
| | - Dandan Luo
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, China; Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Muhammed Mustapha Ibrahim
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Enqing Hou
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China
| | - Chuankuan Wang
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, China; Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China.
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