Differential ecophysiological response of a major Mediterranean pine species across a climatic gradient

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Differential ecophysiological response of a major Mediterranean pine species across a climatic gradient

Year: 

2013

Source of publication :

tree physiology (source)

Authors :

Cohen, Shabtai

.

Volume :

Co-Authors: 

Klein, T., Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Di Matteo, G., CRA-PLF Research Unit for Intensive Wood Production, Agricultural Research Council, Rome, Italy
Rotenberg, E., Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Cohen, S., Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Volcani Center ARO, Beit Dagan, Israel
Yakir, D., Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel

From page: 

26

To page: 

36

(

Total pages: 

11

)

Link :

Differential ecophysiological response of a major Mediterranean pine species across a climatic gradient

Abstract: 

The rate of migration and in situ genetic variation in forest trees may not be sufficient to compete with the current rapid rate of climate change. Ecophysiological adjustments of key traits, however, could complement these processes and allow sustained survival and growth across a wide range of climatic conditions. This was tested in Pinus halepensis Miller by examining seven physiological and phenological parameters in five provenances growing in three common garden plots along a climatic transect from meso-Mediterranean (MM) to thermo-Mediterranean (TM) and semi-arid (SA) climates. Differential responses to variations in ambient climatic conditions were observed in three key traits: (i) growing season length decreased with drying in all provenances examined (from 165 under TM climate to 100 days under SA climate, on average); (ii) water use efficiency (WUE) increased with drying, but to a different extent in different provenances, and on average from 80, to 95, to 110 μmol CO 2 mol-1 H2O under MM, TM and SA climates, respectively; (iii) xylem native embolism was stable across climates, but varied markedly among different provenances (percent loss of conductivity, was below 5% in two provenances and above 35% in others). The results indicated that changes in growing season length and WUE were important contributors to tree growth across climates, whereas xylem native embolism negatively correlated with tree survival. The results indicated that irrespective of slow processes (e.g., migration, genetic adaptation), the capacity for ecophysiological adjustments combined with existing variations among provenances could help sustain P. halepensis, a major Mediterranean tree species, under relatively extreme warming and drying climatic trends.© The Author 2012.