Contrasting stomatal sensitivity to temperature and soil drought in mature alpine conifers
Language English Country United States Media print-electronic
Document type Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Grant support
P2EZP2_162293
Swiss National Science Foundation - Switzerland
P300P2_174477
Swiss National Science Foundation - Switzerland
150205
Swiss National Science Foundation - Switzerland
PubMed
30536787
DOI
10.1111/pce.13500
Knihovny.cz E-resources
- Keywords
- Larix decidua, Picea abies, conifers, high-elevation forests, hydraulic plasticity, interspecific and intraspecific variability, sap flow, stomatal conductance, transpiration,
- MeSH
- Pinus physiology MeSH
- Tracheophyta * physiology MeSH
- Adaptation, Physiological MeSH
- Larix physiology MeSH
- Droughts MeSH
- Plant Stomata physiology MeSH
- Soil MeSH
- Temperature MeSH
- Plant Transpiration physiology MeSH
- Water physiology MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Soil MeSH
- Water MeSH
Conifers growing at high elevations need to optimize their stomatal conductance (gs ) for maximizing photosynthetic yield while minimizing water loss under less favourable thermal conditions. Yet the ability of high-elevation conifers to adjust their gs sensitivity to environmental drivers remains largely unexplored. We used 4 years of sap flow measurements to elucidate intraspecific and interspecific variability of gs in Larix decidua Mill. and Picea abies (L.) Karst along an elevational gradient and contrasting soil moisture conditions. Site- and species-specific gs response to main environmental drivers were examined, including vapour pressure deficit, air temperature, solar irradiance, and soil water potential. Our results indicate that maximum gs of L. decidua is >2 times higher, shows a more plastic response to temperature, and down-regulates gs stronger during atmospheric drought compared to P. abies. These differences allow L. decidua to exert more efficient water use, adjust to site-specific thermal conditions, and reduce water loss during drought episodes. The stronger plasticity of gs sensitivity to temperature and higher conductance of L. decidua compared to P. abies provide new insights into species-specific water use strategies, which affect species' performance and should be considered when predicting terrestrial water dynamics under future climatic change.
Department of Environmental Sciences Botany Basel University Basel CH 4056 Switzerland
Department of Environmental Systems Science ETH Zurich Zurich CH 8092 Switzerland
Faculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic
References provided by Crossref.org
