A manipulative experiment with two different water regimes was established to identify the variability of physiological responses to environmental changes in 5-year-old Norway spruce provenances in the Western Carpathians. While variations in the growth responses were detected only between treatments, photosynthetic and biochemical parameters were also differently influenced among provenances. Following drought treatment, an obvious shrinkage of tree stems was observed. In most provenances, drought had a negative effect on leaf gas-exchange parameters and kinetics of chlorophyll a fluorescence. Secondary metabolism was not affected so much with notable differences in concentration of sabinene, o-cimene, and (-)-alpha-terpineol monoterpenes. The most suitable indicators of drought stress were abscisic acid and fluorescence parameters. Seedlings from the highest altitude (1,500 m a.s.l.) responded better to stress conditions than the other populations. Such provenance trials may be a valuable tool in assessing the adaptive potential of spruce populations under changing climate.

Administration of Tatra National Park Tatranská Lomnica 059 60 Vysoké Tatry Slovakia

Institute of Forest Ecology Slovak Academy of Sciences Ľ Štúra 2 96001 Zvolen Slovakia

Technical University in Zvolen Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences T G Masaryka 24 96001 Zvolen Slovakia

Technical University in Zvolen Faculty of Forestry T G Masaryka 24 96001 Zvolen Slovakia

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