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Juniperus Species and Climate Change: Adaptations and Potentialities
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Juniperus Species and Climate Change: Adaptations and Potentialities

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2024) | Viewed by 10908

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Francisco Antonio García-Morote

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agricultural and Forest Science and Technology, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Higher Technical School of Agricultural and Forest Engineering, 02071 Albacete, Spain
Interests: biomass and productivity in coniferous forests and Juniper woodlands; C cycle; adaptive forest management; sustainable management; forest resilience and climate change; forest fires and regeneration; soil quality for sustainability of forest management; dendrochronology; energy crops: evaluation and yield tables

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the scenario of global warming, it is interesting to study changes in plant distribution and forest adaptation in the function of genera. In this sense, the Juniperus genus comprises approximately 50 coniferous trees and shrubs species that are widely distributed throughout the temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. In general, Juniper species are drought-tolerant and well adapted to extreme climates and severe impacts related to climate change (for example, forest fires). For this, fires and intense drought periods could favor their expansion. On the other hand, Juniper species can be utilized for forest restoration on poor sites with low potential productivity, such as arid and semi-arid climates. However, despite their ecological importance and their utility for forest restoration, studies of junipers are still incomplete in many respects. In addition, most of the data on evergreen perennials in semi-arid environments are based on sclerophylls and shrubs.

Prof. Dr. Francisco Antonio García-Morote
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Juniperus
  • climatic change
  • drought
  • post-fire regeneration
  • ecophysiology
  • forest restoration

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1394 KiB  
Article
Phenotypic Comparison of Three Populations of Juniperus turbinata Guss. in North-Eastern Morocco
by Nargis Sahib, Mehdi Boumediene, Malika Abid, Aatika Mihamou, Hana Serghini-Caid, Ahmed Elamrani, Christophe Hano and Mohamed Addi
Forests 2022, 13(2), 287; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020287 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1996
Abstract
Juniperus turbinata Guss. is a native species of Morocco; however, an exhaustive taxonomic description based on phenotypical characterization of north-eastern Moroccan population species is lacking, which might lead to taxonomic confusion. In order to expound the phenotypic description of J. turbinata of the [...] Read more.
Juniperus turbinata Guss. is a native species of Morocco; however, an exhaustive taxonomic description based on phenotypical characterization of north-eastern Moroccan population species is lacking, which might lead to taxonomic confusion. In order to expound the phenotypic description of J. turbinata of the north-eastern Moroccan population and to examine the taxonomic differences within it; a comparative analysis of cones, leaves, and seeds was performed between three populations. A total of 280 samples were compared on the basis of nine measured and eight calculated traits. The results reveal significant interpopulation changes in the studied characteristics of cones, leaves, and seeds. The most discriminating traits were associated with the proportion between cone diameter and number of seeds. We detected the lowest number of seeds in coastal population when compared to other localities, but at the same time, the seeds from the littoral were the longest and the widest. In addition, the semi-continental population had the highest quantity of seeds, and leaves had intermediate values for the majority of the assessed traits. The phenotypical difference between populations demonstrates a certain adaptability of the species in a biogeographical pattern. This study is a contribution to completing the description of patterns of phenotypical differences of the Phoenician juniper in the Mediterranean region, and confirms its evolutionary plasticity linked to adaptation to local environmental conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Juniperus Species and Climate Change: Adaptations and Potentialities)
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15 pages, 4720 KiB  
Article
Stem CO2 Efflux as an Indicator of Forests’ Productivity in Relict Juniper Woodlands (Juniperus thurifera L.) of Southern Spain
by Francisco Antonio García Morote, Manuela Andrés Abellán, Eva Rubio, Iván Pérez Anta, Francisco García Saucedo and Francisco Ramón López Serrano
Forests 2021, 12(10), 1340; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12101340 - 30 Sep 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2386
Abstract
There are considerable uncertainties about the C cycle in semi-arid ecosystems. Hence, studies that have focused on Juniperus in Mediterranean woodlands are non-existent. This study provides a survey of the effect of the juniper woodland type (young and mature woodlands; joint effect of [...] Read more.
There are considerable uncertainties about the C cycle in semi-arid ecosystems. Hence, studies that have focused on Juniperus in Mediterranean woodlands are non-existent. This study provides a survey of the effect of the juniper woodland type (young and mature woodlands; joint effect of maturity and forest productivity) on stem respiration. We checked the seasonal variation of stem respiration, evaluating the effects of stem temperature on stem CO2 efflux. For this, we measured the stem CO2 efflux (µmol CO2 m−2 s−1) over the four seasons on 16 junipers using LI-6400 equipment. The results showed that in the more productive site (young woodland), the stem CO2 efflux was higher. This variable followed a clear seasonal trend, being higher during the spring and progressively decreasing in cold periods. In both juniper woodlands, and especially in the older forests, the Q10 coefficients were low (<2), typical of cold forests and slow-growing species. The exponential model also confirmed that the Q10 was significantly higher in young juniper trees. Thus, stem CO2 efflux was an indicator of the growth in this juniper woodland that is well adapted to a semi-arid climate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Juniperus Species and Climate Change: Adaptations and Potentialities)
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14 pages, 3479 KiB  
Article
Dwarf Mistletoe and Drought Contribute to Growth Decline, Dieback and Mortality of Junipers
by Elisa Tamudo, J. Julio Camarero, Gabriel Sangüesa-Barreda and José Daniel Anadón
Forests 2021, 12(9), 1199; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12091199 - 3 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2162
Abstract
Rising temperatures and aridification, combined with the stressing effect of some hemiparasitic plants such as mistletoes, may contribute to reduce vigour and growth of trees and shrubs leading to dieback and increasing mortality. This has been rarely explored in pioneer shrubs such as [...] Read more.
Rising temperatures and aridification, combined with the stressing effect of some hemiparasitic plants such as mistletoes, may contribute to reduce vigour and growth of trees and shrubs leading to dieback and increasing mortality. This has been rarely explored in pioneer shrubs such as junipers, which are assumed to be more drought tolerant than coexisting trees. To test these ideas, we reconstructed radial growth patterns of common junipers (Juniperus communis L.) with different crown cover and infestation degree by dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium oxycedri (DC.) M. Bieb.) in two sites with contrasting aspect and water availability located in north-eastern Spain. We used dendrochronology to study the response of junipers’ radial growth to climatic factors (temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture), an index of drought severity, and mistletoe infestation. Juniper growth was constrained by elevated temperatures and low precipitation leading to drought during the growing season. Infestation by dwarf mistletoe contributed to a short-term growth decline in junipers. The interaction between low summer precipitation and high dwarf mistletoe infestation constrained juniper growth, particularly in the north-oriented wetter site, where hosts presented higher growth rates during wet periods. The negative impact of low summer precipitation on juniper growth overrides the effects due to dwarf mistletoe infestation. Aridification and mistletoe infestation could trigger dieback and mortality of shrubs slowing down successional dynamics and delaying shrub encroachment into former croplands and grasslands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Juniperus Species and Climate Change: Adaptations and Potentialities)
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16 pages, 2811 KiB  
Article
Taxonomy, Ecology and Distribution of Juniperus oxycedrus L. Group in the Mediterranean Basin Using Bioclimatic, Phytochemical and Morphometric Approaches, with Special Reference to the Iberian Peninsula
by Ana Cano Ortiz, Giovanni Spampinato, José Carlos Piñar Fuentes, Carlos José Pinto Gomes, Ricardo Quinto-Canas and Eusebio Cano
Forests 2021, 12(6), 703; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12060703 - 29 May 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2916
Abstract
Several studies have been conducted in the past to clarify various aspects of species in the genus Juniperus L. One critical group is Juniperus oxycedrus L., especially from the taxonomical point of view. For this reason, we have studied the ecology, taxonomy and [...] Read more.
Several studies have been conducted in the past to clarify various aspects of species in the genus Juniperus L. One critical group is Juniperus oxycedrus L., especially from the taxonomical point of view. For this reason, we have studied the ecology, taxonomy and distribution of the taxa in the J. oxycedrus group. From an ecological and distribution standpoint, in this work we use the ombroedaphoxeric index (Ioex) to explain the presence of Juniperus populations in ombrotypes that are not optimum for these taxa. The controversy over the taxonomy of J. oxycedrus subsp. badia (H. Gay) Debeaux and J. oxycedrus subsp. lagunae (Pau ex C. Vicioso) Rivas Mart. is clarified, and it is accepted as a valid name, J. oxycedrus subsp. badia. The phytochemical differences in essential oils (EO) are addressed and their similarities analyzed; greater similarities are observed between oxycedrus and badia, and between navicularis Gand. and macrocarpa (Sm.) Ball. species. The phytochemical, molecular and distribution differences allow J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa (Sm.) Ball and J. navicularis Gand. to be maintained as species. The results obtained make it possible to establish the rank to which the taxa belong and allow clear discrimination between species in groups that are difficult to interpret. Ecological, bioclimatic, phytochemical and morphometric similarities allow us to subordinate the subsp. macrocarpa to the species J. navicularis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Juniperus Species and Climate Change: Adaptations and Potentialities)
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