Effect of Global Warming on the Physiology of Trees

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 5091

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Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 6134 Sciences Pour l’Environnement (SPE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire Biochimie and Biologie Moléculaire du Végétal, Université de Corse, 20250 Corte, France
Interests: chloroplast ultrastructure; leaf gas exchange; polyploidy; stomatal response; oxidative status; water deficit
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is expected to induce an increased frequency of drought episodes related to increases in the average air temperature, which adversely affects tree growth, crop yield, and fruit quality. These environmental disturbances can strongly impact several functions of trees, forcing them to implement strategies of resistance, tolerance, or avoidance of stress in order to survive to these new climatic conditions.

This Special Issue of Plants will provide a current overview of the most significant research carried out in the field of stress physiology in trees. We invite researchers to submit papers (review articles and research results) that highlight the strategies implemented by trees to alleviate these negative impacts; morphological, anatomical, cellular, molecular, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms implied in the management of global warming can be highlighted. All compartments of the tree can be taken into account as well as all environmental factors, including the impact of fires. Primary and applied research would be particularly appreciated. Reviews pointing to the summary of past works around this theme and bringing to light new scientific evidence are also welcome. Other studies around these themes may be considered.

Dr. Jérémie Santini
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • environmental factors
  • tree growth
  • hydraulic conductivity
  • plant biology
  • evapotranspiration
  • ecophysiology
  • roots
  • canopy

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1353 KiB  
Article
Effects of Rainfall Exclusion Treatment on Photosynthetic Characteristics of Black Locust in the Sub-Humid Region of the Loess Plateau, China
by Haining Guo, Yiran Wang, Guoqing Li and Sheng Du
Plants 2024, 13(5), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050704 - 1 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1112
Abstract
The mesic-origin species Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) is widely planted in the semiarid and sub-humid areas of the Loess Plateau for the reforestation of vegetation-degraded land. Under the scenario of changing precipitation patterns, exploring the response of photosynthesis to drought allows us [...] Read more.
The mesic-origin species Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) is widely planted in the semiarid and sub-humid areas of the Loess Plateau for the reforestation of vegetation-degraded land. Under the scenario of changing precipitation patterns, exploring the response of photosynthesis to drought allows us to assess the risk to sustainable development of these plantations. In this study, paired plots were established including the control and a treatment of 30% exclusion of throughfall (since 2018). The photosynthetic characteristics were investigated using a portable photosynthesis system for four periods in the full-leaf growing season of 2021–2022, the fourth and fifth years, on both treated and controlled sampling trees. Leaf gas exchange parameters derived from diurnal changing patterns, light response curves, and CO2 response curves showed significant differences except for period II (9–11 September 2021) between the two plots. The photosynthetic midday depression was observed in 2022 in the treated plot. Meanwhile, the decline of net photosynthetic rate in the treated plot was converted from stomatal limitation to non-stomatal limitation. Furthermore, we observed that black locust adapted to long-term water deficiency by reducing stomatal conductance, increasing water use efficiency and intrinsic water use efficiency. The results demonstrate that reduction in precipitation would cause photosynthesis decrease, weaken the response sensitivity to light and CO2, and potentially impair photosynthetic resilience of the plantations. They also provide insights into the changes in photosynthetic functions under global climate change and a reference for management of plantations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Global Warming on the Physiology of Trees)
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21 pages, 3538 KiB  
Article
Tree-Level Growth Patterns and Genetic Associations Depict Drought Legacies in the Relict Forests of Abies marocana
by Belén Méndez-Cea, Isabel García-García, Raúl Sánchez-Salguero, Víctor Lechuga, Francisco Javier Gallego and Juan C. Linares
Plants 2023, 12(4), 873; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040873 - 15 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2050
Abstract
The frequency and intensity of drought events are increasing worldwide, challenging the adaptive capacity of several tree species. Here, we evaluate tree growth patterns and climate sensitivity to precipitation, temperature, and drought in the relict Moroccan fir Abies marocana. We selected two [...] Read more.
The frequency and intensity of drought events are increasing worldwide, challenging the adaptive capacity of several tree species. Here, we evaluate tree growth patterns and climate sensitivity to precipitation, temperature, and drought in the relict Moroccan fir Abies marocana. We selected two study sites, formerly stated as harboring contrasting A. marocana taxa (A. marocana and A. tazaotana, respectively). For each tree, dendrochronological methods were applied to quantify growth patterns and climate–growth sensitivity. Further, ddRAD-seq was performed on the same trees and close saplings to obtain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and related genotype–phenotype associations. Genetic differentiation between the two studied remnant populations of A. marocana was weak. Growth patterns and climate–growth relationships were almost similar at the two sites studied, supporting a negative effect of warming. Growth trends and tree size showed associations with SNPs, although there were no relationships with phenotypes related to climatic sensitivity. We found significant differences in the SNPs subjected to selection in the saplings compared to the old trees, suggesting that relict tree populations might be subjected to genetic differentiation and local adaptation to climate dryness. Our results illustrate the potential of tree rings and genome-wide analysis to improve our understanding of the adaptive capacity of drought-sensitive forests to cope with ongoing climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Global Warming on the Physiology of Trees)
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12 pages, 1537 KiB  
Article
Dendrochemical Challenge in Climate Science: Whether Chemical Elements in Wood Reflect the Fluctuations in Weather Parameters
by Vladimir Gavrikov, Alexey Fertikov, Ruslan Sharafutdinov, Anton Pyzhev and Eugene Vaganov
Plants 2022, 11(23), 3240; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11233240 - 25 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1385
Abstract
The aim of this study was to find consistent correlations between weather parameters and elemental content of tree rings in four widely distributed Siberian conifers: Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.), [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to find consistent correlations between weather parameters and elemental content of tree rings in four widely distributed Siberian conifers: Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.), and Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour). Slices from the wood cores were subjected to chemical treatment by extraction in alcohol and HCl. The slices were scanned using an Itrax Multiscanner (COX Analytical Systems) to obtain the count rates of Al, P, S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Sr. Every slice was scanned three times, in the original form, after alcohol extraction, and after HCl treatment. Altogether, 21 weather parameters were used to search for consistent correlations between the elemental contents. Weather parameters as well as elemental contents were averaged for successive triplets of calendar years. The statistical treatment of the data included the calculations of non-parametrical Spearman rho and Kendall tau coefficients. We defined consistent correlation as a correlation that is stronger than +/–0.3, observed in all the trees studied, and is significant at least in one tree. The main result of the study is that no consistent correlation was found that we could observe in all the species involved in the study. Nevertheless, there are several consistent correlations within the species. This means that the right choice of species for a dendrochemical study is of paramount importance. In some species, e.g., the larch and spruce, we found no correlations unless the chemical treatment was applied. Thus, a chemical treatment may reveal the reactions of tree rings’ elemental content to some weather parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Global Warming on the Physiology of Trees)
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