Limited variation found among Norway spruce half-sib families in physiological response to drought and resistance to embolism
Abstract
Projections of future climates suggest that droughts (Ds) may become more frequent and severe in many regions. Genetic variation, especially within populations in traits related to D resistance, is poorly investigated in forest trees, but this knowledge is necessary to better understand how forests will respond to water shortages. In this study, we investigated variability among seven open-pollinated half-sib families of a single population and two population-level progenies of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) in their gas exchange response to imposed D and xylem vulnerability to embolism. During their third growing season, saplings were subjected to three treatments-control (C), D (for 19 weeks) and broken drought (BD, 54 days without watering starting in mid-July, then well-watered). In response to D, all families reduced their stomatal conductance (gs) and light-saturated rates of photosynthesis (Amax) in a similar way. After rewatering, the xylem water potential (Ψ) recovered in the BD treatment, but gs and Amax remained lower than in C. Needle starch concentration was altered in both D treatments compared with C. Xylem of D-exposed trees was more vulnerable to embolism than in C. The minimum attained safety margi...Continue Reading
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