scholarly journals Patterns of phenotypic plasticity among populations of three Mediterranean pine species and implications for evolutionary responses to climate change

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Vizcaíno-Palomar ◽  
Bruno Fady ◽  
Ricardo Alía ◽  
Annie Raffin ◽  
Sven Mutke ◽  
...  

AbstractAimUnder rapid environmental change, phenotypic plasticity, if adaptive, could increase the odds for organisms to persist. Environmental variation over time is an important source of phenotypic plasticity. Likewise, phenotypic plasticity can vary with age in many organisms. However, little is known on phenotypic plasticity variation across species’ ranges. Our aims are: (i) to assess whether populations’ phenotypic plasticity is related to the inter-annual climate variation under which populations have evolved during the last century; (ii) to compare phenotypic plasticity among developmental classes; and (iii) to predict phenotypic plasticity across’ species ranges.LocationEurope and North-Africa.Time period1901-2014.Major taxa studiedPinus nigra, P. pinaster and P. pinea.MethodsWe used 372 646 individual tree height measurements at three developmental classes from a wide network of 38 common gardens in Europe and North Africa with provenances covering the distribution range of the species. With this data, we: i) build linear mixed-effect models of tree height as a function of tree age, population and climate; ii) estimate populations’ reaction norms from the fitted models; iii) calculate populations’ phenotypic plasticity indexes; iv) build models of populations’ phenotypic plasticity indexes as a function of inter-annual climate variation during the last century.ResultsWe found that i) most populations that have evolved under high inter-annual climate variation, in either maximum or minimum values in temperature or precipitation, exhibited high values of plasticity in tree height; ii) phenotypic plasticity for tree height was higher in young trees than in older ones, iii) phenotypic plasticity did not follow any particular geographical pattern across species’ ranges.Main conclusionsPhenotypic plasticity across the three Mediterranean pines’ ranges is related with the climate variation experienced over time and calls into question whether this plasticity could be adaptive and hence beneficial to cope with climate change in the short-term.

2004 ◽  
Vol 80 (6) ◽  
pp. 694-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rongzhou Man ◽  
Ken J Greenway

Meta-analysis was used to summarize the research results on the growth response of understory white spruce to release from overstory aspen from different studies available from published and unpublished sources. The data were screened for the suitability for meta-analysis. Treatment effect sizes were calculated using response ratio from mean cumulative increments of released and control trees since release in height, diameter, and volume and modeled using a polynomial mixed effect regression procedure. Predictor variables include linear, quadratic, and cubic components of three independent variables — initial tree height, number of years after release, and residual basal area at release — and their linear interactions. Models with a reasonable predictive power were developed for height, diameter, and volume response, but no significant model was identified for survival. The models developed in this study can be applied to predict the growth response of understory white spruce to release, based on the growth of unreleased control trees, initial tree height, residual basal area at release, and time since release. The individual tree prediction can be easily scaled up to stand level if residual tree density and distribution is known. Key words: meta-analysis, boreal mixedwood, mixed model, polynomial regression, response ratio, growth, survival


Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 555
Author(s):  
Natalia Vizcaíno-Palomar ◽  
Noelia González-Muñoz ◽  
Santiago C. González-Martínez ◽  
Ricardo Alía ◽  
Marta Benito Garzón

Most populations of Scots pine in Spain are locally adapted to drought, with only a few populations at the southernmost part of the distribution range showing maladaptations to the current climate. Increasing tree heights are predicted for most of the studied populations by the year 2070, under the RCP 8.5 scenario. These results are probably linked to the capacity of this species to acclimatize to new climates. The impact of climate change on tree growth depends on many processes, including the capacity of individuals to respond to changes in the environment. Pines are often locally adapted to their environments, leading to differences among populations. Generally, populations at the margins of the species’ ranges show lower performances in fitness-related traits than core populations. Therefore, under expected changes in climate, populations at the southern part of the species’ ranges could be at a higher risk of maladaptation. Here, we hypothesize that southern Scots pine populations are locally adapted to current climate, and that expected changes in climate may lead to a decrease in tree performance. We used Scots pine tree height growth data from 15-year-old individuals, measured in six common gardens in Spain, where plants from 16 Spanish provenances had been planted. We analyzed tree height growth, accounting for the climate of the planting sites, and the climate of the original population to assess local adaptation, using linear mixed-effect models. We found that: (1) drought drove differences among populations in tree height growth; (2) most populations were locally adapted to drought; (3) tree height was predicted to increase for most of the studied populations by the year 2070 (a concentration of RCP 8.5). Most populations of Scots pine in Spain were locally adapted to drought. This result suggests that marginal populations, despite inhabiting limiting environments, can be adapted to the local current conditions. In addition, the local adaptation and acclimation capacity of populations can help margin populations to keep pace with climate change. Our results highlight the importance of analyzing, case-by-case, populations’ capacities to cope with climate change.


1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 1958-1965 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Guilley ◽  
M Loubère ◽  
G Nepveu

Grain angle on bark (angle between the general direction of bark fissures and the axis of the trunk) was assessed at the four cardinal points at breast height (1.3 m) on 82 standing sessile oaks (Quercus petraea Liebl.). After felling, wood spiral grain was measured at breast height from cambium to pith along two diametrically opposite radii. A mixed-effect model that links the tangent of grain angle to radial position (age and distance from the pith) allows to estimate two individual parameters of grain angle. In the field, nondestructive measurements of grain angle (subcortical spiral grain or spiral grain on bark) on an individual tree combined with information on the tree stand allow to estimate one of the two parameters that describes the change in grain angle for a given radial increment. This parameter is independent of mean ring width, tree age and circumference, and site characteristics; it should allow a more accurate identification and selection of standing trees with low wood spiral grain.


2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-122
Author(s):  
Christian Salas ◽  
Albert R. Stage ◽  
Andrew P. Robinson

Abstract We developed and evaluated an individual-tree height growth model for Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco] in the Inland Northwest United States. The model predicts growth for all tree sizes continuously, rather than requiring a transition between independent models for juvenile and mature growth phases. The model predicts the effects of overstory and understory vegetative competition on height growth. Our model requires attained height rather than tree age as a predictor variable, thereby avoiding the problems of site index. Site effects are introduced as a function of ecological habitat type, elevation, aspect, and slope. We used six data sets totaling 3,785 trees in 314 plots. The structure of the data and the model indicated the need for a mixed-effects, nonlinear modeling approach using maximum likelihood in a linear differential equation with a power transformation. Behavior of the model was analyzed using a state-space approach. Our results show that both overstory and understory density affect height growth, allowing a manager to make informed decisions about vegetation control.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amaury Hayat ◽  
Andrew J. Hacket-Pain ◽  
Hans Pretzsch ◽  
Tim Tito Rademacher ◽  
Andrew D. Friend

AbstractIncreasing CO2 concentrations are strongly controlled by the behaviour of undisturbed forests, which are believed to be a major current sink of atmospheric CO2. There are many models which predict forest responses to environmental changes but they are almost exclusively carbon source (i.e. photosynthesis) driven. Here we present a model for an individual tree that takes into account also the intrinsic limits of meristems and cellular growth rates, as well as control mechanisms within the tree that influence its diameter and height growth over time. This new framework is built on process-based understanding combined with differential equations solved by the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg (RKF45) numerical method. It was successfully tested for stands of beech trees in two different sites representing part of a long-term forest yield experiment in Germany. This model provides new insights into tree growth and limits to tree height, and addresses limitations of previous models with respect to sink-limited growth.Author SummaryGreenhouse gas emissions, in particular of CO2, have emerged as one of the most important global concerns, and it is therefore important to understand the behaviour of forests as they absorb and store a very large quantity of carbon. Most models treat forests as boxes with growth only driven by photosynthesis, while their actual growth depends also on many other important processes such as the maximal rate at which individual cells can grow, the influences of temperature and soil moisture on these cells, and the control that the tree has on itself through endogenous signalling pathways. Therefore, and with inspiration from process-based understanding of the biological functioning of trees, we have developed a model which takes into account these different factors. We first use this knowledge and additional basic assumptions to derive a system of several equations which, when solved, enable us to predict the height and the radius of an individual tree at a given time, provided that we have enough information about its initial state and its surroundings. We use the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg mathematical method to obtain a numerical solution and thus predict the development of the height and radius of an individual tree over time under specified conditions.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Homero Gárate-Escamilla ◽  
Arndt Hampe ◽  
Natalia Vizcaíno-Palomar ◽  
T. Matthew Robson ◽  
Marta Benito Garzón

ABSTRACTAimTo better understand and more realistically predict future species distribution ranges, it is critical to account for local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in populations’ responses to climate. This is challenging because local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are trait-dependent and traits co-vary along climatic gradients, with differential consequences for fitness. Our aim is to quantify local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity of vertical and radial growth, leaf flushing and survival across Fagus sylvatica range and to estimate each trait contribution to explain the species occurrence.LocationEuropeTime period1995 – 2014; 2070Major taxa studiedFagus sylvatica L.MethodsWe used vertical and radial growth, flushing phenology and mortality of Fagus sylvatica L. recorded in BeechCOSTe52 (>150,000 trees). Firstly, we performed linear mixed-effect models that related trait variation and co-variation to local adaptation (related to the planted populations’ climatic origin) and phenotypic plasticity (accounting for the climate of the plantation), and we made spatial predictions under current and RCP 8.5 climates. Secondly, we combined spatial trait predictions in a linear model to explain the occurrence of the species.ResultsThe contribution of plasticity to intra-specific trait variation is always higher than that of local adaptation, suggesting that the species is less sensitive to climate change than expected; different traits constrain beech’s distribution in different parts of its range: the northernmost edge is mainly delimited by flushing phenology (mostly driven by photoperiod and temperature), the southern edge by mortality (mainly driven by intolerance to drought), and the eastern edge is characterised by decreasing radial growth (mainly shaped by precipitation-related variables in our model); considering trait co-variation improved single-trait predictions.Main conclusionsPopulation responses to climate across large geographical gradients are trait-dependent, indicating that multi-trait combinations are needed to understand species’ sensitivity to climate change and its variation across distribution ranges.


1969 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Gagné

Assumptions that local communities have an endogenous capacity to adapt to climate change stemming from time-tested knowledge and an inherent sense of community that prompts mobilisation are becoming increasingly common in material produced by international organisations. This discourse, which relies on ahistorical and apolitical conceptions of localities and populations, is based on ideas of timeless knowledge and places. Analysing the water-place nexus in Ladakh, in the Indian Himalayas, through a close study of glacier practices as they change over time, the article argues that local knowledge is subject to change and must be analysed in light of changing conceptions and experiences of place by the state and by local populations alike.


Horticulturae ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Amandeep Kaur ◽  
Louise Ferguson ◽  
Niels Maness ◽  
Becky Carroll ◽  
William Reid ◽  
...  

Pecan is native to the United States. The US is the world’s largest pecan producer with an average yearly production of 250 to 300 million pounds; 80 percent of the world’s supply. Georgia, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, California, Louisiana, and Florida are the major US pecan producing states. Pecan trees frequently suffer from spring freeze at bud break and bloom as the buds are quite sensitive to freeze damage. This leads to poor flower and nut production. This review focuses on the impact of spring freeze during bud differentiation and flower development. Spring freeze kills the primary terminal buds, the pecan tree has a second chance for growth and flowering through secondary buds. Unfortunately, secondary buds have less bloom potential than primary buds and nut yield is reduced. Spring freeze damage depends on severity of the freeze, bud growth stage, cultivar type and tree age, tree height and tree vigor. This review discusses the impact of temperature on structure and function of male and female reproductive organs. It also summarizes carbohydrate relations as another factor that may play an important role in spring growth and transition of primary and secondary buds to flowers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Tianyu Hu ◽  
Xiliang Sun ◽  
Yanjun Su ◽  
Hongcan Guan ◽  
Qianhui Sun ◽  
...  

Accurate and repeated forest inventory data are critical to understand forest ecosystem processes and manage forest resources. In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-borne light detection and ranging (lidar) systems have demonstrated effectiveness at deriving forest inventory attributes. However, their high cost has largely prevented them from being used in large-scale forest applications. Here, we developed a very low-cost UAV lidar system that integrates a recently emerged DJI Livox MID40 laser scanner (~$600 USD) and evaluated its capability in estimating both individual tree-level (i.e., tree height) and plot-level forest inventory attributes (i.e., canopy cover, gap fraction, and leaf area index (LAI)). Moreover, a comprehensive comparison was conducted between the developed DJI Livox system and four other UAV lidar systems equipped with high-end laser scanners (i.e., RIEGL VUX-1 UAV, RIEGL miniVUX-1 UAV, HESAI Pandar40, and Velodyne Puck LITE). Using these instruments, we surveyed a coniferous forest site and a broadleaved forest site, with tree densities ranging from 500 trees/ha to 3000 trees/ha, with 52 UAV flights at different flying height and speed combinations. The developed DJI Livox MID40 system effectively captured the upper canopy structure and terrain surface information at both forest sites. The estimated individual tree height was highly correlated with field measurements (coniferous site: R2 = 0.96, root mean squared error/RMSE = 0.59 m; broadleaved site: R2 = 0.70, RMSE = 1.63 m). The plot-level estimates of canopy cover, gap fraction, and LAI corresponded well with those derived from the high-end RIEGL VUX-1 UAV system but tended to have systematic biases in areas with medium to high canopy densities. Overall, the DJI Livox MID40 system performed comparably to the RIEGL miniVUX-1 UAV, HESAI Pandar40, and Velodyne Puck LITE systems in the coniferous site and to the Velodyne Puck LITE system in the broadleaved forest. Despite its apparent weaknesses of limited sensitivity to low-intensity returns and narrow field of view, we believe that the very low-cost system developed by this study can largely broaden the potential use of UAV lidar in forest inventory applications. This study also provides guidance for the selection of the appropriate UAV lidar system and flight specifications for forest research and management.


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