Influence of flooding and soil temperature on the water relations and morphological development of cold-stored black spruce and white spruce seedlings

1987 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 821-828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven C. Grossnickle

Fall-lifted, cold-stored black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S. P.) and white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) seedlings [Formula: see text] were planted in a controlled environmental chamber with an air temperature of 20 °C, soil temperatures of 10 or 20 °C, and flooded or nonflooded soil treatments. Stomatal conductance (gwv) was lower in flooded seedlings compared with nonflooded seedlings for both black spruce and white spruce seedlings. Black spruce seedlings drained after 14 days of flooding showed gwv similar to nonflooded seedlings, while drained white spruce seedlings had gwv patterns greater than nonflooded seedlings. White spruce seedlings had diurnal xylem pressure potential (ψx) patterns slightly more negative in the flooded treatment compared with the nonflooded treatment. Measured predawn ψx was found to be more negative in flooded seedlings compared with nonflooded seedlings in both black spruce and white spruce. In both species, flooded seedlings 1 day out of cold storage had a greater resistance to water flow through the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum (RSPAC) compared with non-flooded seedlings. After 21 days out of cold storage, rspac decreased in nonflooded seedlings of both species, while flooded seedlings of both species had high RSPAC values. For both black spruce and white spruce seedlings, flooded soils inhibited root growth, while low soil temperatures resulted in a reduction in root growth in nonflooded seedlings. Shoot growth of white spruce seedlings was not influenced by 21 days of flooding or low soil temperature, while the combination of 21 days of flooding and low soil temperature in black spruce seedlings resulted in less shoot development compared with nonflooded seedlings.

1985 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 544-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven C. Grossnickle ◽  
Terence J. Blake

Cold-stored jack pine (Pinusbanksiana Lamb.) and white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) seedlings were planted in a controlled environmental chamber providing an air temperature of 22 °C and soil temperatures of 22, 16, or 10 °C. After 21 days, observation of root growth for white spruce seedlings was limited at all soil temperatures, whereas jack pine seedlings showed limited root growth at a soil temperature of 10 °C but not at 22 °C. During 21 days of observation after removal from cold storage, stomatal response patterns changed during the transition phase from darkness to first light. Jack pine seedlings showed increasing stomatal opening at first light with greater stomatal opening for seedlings in the 22 °C root-temperature treatment, while all white spruce seedlings exhibited a greater stomatal closure during darkness. In both species, seedlings at lower soil temperatures experienced greater initial water stress than seedlings at higher soil temperatures, the difference being associated with a greater water-flow resistance through the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum (SPAC). In both species, xylem pressure potentials increased with time at all temperatures; a change attributable to a decline in water-flow resistance through the SPAC. The decline in water-flow resistance was possibly due to either a change in the permeability of older suberized roots or, as in jack pine at the higher soil temperature, a significantly greater development of new unsuberized white roots.


1986 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. W. CUTFORTH ◽  
C. F. SHAYKEWICH ◽  
C. M. CHO

Root growth between germination and emergence for the corn hybrids Pioneer 3995, Northrup King 403 and Pride 1108 was studied. Soil temperatures of 15, 19, 25 and 30.5 °C and a range of soil water contents were used. Decreases in soil temperature and water content both decreased root growth rate. Sensitivity to water content decreased with decreasing soil temperature. All three hybrids responded to soil temperature in the same way. By contrast, Pioneer 3995 was less sensitive to soil water stress than was Northrup King 403, while Pride 1108 was the most sensitive. Key words: Soil water, soil temperature, root growth (early), corn


2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (6) ◽  
pp. 684-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon M Landhäusser ◽  
Tawfik M Muhsin ◽  
Janusz J Zwiazek

Low soil temperatures, common during the growing season in northern forests, have the potential to impede plant growth. In this study, water uptake, water relations, and growth characteristics were examined in aspen (Populus tremuloides) and white spruce (Picea glauca) seedlings that were inoculated with ectomycorrhizal fungi and grown at 20°C daytime air temperatures and low soil temperatures of 4°C and 8°C. Mycorrhizal associations had little effect on root and shoot biomass at both soil temperatures. Root hydraulic conductance (Kr) was higher in both mycorrhizal plant species compared to nonmycorrhizal plants, but there was no soil temperature effect on Kr in either species. Mycorrhizae also increased shoot water potential (Ψw) in Populus tremuloides but had no effect on Ψw in Picea glauca. The increases in Kr and Ψw were not reflected by changes in stomatal conductance (gs) and transpiration rates (E), suggesting that the reduction of water flow in seedlings exposed to low soil temperature was not likely the factor limiting gs in both plant species.Key words: boreal forest, root hydraulic conductance, root growth, stomatal conductance, water uptake.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (11) ◽  
pp. 1441-1452
Author(s):  
Jouni Kilpeläinen ◽  
Timo Domisch ◽  
Tarja Lehto ◽  
Leena Finér ◽  
Pedro J. Aphalo ◽  
...  

Tree roots comprise a huge carbon pool. Their dynamics are driven by environmental factors and thereby affected by climate change. We studied the effects of soil temperature on root and shoot phenology and their linkages in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Saplings were grown in controlled-environment rooms for three simulated growing seasons (GS1, GS2, and GS3). Soil-temperature treatments of 9, 13, 18, and 21 °C were applied during GS2. Root growth was monitored with minirhizotrons and commenced in all treatments simultaneously. Temporal growth patterns of short and long roots were usually bimodal. Root growth was very low during the coldest treatment of GS2 but increased during GS3 as an aftereffect. During GS3, growth of short roots continued later after colder treatments than warmer treatments. Reduced sink strength of roots and increased carbohydrate accumulation into needles at 9 °C during GS2 probably enabled compensatory root growth under restored temperatures during GS3. Soil temperature did not affect shoot phenology, and root and shoot phenology varied between growing seasons; thus, the linkage of root and shoot phenology was inconsistent. In warmer soil, root longevity was shorter and turnover rate was higher than in colder soil. This can further affect soil carbon dynamics and ecosystem carbon cycling in boreal forest ecosystems.


2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lada R. Rajasekaran ◽  
Terence J. Blake

The possibility that AMBIOL, a derivative of 5-hydroxybenzimidazole, may promote drought acclimation of carrot seedlings was studied. Carrot seeds were pre-treated by soaking in AMBIOL solutions of 0, 0.1, 1 or 10 mg L–1 for 24 h and germinated. Fifteen-day-old seedlings were exposed to a 7-d drought by withholding water until soil moisture content declined to one-third of the initial values. Drought caused a significant reduction in xylem pressure potential, elongation growth, leaf area expansion, root growth and dry matter production. Membrane capacitance, net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration and water use efficiency all declined in all plants under drought. However, seed pre-treatment using AMBIOL 0.1 and 10 mg L–1 completely alleviated the drought-induced reduction in shoot dry matter production. Seed preconditioning using AMBIOL 10 mg L–1 promoted dry matter production, which was 214% higher than in the untreated droughted plants and was even 26% higher than that of the untreated, unstressed controls. AMBIOL appeared to have induced drought acclimation through root adjustments that enhanced root growth, possibly supplying root-derived essential factors. Key words: Acclimation, antioxidant, carrot, drought, dry matter production, 5-hydroxybenzimidazole, growth, membrane capacitance


1974 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-416
Author(s):  
A. Kent Evans ◽  
C. P. P. Reid

Pressure chamber data for Engelmann spruce indicate that a cold temperature error causes artificially low (more negative) xylem pressure potential (Ψxp) values below −0.5 °C xylem temperature. Heat of compression in the chamber causes partial thawing of the frozen sample allowing some water to be forced from the twig at a reasonable, although artificially low, Ψxp value. It is important that the investigator know sample temperature in order not to misinterpret these low Ψxp values as indicative of severe water stress due to decreased absorption of water by root systems at low soil temperatures.


1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 493-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale S. Nichols

Soil temperature strongly influences physical, chemical, and biological activities in soil. However, soil temperature data for forest landscapes are scarce. For 6 yr, weekly soil temperatures were measured at two upland and four peatland sites in north central Minnesota. One upland site supported mature aspen forest, the other supported short grass. One peatland site was forested with black spruce, one supported tall willow and alder brush, and two had open vegetation — sedges and low shrubs. Mean annual air temperature averaged 3.6 °C. Mean annual soil temperatures at 10- to 200-cm depths ranged from 5.5 to 7.6 °C among the six sites. Soils with open vegetation, whether mineral or peat, averaged about 1 °C warmer annually and from 2 to 3 °C warmer during summer than the forested soils. The tall brush peatland was cooler than all other sites due to strong groundwater inputs. The mineral soils warmed more quickly in the spring, achieved higher temperatures in the summer, and cooled more quickly in the fall than the peat soils; however, the greatest temperature differences between mineral and peat soils occurred at or below 50 cm. In the upper 20 cm, vegetation and groundwater had greater effects on temperature than did soil type (mineral or peat). Summer soil temperatures were higher, relative to air temperature, during periods of greater precipitation. This effect was minimal at upland sites but substantial in the peatlands. In spite of the persistent sub-freezing air temperatures typical of Minnesota winters, significant frost developed in the soils only in those years when severe cold weather arrived before an insulating cover of snow had accumulated. Key words: Soil temperature, vegetation effects, forest soils, groundwater, peatlands


1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1033-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt H. Johnsen

Two controlled-environment studies examined growth and ecophysiological responses of black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) seedlings to elevated CO2 under varied water and nutrient additions. Growth analyses were conducted followed by measurements of gas exchange, xylem pressure potential and foliar N concentrations. Growth under elevated CO2 (700 ppm) increased final seedling dry weights by 20–48% compared with seedling growth under ambient CO2 (350 ppm). Percent increases in seedling dry weight were greater under drought versus well-watered conditions and higher versus lower nutrient additions. Seedlings grown under elevated CO2 displayed higher water use efficiency than seedlings grown under ambient CO2. This was apparent based upon instantaneous gas exchange as well as xylem potential pressure measurements. Elevated CO2-induced stimulation of relative growth rate was greatest shortly after seedling emergence and decreased with increased seedling size. Acclimation of net photosynthesis was observed and was reversible. Analyses using allometric principles indicate net photosynthetic acclimation resulted from: (i) growth-induced nutrient dilution; (ii) a decrease in foliar N levels not owing to dilution; and (iii) a decrease in net photosynthetic activity.


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