Expression of functional traits during seedling establishment in two populations of Pinus ponderosa from contrasting climates

Kerr, Kelly L.; Meinzer, Frederick C.; McCulloh, Katherine A.; Woodruff, David R.; Marias, Danielle E.

doi:10.1093/treephys/tpv034

Cited by 45 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…The overall positive relationship that we observed between WUE i and theoretical stem hydraulic conductivity (inferred from vessel diameters) differs from patterns observed previously for trees grown exclusively in sunny environments (Cernusak & Marshall ; Kerr et al . ). In those cases, lower stem hydraulic conductivity was associated with less negative leaf δ 13 C and therefore a higher WUE i ; thus, WUE i and hydraulic conductivity were negatively correlated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Plant functional groups within a tropical forest exhibit different wood functional anatomy

et al. 2016

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Summary Understanding the anatomical basis of plant water transport in forest ecosystems is crucial for contextualizing community‐level adaptations to drought, especially in life‐form‐rich tropical forests. To provide this context, we explored wood functional anatomy traits related to plant hydraulic architecture across different plant functional groups in a lowland tropical rain forest. We measured wood traits in 90 species from six functional groups (mature‐phase, understorey and pioneer trees; understorey and pioneer shrubs; vines) and related these traits to intrinsic water‐use efficiency (WUEi) as a measure of physiological performance. We also examined vessel size distribution patterns across groups to determine trade‐offs in theoretical hydraulic safety vs. efficiency. Some plant functional groups exhibited significant differences in vessel parameters and WUEi. Vessel diameters in vines and pioneer trees were two‐ to threefold greater on average than in understorey trees and shrubs. Contrastingly, vessels in understorey trees and shrubs fell within the smaller size classes, suggesting greater safety mechanisms. In addition to these trends, large vessel dimensions were important predictors of WUEi among the functional groups. We conclude that wood functional anatomy profiles varied across plant functional groups in a tropical rain forest. These groups can therefore serve as a framework for further investigations on structure–function relationships and a sound basis for modelling species responses to drought. A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.12787/suppinfo is available for this article.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Plant functional groups within a tropical forest exhibit different wood functional anatomy

et al. 2016

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“…Understanding early growth differences between and within species in response to climate change will better resolve where species may flourish or be disadvantaged, helping to identify climate mismatches, locations where climate is no longer suitable for particular species (Kerr et al. , Münzbergová et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, only lodgepole pine seedlings grew taller. Understanding early growth differences between and within species in response to climate change will better resolve where species may flourish or be disadvantaged, helping to identify climate mismatches, locations where climate is no longer suitable for particular species (Kerr et al 2015(Kerr et al , M€ unzbergov a et al 2017. Further, growth differences at the seedling stage can shape growth and survival during later life history stages (Tobner et al 2013), thus, influencing population-and community-level processes (Felton and Smith 2017).…”

Section: Warming and Drying Effects On Early Seedling Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origins of abrupt change? Postfire subalpine conifer regeneration declines nonlinearly with warming and drying

Hansen

Turner

2019

Ecological Monographs

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Robust tree regeneration following high‐severity wildfire is key to the resilience of subalpine and boreal forests, and 21st century climate could initiate abrupt change in forests if postfire temperature and soil moisture become less suitable for tree seedling establishment. Using two widespread conifer species, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) and Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca), we conducted complementary experiments to ask (1) How will projected early‐ to mid‐21st‐century warming and drying affect postfire tree seedling establishment and mortality? (2) How does early seedling growth differ between species and vary with warming and drying? With a four‐year in situ seed‐planting experiment and a one growing season controlled‐environment experiment, we explored effects of climate on tree seedling establishment, growth, and survival and identified nonlinear responses to temperature and soil moisture. In our field experiment, warmer and drier conditions, consistent with mid‐21st‐century projections, led to a 92% and 76% reduction in establishment of lodgepole pine and Douglas‐fir. Within three years, all seedlings that established under warmer conditions died, as might be expected at lower elevations and lower latitudes of species’ ranges. Seedling establishment and mortality also varied with aspect; approximately 1.7 times more seedlings established on mesic vs. xeric aspects, and fewer seedlings died. In the controlled‐environment experiment, soil temperatures were 2.0°–5.5°C cooler than the field experiment, and warming led to increased tree seedling establishment, as might be expected at upper treeline or higher latitudes. Lodgepole pine grew taller than Douglas‐fir and produced more needles with warming. Douglas‐fir grew longer roots relative to shoots, compared with lodgepole pine, particularly in dry soils. Differences in early growth between species may mediate climate change effects on competitive interactions, successional trajectories, and species distributions. This study demonstrates that climate following high‐severity fire exerts strong control over postfire tree regeneration in subalpine conifer forests. Climate change experiments, such as those reported here, hold great potential for identifying mechanisms that could underpin fundamental ecological change in 21st‐century ecosystems.

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“…Yet, seedling survival is critical for maintaining natural forest regeneration and facilitating species migrations, especially considering current climate change predictions. Despite vast amounts of research on woody plant anatomy and physiology, there remains a paucity of research on first‐year conifer seedling functional anatomy, water‐related functional traits, and in vitro hydraulic variables (Johnson et al, 2011; Kerr et al, 2015; Reinhardt et al, 2015). A functional trait refers to any plant characteristic that may influence how the plant interacts with other plants and with the environment as well as impacts on recruitment and fitness (Reich et al, 2003; Pérez‐Harguindeguy et al, 2013).…”

Section: Descriptions Abbreviations and Units Of Anatomical And Funmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vascular development in very young conifer seedlings: Theoretical hydraulic capacities and potential resistance to embolism

Miller

Johnson

2017

American J of Botany

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Expression of functional traits during seedling establishment in two populations of Pinus ponderosa from contrasting climates

Cited by 45 publications

References 73 publications

Plant functional groups within a tropical forest exhibit different wood functional anatomy

Plant functional groups within a tropical forest exhibit different wood functional anatomy

Origins of abrupt change? Postfire subalpine conifer regeneration declines nonlinearly with warming and drying

Vascular development in very young conifer seedlings: Theoretical hydraulic capacities and potential resistance to embolism

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