Fundamental intra-specific differences in plant–water relations in a widespread desert shrub (Artemisia tridentata)

Sharma, Harmandeep; Reinhardt, Keith; Lohse, Kathleen A.

doi:10.1007/s11258-020-01051-y

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Assuming that the predawn Ψ l represents the water potential of the soil from where the roots took water [ 70 ], A. tridentata seedlings showed a behavior close to anisohydric. Such anisohydric behavior is consistent with results recently reported for adult plants of the same subspecies; Sharma et al [ 71 ] showed that A. tridentata ssp. wyomingensis was more anisohydric than A. tridentata ssp.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Herbivory Amplifies Adverse Effects of Drought on Seedling Recruitment in a Keystone Species of Western North American Rangelands

Geisler

Buerki

Serpe

2022

Plants

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Biotic interactions can affect a plant’s ability to withstand drought. Such an effect may impact the restoration of the imperiled western North American sagebrush steppe, where seedlings are exposed to summer drought. This study investigated the impact of herbivory on seedlings’ drought tolerance for a keystone species in this steppe, the shrub Artemisia tridentata. Herbivory effects were investigated in two field experiments where seedlings were without tree protectors or within plastic or metal-mesh tree protectors. Treatment effects were statistically evaluated on herbivory, survival, leaf water potential, and inflorescence development. Herbivory occurrence was 80% higher in seedlings without protectors. This damage occurred in early spring and was likely caused by ground squirrels. Most plants recovered, but herbivory was associated with higher mortality during the summer when seedlings experienced water potentials between −2.5 and −7 MPa. However, there were no differences in water potential between treatments, suggesting that the browsed plants were less tolerant of the low water potentials experienced. Twenty months after outplanting, the survival of plants without protectors was 40 to 60% lower than those with protectors. The percentage of live plants developing inflorescences was approximately threefold higher in plants with protectors. Overall, spring herbivory amplified susceptibility to drought and delayed reproductive development.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Herbivory Amplifies Adverse Effects of Drought on Seedling Recruitment in a Keystone Species of Western North American Rangelands

Geisler

Buerki

Serpe

2022

Plants

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“…The sagebrush steppe ecosystem covers approximately 43 million ha in the arid and semiarid western United States [1]. It provides essential ecosystem services, including wildlife habitat, forage provisioning for wildlife and livestock [2][3][4], water provisioning [5,6], carbon sequestration [7,8], and a favorable environment for a diverse set of herbaceous plant species [9]. Sagebrush plants are known for their ability to survive in water-limited conditions by physiological adaptation [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Different sagebrush subspecies can exhibit substantial differences in water uptake. A study by Sharma et al [5] showed that Artemisia tridentata subsp. vaseyana transpired nearly four times more water than Artemisia tridentata subsp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Uptake by Mountain Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. vaseyana) and Environmental Variables Affecting Water Availability in Semiarid Rangeland Ecosystems

Ochoa,

Abdallah,

Gómez

2024

Hydrology

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The sagebrush steppe ecosystem plays a critical role in water cycling in arid and semiarid landscapes of the western United States; yet, there is limited information regarding individual sagebrush plant water uptake. We used the stem heat balance (SHB) method to measure transpiration in mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. vaseyana) plants in a semiarid rangeland ecosystem in central Oregon, Pacific Northwest Region, USA. We evaluated the relationship between sagebrush transpiration and environmental factors from July 2022 to May 2023 for two individual plants representative of the average sagebrush stand height and crown width at the study site; transpiration rates varied by plant and by season. This study encompassed one below-average (2022; 278 mm) and one above-average (2023; 414 mm) precipitation years. Study results showed that the average water use during the entire period of study was 2.1 L d−1 for Plant 1 and 5.0 L d−1 for Plant 2. During the dry year, maximum transpiration was observed during the summer (Plant 1 = 4.8 L d−1; Plant 2 = 11.1 L d−1). For the wet year, both plants showed maximum transpiration levels at the end of the recording period in mid-May (Plant 1 = 9.6 L d−1; Plant 2 = 8.6 L d−1). The highest seasonal transpiration of both plants occurred in summer (2.87 L d−1), whereas the lowest transpiration was obtained in winter (0.21 L d−1). For all seasons but winter, soil moisture (SM), soil temperature (ST), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) variables generally showed positive correlations with transpiration. Transpiration rates decreased in the summer of 2022 as the surface soil gradually dried. The two plants’ most significant water uptake differences were obtained during the dry year. It is possible that the larger stem diameter of plant 2 may have contributed to its higher transpiration rates during times of limited water availability. The study results add to the understanding of water use by sagebrush and its potential impact on the water balance of cool-climate rangeland ecosystems. The findings also highlight the sensitivity of sagebrush to variations in seasonal soil moisture availability, soil temperature, and vapor pressure deficit. Future research should involve studying the combined effects of water use by various dominant vegetation species and its effects on the water budget at the watershed scale.

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“…Big sagebrush is an ideal system to study thermal dynamics and adaptive capacity, with subspecies and populations adapted to different temperature and moisture regimes across the western United States (Miller et al., 2011). Big sagebrush subspecies and cytotypes differ considerably in their eco‐physiological drought tolerance levels (Germino et al., 2019; Kolb & Sperry, 1999), minimum temperatures (Brabec et al., 2017; Lazarus et al., 2019), growth and fecundity (Richardson et al., 2021; Zaiats et al., 2021), density and size of stomata and trichomes (Downs & Black, 1999), and drought response strategies (Sharma et al., 2020). Associated with genetic and physiological differences, sagebrush subspecies are distinct in stature, leaf, and crown physical characteristics (Barker & McKell, 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because radiative heat from the soil during the day is highest and convective mixing is lowest closer to the ground, we expected that leaves near the tops of crowns would be cooler than leaves near the bottoms of crowns (Warner, 2004). Additionally, because big sagebrush subspecies have distinct water and stomatal regulation strategies (e.g., Sharma et al., 2020) that during drought may directly affect leaf temperature via evaporative cooling and latent heat loss, we expected that sagebrush types with less stomatal regulation would stay cooler under warmer conditions later in the season. Together, our predictions aim to quantify genetic contributions to variation in plant and leaf temperature and identify how crown structure, solar radiation, subspecies and cytotype relate to dynamics of plant temperature variation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐resolution thermal imagery reveals how interactions between crown structure and genetics shape plant temperature

Olsoy

Zaiats

Delparte

et al. 2023

Remote Sens Ecol Conserv

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Understanding interactions between environmental stress and genetic variation is crucial to predict the adaptive capacity of species to climate change. Leaf temperature is both a driver and a responsive indicator of plant physiological response to thermal stress, and methods to monitor it are needed. Foliar temperatures vary across leaf to canopy scales and are influenced by genetic factors, challenging efforts to map and model this critical variable. Thermal imagery collected using unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) offers an innovative way to measure thermal variation in plants across landscapes at leaf‐level resolutions. We used a UAS equipped with a thermal camera to assess temperature variation among genetically distinct populations of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), a keystone plant species that is the focus of intensive restoration efforts throughout much of western North America. We completed flights across a growing season in a sagebrush common garden to map leaf temperature relative to subspecies and cytotype, physiological phenotypes of plants, and summer heat stress. Our objectives were to (1) determine whether leaf‐level stomatal conductance corresponds with changes in crown temperature; (2) quantify genetic (i.e., subspecies and cytotype) contributions to variation in leaf and crown temperatures; and (3) identify how crown structure, solar radiation, and subspecies‐cytotype relate to leaf‐level temperature. When considered across the whole season, stomatal conductance was negatively, non‐linearly correlated with crown‐level temperature derived from UAS. Subspecies identity best explained crown‐level temperature with no difference observed between cytotypes. However, structural phenotypes and microclimate best explained leaf‐level temperature. These results show how fine‐scale thermal mapping can decouple the contribution of genetic, phenotypic, and microclimate factors on leaf temperature dynamics. As climate‐change‐induced heat stress becomes prevalent, thermal UAS represents a promising way to track plant phenotypes that emerge from gene‐by‐environment interactions.

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Fundamental intra-specific differences in plant–water relations in a widespread desert shrub (Artemisia tridentata)

Cited by 4 publications

References 38 publications

Herbivory Amplifies Adverse Effects of Drought on Seedling Recruitment in a Keystone Species of Western North American Rangelands

Herbivory Amplifies Adverse Effects of Drought on Seedling Recruitment in a Keystone Species of Western North American Rangelands

Water Uptake by Mountain Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. vaseyana) and Environmental Variables Affecting Water Availability in Semiarid Rangeland Ecosystems

High‐resolution thermal imagery reveals how interactions between crown structure and genetics shape plant temperature

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