Identification of drought‐sensitive beech ecotypes by physiological parameters

Abstract

Summary• The effects of drought on European beech ( Fagus sylvatica ) were assessed in a pot experiment under controlled conditions.• Plants from 11 autochthonous provenances originating from regions in Germany, which differed in annual precipitation, were exposed to a 3-wk drought period in a glasshouse after the first stage of shoot growth had been completed.• Drought reduced the water content to 97% of control in leaves and axes and to 92% in the roots. A strong reduction of predawn water potential in roots and shoots, as well as on transpiration rate, was found. In the roots, the effect on water potential was the same for all provenances, but differences were observed in the shoot water potential. Leaf concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA), proline and sucrose increased in the drought-treated plants compared with the controls.• Two extreme clusters from opposite climatic sites were identified by cluster analysis. A drought-sensitive cluster, originating from regions with high annual precipitation, had low water potential and transpiration rates, as well as high concentrations of fructose, ABA and proline after drought. Water potential and transpiration rates were less affected by drought in the other cluster, which comprised two provenances of relatively dry habitats, and concentrations of hexose, ABA and proline were low.

Drought stress response in wheat: physiological and molecular analysis of resistant and sensitive genotypes

“…According to our data the proline increase parallels RWC decrease. In fact proline accumulation is higher in sensitive genotypes in which RWC values are lower and this is in accordance with the data reported for other species (Sundaresan & Sudhakaran 1995;Ain-Lhout et al 2001;Peuke et al 2002). Nevertheless, the data reported on the role of proline accumulation in conferring tolerance to drought stress are highly controversial and it is still not clear whether or not the increase in proline levels can confer enhanced drought tolerance (de Ronde, Spreeth & Cress 2000;Nayyar & Walia 2003).…”

Plant drought stress: effects, mechanisms and management

“…Transpiration is inhibited by drought, as shown for beech (Peuke et al, 2002), but this may not necessarily affect nutrient uptake in a similar manner. Influence of drought on plant nutrition may also be related to limited availability of energy for assimilation of NO : they must be converted in energy-dependent processes before these ions can be used for growth and development of plants (Grossman and Takahashi, 2001).…”

Genetic Variability of two Fagus sylvatica (L.) Populations in the South-Western Edge of the Panonnian Plain

“…In Central Europe (including Slovenia), beech forests are likely to be threatened because of beech's sensitivity to low water availability (Ellenberg 1996) and longer drought periods (Fotelli et al 2002); and physiological performance, growth and the competitive ability of beech may be adversely affected by such changing climate conditions (Peuke et al 2002, Geßler et al 2007). Moreover, in Slovenia, the situation may be aggravated by the fact that the area of distribution of beech forests includes many sites with shallow limestone-and dolomite-derived soils with low water storage capacity.…”