Prior exposure to freezing stress enhances the survival and recovery of <i>Poa pratensis</i> exposed to severe drought

Kong, Ricky S.; Henry, Hugh A. L.

doi:10.3732/ajb.1600176

Cited by 16 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…More lignified tissues were also found in grasses species with greater embolism resistance (Lens et al., ). As Kong and Henry () demonstrated that prior exposure to freezing stress enhanced Poa pratensis drought survival, some trait values are likely to benefit tolerance to both types of dehydration stresses. Our results showed that Mediterranean populations, which expressed summer dormancy, always had narrower leaves than other origins of D. glomerata , together with a high leaf dry matter content, that is traits values that have been previously mentioned as drought‐adaptive (Bartlett, Scoffoni, & Sack, ; Meng et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a consequence, plants express variable trait values adapted to fluctuating biotic factors (Fajardo & Siefert, ; McKown, Guy, Azam, Drewes, & Quamme, ). For example, the accumulation of tiller base fructans was associated with both higher drought and higher frost survival (Kong & Henry, ; Sanada et al., ; Volaire et al., ) as it allows cells membrane stabilization (Livingston, Hincha, & Heyer, ; Vereyken, Chupin, Hoekstra, Smeekens, & De Kruijff, ). This accumulation occurs during late spring in drought‐adapted populations to improve summer drought survival, whereas Nordic populations adapted to freezing climatic conditions accumulate fructans in autumn (Østrem, Rapacz, Jørgensen, & Höglind, ; Sanada et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As an adaptation to seasonal harsh conditions, plant dormancy may occur in winter when and where frost is threatening, or in summer under hot, dry climates (Gillespie & Volaire, 2017). Interestingly, frost and summer drought may lead to similar plant stress responses as both cause cellular dehydration (Kong & Henry, 2016). In both cases, a higher investment in protective compounds or structures (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental evaluation of the robustness of the growth–stress tolerance trade‐off within the perennial grass Dactylis glomerata

et al. 2018

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A core tenet of functional ecology is that the vast phenotypic diversity observed in the plant kingdom could be partly generated by a trade‐off between the ability of plants to grow quickly and acquire resources in rich environments vs. the ability to conserve resources and avoid mortality under stress. However, experimental demonstrations remain scarce and potentially blurred by phylogenetic constraints in cross‐species analyses. Here, we experimentally decoupled growth potential and stress survival by applying an off‐season stress on contrasting populations of the perennial grass Dactylis glomerata exhibiting a range of seasonal dormancy. Seventeen populations of D. glomerata, originating from a latitudinal gradient from Norway to Morocco, were subjected to three types of dehydration stress: winter frost in Norway, and summer drought and early spring (off‐season) drought stress in the south of France. Growth rate and two leaf traits (leaf width and leaf dry matter content) suspected to be involved in the adaptation to dehydration stress were monitored under optimal conditions. We quantified plant dehydration survival as the amount of plant recovery after a severe stress. Nordic populations were found to be winter‐dormant. Winter‐ and summer‐dormant populations better survived frost and summer drought, respectively. However, no trade‐off between growth potential and dehydration survival was detected in non‐dormant plants in early spring when dehydration occurred unseasonably for all populations. Furthermore, Mediterranean populations better survived an early spring drought. Our results highlight the importance of assessing plant growth potential as a response to seasonal environmental cues. They suggest that growth potential and stress survival trade off when plants exhibit seasonal dormancy but can be functionally independent at other seasons. Consequently, the growth–stress survival relationship could be better described as a dynamic linkage rather than a constant and general trade‐off. Moreover, leaf trait values, such as thinner and more lignified leaves reflecting drought adaptation, may have contributed to the improved drought‐stress survival without resulting in a cost to growth. Further exploration of the growth–stress survival relationship should permit deciphering the suite of plant traits and trait covariations involved in plants’ responses to increasing stress. A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13112/suppinfo is available for this article.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental evaluation of the robustness of the growth–stress tolerance trade‐off within the perennial grass Dactylis glomerata

et al. 2018

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“…Drought tolerance in plants can be positively correlated with freezing tolerance (Cloutier and Siminovitch, ; Blödner et al., ), and drought‐freeze interactions (where prior drought exposure increases subsequent freezing tolerance) can significantly alter plant physiological responses (Hoffman et al., ) and growth (Kreyling et al., ). Likewise, freeze‐drought interactions (where prior freezing increases subsequent drought tolerance) also can impact plant physiology (Horváth et al., ; Grudkowska and Zagdanska, ; Hossain et al., ) and plant growth (Kong and Henry, ). Collectively, these responses have been described as cross acclimation or stress memory (Walter et al., ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When the order of the stressors is switched, and plants are exposed to drought immediately after freezing, there also are higher concentrations of antioxidants when compared to drought‐only plants (Horváth et al., ; Grudkowska and Zagdanska, ; Hossain et al., ). However, prolonged elevation of soluble sugars concentrations after drought was not responsible for increased freezing tolerance in Poa pratensis L. (Kong and Henry, ), nor did the retention of soluble sugars after freezing stress influence drought tolerance in this species (Kong and Henry, ).…”

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confidence: 99%

Interactions of plant growth responses to spring freezing and summer drought: a multispecies comparison

Kong

Henry

2019

American J of Botany

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Premise of the Study Freezing and drought both result in cellular dehydration, and similar physiological responses to these stressors may result in cross acclimation, whereby prior freezing exposure increases subsequent drought tolerance. We examined how spring freezing influences summer drought tolerance for a range of herbaceous old field species: 6 graminoids (Agrostis stolonifera, Arrhenatherum elatius, Bromus inermis, Festuca rubra, Lolium perenne, Poa compressa) and 2 forbs (Plantago lanceolata, Securigera varia), with the goal of examining the generality of cross acclimation responses. Methods We exposed the plants to –5°C in the spring and to a 3‐week summer drought, and harvested the plants after a 3‐week watering/recovery period. We also measured leaf soluble proteins and sugars to explore the potential mechanisms before and during drought stress. Key Results For Agrostis stolonifera, Bromus inermis, Lolium perenne, Plantago lanceolata, and Poa compressa there was evidence of cross acclimation based on aboveground or belowground biomass, with a reduction in the severity of the drought effect for the plants previously exposed to freezing. Freezing and drought effects were additive for Arrhenatherum elatius, and for the remaining two species the test of the freezing‐drought interaction was inconclusive, because significant drought and freezing effects did not co‐occur. When present, freezing‐drought interactions were not correlated with changes in leaf soluble protein or sugars. Conclusions Our results reveal that the phenomenon of freezing‐drought cross acclimation appears to be common in herbaceous species, and variation among species in cross acclimation indicates that multiple stresses could alter relative species abundances in plant communities.

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Extreme cold consistently reduces seedling growth but has species‐specific effects on browse tolerance in summer

Guiden

Connolly

Orrock

2018

American J of Botany

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Premise of the Study Extreme weather events can injure plants, causing decreased survival. However, we may underestimate the ecological importance of extreme events if they have strong sublethal effects that manifest after several months. We tested the hypothesis that late‐winter extreme‐cold events decrease the ability of woody plants to grow and tolerate stem removal in summer. Methods Seedlings from four temperate tree species (Abies balsamea, Pinus resinosa, P. strobus, Quercus rubra) were acclimated to winter conditions in growth chambers, and experienced 1 week of warm temperatures before being exposed to one of three 24‐h extreme‐cold events (minimum temperature: 8°C control, −8°C, or −16°C). Seedlings were then transferred to a greenhouse where we monitored survival and growth. Three months after the extreme‐cold event, we mimicked an herbivore attack by removing either 25% or 75% of new stem growth from seedlings of two species (P. resinosa, Q. rubra). Key Results While extreme cold had no immediate effect on seedling survival, the coldest temperature treatment reduced stem growth 51% relative to controls. Stem removal decreased P. resinosa survival in the −16°C treatment, but stem removal treatment had no effect on P. resinosa survival in the intermediate −8°C treatment or 8°C control. Stem removal did not alter Q. rubra survival. Conclusions Ephemeral late‐winter cold temperatures can have unappreciated effects on growing‐season seedling dynamics, including growth and herbivory. For predicting how extreme‐cold events might alter large‐scale patterns of tree distribution, seedlings should be monitored throughout the growing season following extreme late‐winter frosts.

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Prior exposure to freezing stress enhances the survival and recovery of Poa pratensis exposed to severe drought

Cited by 16 publications

References 41 publications

Experimental evaluation of the robustness of the growth–stress tolerance trade‐off within the perennial grass Dactylis glomerata

Experimental evaluation of the robustness of the growth–stress tolerance trade‐off within the perennial grass Dactylis glomerata

Interactions of plant growth responses to spring freezing and summer drought: a multispecies comparison

Extreme cold consistently reduces seedling growth but has species‐specific effects on browse tolerance in summer

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