Impact of climate change, seedling type and provenance on the risk of damage to Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings in Sweden due to early summer frosts

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S11) ◽  
pp. 56-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ola Langvall
Author(s):  
Xenia Hao-Yi Yeoh ◽  
Blessing Durodola ◽  
Kathrin Blumenstein ◽  
Eeva Terhonen

The major threats to the sustainable supply of forest tree products are adverse climate, pests and diseases. Climate change, exemplified by increased drought, poses a unique threat to global forest health. This is attributed to the unpredictable behavior of forest pathosystems, which can favor fungal pathogens over the host under persistent drought stress conditions in the future. Currently, the effects of drought on tree resistance against pathogens are hypothetical, thus research is needed to identify these correlations. Norway spruce (Picea abies) is one of the most economically important tree species in Europe, and is considered highly vulnerable to changes in climate. Dedicated experiments to investigate how disturbances will affect the Norway spruce - Heterobasidion sp. pathosystem are important, in order to develop different strategies to limit the spread of H. annosum s.l. under the predicted climate change. Here, we report a transcriptional study to compare Norway spruce gene expressions to evaluate the effects of water availability and the infection of Heterobasidion parviporum. We performed inoculation studies of three-year-old saplings in a greenhouse (purchased from a nursery). Norway spruce saplings were treated in either high (+) or low (-) water groups: high water group received double the water amount than the low water group. RNA was extracted and sequenced. Similarly, we quantified gene expression levels of candidate genes in biotic stress and jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathways using qRT-PCR, through which we discovered a unique preferential defense response of H. parviporum-infected Norway spruce under drought stress at the molecular level. Disturbances related to water availability, especially low water conditions can have negative effects on the tree host and benefit the infection ability of the pathogens in the host. From our RNA-seq analysis, 114 differentially expressed gene regions were identified between high (+) and low (-) water groups under pathogen attack. None of these gene pathways were identified to be differentially expressed from both non-treated and mock-control treatments between high (+) and low (-) water groups. Finally, only four genes were found to be associated with drought in all treatments.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Oskars Krisans ◽  

Climate change causes gradual decline of economic value of Norway spruce forestry except in boreal and hemiboreal forest zones that will remain suitable for this tree species. However, also in this region frequency and scale of damages caused by natural disturbances (abiotic and biotic factors) are expected to increase. Norway spruce will remain its economic significance and role in carbon sequestration in Latvia, if forest management practices will be changed to prevent or minimize the damages caused by natural disturbances. Information on effect of natural disturbances and their interactions on trees is vital for development of recommendations for adaptation of forestry to climate change. The aim of the thesis is to assess the effect of root rot and bark-stripping on possibility of wind induced damages in Norway spruce stands. Tree mechanical stability was primarily determined by its stem volume; however, the presence of damages, caused by biotic agents, such as root rot and bark-stripping, significantly reduced it. Morphometric parameters of Norway spruce stem and root plate differed significantly between stands on drained peat and mineral soils. Root-rot notably and significantly affected mechanical stability of trees regardless of soil type and volume of root-soil plate, resulting in similar reduction of wind load necessary to cause both primary and secondary failure. Consequences of bark-stripping primarily affected root-soil anchorage, more commonly causing uprooting than stem fracture. Most pronounced was reduction of resistance against primary failure. Changing wind climate, high population density of cervids and presence of root-rot will lead to increased risk of damages caused by (repeated) storms and subsequent legacy effects. The survival of forest stands depends on dimensions of trees and exposure time to different damaging agents, and, at current climate and silvicultural practice, was significantly reduced when transitioning into third age class (41-60 years). Targeted forestry, ensuring planting of improved material, lower initial density, timely precommercial thinning and thus ensuring faster reach of the tree dimension required for final harvest will reduce the time when stands are subjected to significant wind damage risk, thus minimizing the possibility of such disturbance and boosting value of Norway spruce stands.


2020 ◽  
Vol 291 ◽  
pp. 108040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgeta MIHAI ◽  
Maria TEODOSIU ◽  
Marius-Victor BIRSAN ◽  
Alin-Madalin ALEXANDRU ◽  
Ionel MIRANCEA ◽  
...  

Silva Fennica ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Čermák ◽  
Michal Rybníček ◽  
Tomáš Žid ◽  
Kjell Andreassen ◽  
Isabella Børja ◽  
...  

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1379
Author(s):  
Xenia Hao-Yi Yeoh ◽  
Blessing Durodola ◽  
Kathrin Blumenstein ◽  
Eeva Terhonen

The major threats to the sustainable supply of forest tree products are adverse climate, pests and diseases. Climate change, exemplified by increased drought, poses a unique threat to global forest health. This is attributed to the unpredictable behavior of forest pathosystems, which can favor fungal pathogens over the host under persistent drought stress conditions in the future. Currently, the effects of drought on tree resistance against pathogens are hypothetical, thus research is needed to identify these correlations. Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) is one of the most economically important tree species in Europe and is considered highly vulnerable to changes in climate. Dedicated experiments to investigate how disturbances will affect the Norway spruce—Heterobasidion sp. pathosystem are important, in order to develop different strategies to limit the spread of H. annosum s.l. under the predicted climate change. Here, we report a transcriptional study to compare Norway spruce gene expressions to evaluate the effects of water availability and the infection of Heterobasidion parviporum. We performed inoculation studies of three-year-old saplings in a greenhouse (purchased from a nursery). Norway spruce saplings were treated in either high (+) or low (−) water groups: high water group received double the water amount than the low water group. RNA was extracted and sequenced. Similarly, we quantified gene expression levels of candidate genes in biotic stress and jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathways using qRT-PCR, through which we discovered a unique preferential defense response of H. parviporum-infected Norway spruce under drought stress at the molecular level. Disturbances related to water availability, especially low water conditions can have negative effects on the tree host and benefit the infection ability of the pathogens in the host. From our RNA-seq analysis, 114 differentially expressed gene regions were identified between high (+) and low (−) water groups under pathogen attack. None of these gene pathways were identified to be differentially expressed from both non-treated and mock-control treatments between high (+) and low (−) water groups. Finally, only four genes were found to be associated with drought in all treatments.


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