scholarly journals Root Growth Dynamics and Structure in Seedlings of Four Shade Tolerant Mediterranean Species Grown under Moderate and Low Light

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1540
Author(s):  
José L. García-Pérez ◽  
Juan A. Oliet ◽  
Pedro Villar-Salvador ◽  
Jorge Eduardo Guzmán
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Specific Leaf Area ◽  
Growth Dynamics ◽  
Light Level ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Deciduous Trees ◽  
Planted Forests ◽  
Sorbus Torminalis ◽  
Growth Differences

Specific functional traits such as shade tolerance or leaf habits can enhance root growth dynamics and structure of planted seedlings in the understory of planted forests. We assessed how low and moderate light levels (17 and 33% of full sunlight, mimicking after-thinning stocking) affect the root growth dynamics and structure of four late successional trees, three deciduous (Acer monspessulanum L., Quercus pyrenaica Willd and Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz) and one evergreen (Quercus ilex L.) species. Rooting depth, dynamics and structure were mainly explained by species functional differences. Roots of deciduous trees elongated faster and deeper and were larger than the roots of the evergreen Q. ilex. Among deciduous trees, S. torminalis had the lowest root growth. Specific leaf area and nutrient concentration were positively related to root growth, highlighting the importance of traits related to the plant economic spectrum, as determinants of species root growth differences. Moderate light level slightly enhanced root growth and decreased the specific leaf area (SLA). Species differences in water potential under drought were positively related to rooting depth, evidencing the importance of its role in overcoming drought stress during seedling establishment. These findings can guide the selection of late successional, shade tolerant tree species for underplanting thinned Mediterranean plantations and provide insights into their ecology.

Influence of container nursery regimes on drought resistance of seedlings following planting. II. Stomatal conductance, specific leaf area, and root growth capacity

1991 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 566-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. van den Driessche
Keyword(s):  
Stomatal Conductance ◽  
Root Growth ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Specific Leaf Area ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Temperature Treatment ◽  
Drought Treatment ◽  
Growth Capacity ◽  
Root Growth Capacity

Seedlings of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco), lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta Dougl.), and white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) were grown in a container nursery from February to July 1988 and then exposed to three temperatures and three levels of drought stress applied factorially during mid-July to October 1988. Seedlings were retained in a shelter house until January 1989, when they were cold-stored until early May. Measurements of stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E), and specific leaf area (SLA) were made at the end of the treatment period in September 1988 and again after growth the following year at the end of June. Root growth capacity (RGC) was tested in early May 1989. Results were considered in conjunction with performance of other samples of the same plants that had been planted in sand beds in April 1989, where irrigation was regulated to provide three levels of moisture stress. Low temperature (13 °C) generally reduced gs and E, which were adjusted for xylem pressure potential, and SLA in all species by the time nursery treatment was completed at the end of September. No effect of nursery temperature treatment on gs and E could be detected when new needles were measured in June and July (after 9 to 12 weeks of growth), but SLA of lodgepole pine increased with nursery temperature treatment, and SLA of white spruce decreased with nursery temperature treatment. RGC was higher for the 13 °C treatment than for the 16 and 20 °C treatments. Survival of outplanted seedlings was mainly inversely related to nursery temperature. Low nursery temperature reduced gs, E, and SLA and increased RGC. SLA of planted lodgepole pine increased with level of nursery drought treatment, and severe nursery drought increased gs under stress, when measured in June. No other effects of drought were detected, although drought treatment was effective in increasing survival of planted seedlings.

scholarly journals El Niño-Southern Oscillation affects the water relations of tree species in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Palomo-Kumul ◽  
Mirna Valdez-Hernández ◽  
Gerald A. Islebe ◽  
Manuel J. Cach-Pérez ◽  
José Luis Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Water Potential ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Specific Leaf Area ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Deciduous Species ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests ◽  
Dry Tropical Forests

AbstractWe evaluated the effect of ENSO 2015/16 on the water relations of eight tree species in seasonally dry tropical forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The functional traits: wood density, relative water content in wood, xylem water potential and specific leaf area were recorded during the rainy season and compared in three consecutive years: 2015 (pre-ENSO conditions), 2016 (ENSO conditions) and 2017 (post-ENSO conditions). We analyzed tree size on the capacity to respond to water deficit, considering young and mature trees, and if this response is distinctive in species with different leaf patterns in seasonally dry tropical forests distributed along a precipitation gradient (700–1200 mm year−1). These traits showed a strong decrease in all species in response to water stress in 2016, mainly in the driest site. Deciduous species had lower wood density, higher predawn water potential and higher specific leaf area than evergreen species. In all cases, mature trees were more tolerant to drought. In the driest site, there was a significant reduction in water status, regardless of their leaf phenology, indicating that seasonally dry tropical forests are highly vulnerable to ENSO. Vulnerability of deciduous species is intensified in the driest areas and in the youngest trees.

scholarly journals Divergent long- and short-term responses to environmental gradients in specific leaf area of grassland species

2021 ◽  
Vol 130 ◽  
pp. 108058
Author(s):  
Zhaogang Liu ◽  
Ning Dong ◽  
Hongxiang Zhang ◽  
Ming Zhao ◽  
Tingting Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Specific Leaf Area ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Grassland Species

Effects of cuticular wax content and specific leaf area on accumulation and partition of PAHs in different tissues of wheat leaf

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (15) ◽  
pp. 18793-18802
Author(s):  
Jinfeng Wang ◽  
Huanyu Bao ◽  
He Zhang ◽  
Jiao Li ◽  
Huachang Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Specific Leaf Area ◽  
Cuticular Wax ◽  
Wheat Leaf ◽  
Wax Content ◽  
Different Tissues

How forests change transit times of transpiration, evaporation and streamflow – a modeling approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingo Heidbüchel ◽  
Jie Yang ◽  
Jan H. Fleckenstein
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area Index ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Water Fluxes ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Transit Times ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
The Individual

<p>In a recent paper we investigated how different catchment and climate properties influence transit time distributions. This was done by employing a physically-based spatially explicit 3D model in a virtual catchment running many different scenarios with different combinations of catchment and climate properties. We found that the velocity distribution of water fluxes through a catchment is more sensitive to certain properties while other factors appear less relevant. Now we expanded the approach by adding vegetation to the model and thus introducing new hydrologic processes (transpiration and evaporation) to the simulated water cycle. On the one hand we wanted to know how these new processes would influence transit times of the water fluxes to the stream, on the other hand we were interested in how exactly differences in the vegetation itself (e.g. rooting depth and leaf area index) would alter the various flux velocities (including transit times of transpiration and evaporation). It was very interesting to observe that streamflow in forested areas appeared to become older on average. We also found that transpiration was generally younger if the vegetation had shallower roots and/or a larger leaf area index. The biggest difference in the age of evaporation was detected for different amounts of subsequent precipitation (evaporation was generally younger in a wetter climate). In conclusion, we found that forests influence the age of the different water fluxes within a catchment. According to our results the overall hydrologic cycle is decelerated when adding vegetation to a model that otherwise only simulates evaporation.</p><p>Still, in order to make meaningful predictions on the age of hydrologic fluxes, it is not constructive to single out specific catchment and climate properties. The multitude of influences from different parameters makes it very challenging to find rules and underlying principles in the integrated catchment response. Therefore it is necessary to look at the individual parameters and their potential interactions and interdependencies in a bottom-up approach.</p>

Central composite design-based analysis of specific leaf area and related agronomic factors in cultivars of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

2009 ◽  
Vol 111 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 92-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiefang Liu ◽  
Chunlei Zhang ◽  
Guangsheng Yang ◽  
Jiangsheng Wu ◽  
Guosheng Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brassica Napus ◽  
Central Composite Design ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Specific Leaf Area ◽  
Brassica Napus L ◽  
Central Composite
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document