The admixture of Quercus sp. in Pinus sylvestris stands influences wood anatomical trait responses to climatic variability and drought events

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Giulia Silvia Giberti - , Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Author)
  • Georg von Arx - , Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, University of Bern (Author)
  • Alessio Giovannelli - , National Research Council of Italy, National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) (Author)
  • Ben du Toit - , University of Stellenbosch (Author)
  • Lucrezia Unterholzner - , Chair of Forest Growth and Woody Biomass Production, University of Padua (Author)
  • Kamil Bielak - , Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Author)
  • Marco Carrer - , University of Padua (Author)
  • Enno Uhl - , Technical University of Munich, Bavarian State Institute of Forestry (Author)
  • Felipe Bravo - , University of Valladolid (Author)
  • Giustino Tonon - , Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Author)
  • Camilla Wellstein - , Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Author)

Abstract

Introduction: Forests are threatened by increasingly severe and more frequent drought events worldwide. Mono-specific forests, developed as a consequence of widespread management practices established early last century, seem particularly susceptible to global warming and drought compared with mixed-species forests. Although, in several contexts, mixed-species forests display higher species diversity, higher productivity, and higher resilience, previous studies highlighted contrasting findings, with not only many positive but also neutral or negative effects on tree performance that could be related to tree species diversity. Processes underlying this relationship need to be investigated. Wood anatomical traits are informative proxies of tree functioning, and they can potentially provide novel long-term insights in this regard. However, wood anatomical traits are critically understudied in such a context. Here, we assess the role of tree admixture on Pinus sylvestris L. xylem traits such as mean hydraulic diameter, cell wall thickness, and anatomical wood density, and we test the variability of these traits in response to climatic parameters such as temperature, precipitation, and drought event frequency and intensity. Methods: Three monocultural plots of P. sylvestris and three mixed-stand plots of P. sylvestris and Quercus sp. were identified in Poland and Spain, representing Continental and Mediterranean climate types, respectively. In each plot, we analyzed xylem traits from three P. sylvestris trees, for a total of nine trees in monocultures and nine in mixed stands per study location. Results: The results highlighted that anatomical wood density was one of the most sensitive traits to detect tree responses to climatic conditions and drought under different climate and forest types. Inter-specific facilitation mechanisms were detected in the admixture between P. sylvestris and Quercus sp., especially during the early growing season and during stressful events such as spring droughts, although they had negligible effects in the late growing season. Discussion: Our findings suggest that the admixture between P. sylvestris and Quercus sp. increases the resilience of P. sylvestris to extreme droughts. In a global warming scenario, this admixture could represent a useful adaptive management option.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number1213814
JournalFrontiers in plant science
Volume14
Publication statusPublished - 2023
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • climate change, drought, inter-specific facilitation, mixed forest, Pinus sylvestris, quantitative wood anatomy