Contrasting stomatal sensitivity to temperature and soil drought in mature alpine conifers

Conifers growing at high elevations need to optimize their stomatal conductance (g_s) for maximizing photosynthetic yield while minimizing water loss under less favourable thermal conditions. Yet the ability of high‐elevation conifers to adjust their g_s sensitivity to environmental drivers remains largely unexplored. We used 4 years of sap flow measurements to elucidate intraspecific and interspecific variability of g_s in Larix decidua Mill. and Picea abies (L.) Karst along an elevational gradient and contrasting soil moisture conditions. Site‐ and species‐specific g_s response to main environmental drivers were examined, including vapour pressure deficit, air temperature, solar irradiance, and soil water potential. Our results indicate that maximum g_s of L. decidua is >2 times higher, shows a more plastic response to temperature, and down‐regulates g_s stronger during atmospheric drought compared to P. abies. These differences allow L. decidua to exert more efficient water use, adjust to site‐specific thermal conditions, and reduce water loss during drought episodes. The stronger plasticity of g_s sensitivity to temperature and higher conductance of L. decidua compared to P. abies provide new insights into species‐specific water use strategies, which affect species' performance and should be considered when predicting terrestrial water dynamics under future climatic change.     

Exogenous succinic acid mediates responses of Larix olgensis A. Henry to cadmium stress

Abstract

Trace metal contamination of soil is an increasing problem. Organic acid application can restore trace metal elements such as cadmium (Cd) in contaminated soil. Changbai larch (Larix olgensis A. Henry) is an economically important forestry species in northeast China; however, growth is inhibited by severe Cd contamination. We investigated the effects of different concentrations of exogenous succinic acid (SA) on Cd tolerance and physiological and morphological toxicity in L. olgensis seedlings. Seedlings were planted in pots containing Cd-contaminated or uncontaminated Haplic Cambisol. Seedlings in Cd-contaminated soil were treated daily with SA solution at 0, 0.04, 0.2, 1.0, and 2.0?mmol kg^?1 of soil for 10, 20 or 30?days. Cd treatment induced seedling damage and significantly increased the relative conductivity and malondialdehyde content of the leaves, inhibiting soluble protein and proline contents, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activity, chlorophyl fluorescence and pigment content. Decreases in the length, surface area, volume of roots and leaves, and specific root length were also observed. Effects increased in control plants with time. SA treatment also reduced the Cd content of the fine roots and leaves and Mg, K, and Ca contents. Moreover, plant growth was significantly promoted and damage was reversed, especially at 5.0 and 10.0?mmol?L^?1 SA for 30?days. SA therefore alleviated Cd-induced injury, improving tolerance to Cd stress. SA application combined with afforestation could therefore help restore Cd-contaminated soil in northeast China. Further studies aimed at determining the detoxification mechanism of L. olgensis seedlings are now required.     

Soil warming alters microbial substrate use in alpine soils

Will warming lead to an increased use of older soil organic carbon (SOC) by microbial communities, thereby inducing C losses from C‐rich alpine soils? We studied soil microbial community composition, activity, and substrate use after 3 and 4 years of soil warming (+4 °C, 2007–2010) at the alpine treeline in Switzerland. The warming experiment was nested in a free air CO₂ enrichment experiment using depleted ¹³CO₂ (δ¹³C = ?30‰, 2001–2009). We traced this depleted ¹³C label in phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) of the organic layer (0–5 cm soil depth) and in C mineralized from root‐free soils to distinguish substrate ages used by soil microorganisms: fixed before 2001 (‘old’), from 2001 to 2009 (‘new’) or in 2010 (‘recent’). Warming induced a sustained stimulation of soil respiration (+38%) without decline in mineralizable SOC. PLFA concentrations did not reveal changes in microbial community composition due to soil warming, but soil microbial metabolic activity was stimulated (+66%). Warming decreased the amount of new and recent C in the fungal biomarker 18:2ω6,9 and the amount of new C mineralized from root‐free soils, implying a shift in microbial substrate use toward a greater use of old SOC. This shift in substrate use could indicate an imbalance between C inputs and outputs, which could eventually decrease SOC storage in this alpine ecosystem.     

帽儿山地区兴安落叶松人工林树木年轮气候学研究

通过帽儿山兴安落叶松（Larix gmelinii）人工林树木年轮样本和气象资料,对该地区兴安落叶松进行了树木年轮气候学研究,结果表明：过去50年年均温度上升达到了显著水平（p<0.05）,平均温度每10年约上升0.4℃,年平均最高气温每10年约上升0.3℃,年平均最低气温每10年约上升0.5℃,但是年降水量随着年份变化不显著（p>0.05）。从月均温度来看,所有月份均出现明显上升趋势,其中冬季2月份温度上升最为明显,达到0.9~1℃/10年,而夏季（6~8月）上升的较小,达到0.2~0.7℃/10年;多数月份降雨量随年龄变化不显著（p>0.05）。在这一气候变暖过程中,早材及总年轮宽度生长随着夏季（6~7月）温度上升而下降,春季(5月)温度的升高而升高,晚材随着秋季（9月）温度上升而增加,导致在年水平上,年轮生长随着年均温的变化不显著（p>0.05）。降雨量在未来气候变化过程中,没有稳定的变化趋势,但是对年轮影响明显,在年水平上,早材与年轮的生长均受降水量的影响较大(p<0.05)。如果未来东北地区气候变暖趋势明显,而降水量变化不明显,春季和秋季温度升高导致的年轮生长增加会被夏季过高温度抑制年轮生长所抵消,因此,落叶松林径向生长受到的影响可能不大。     

气候暖化对解冻期不同纬度兴安落叶松林土壤氧化亚氮释放的影响

春季解冻期北方森林土壤释放出大量的N₂O,是大气温室气体的主要来源之一.本研究将分布于塔河(52°31′ N)、松岭(50°43′ N)、孙吴（49°13′ N）和带岭（47°05′ N）4个纬度上林分状况相似的兴安落叶松林样地（包括幼树、地被物和A、B层土壤）移置至其自然分布区南缘,模拟气候暖化,分析春季解冻期土壤N2O通量的时间动态及其影响因子.结果表明：各处理的土壤N2O释放高峰均出现在解冻中后期.带岭、孙吴、松岭和塔河样地土壤解冻期的土壤N₂O平均通量分别为（66.5±9.3）、（54.3±5.6）、（44.3±5.3）和（33.5±3.7） μg·m^-2·h^-1;土壤N₂O通量与5 cm土壤温度和0～10 cm土壤微生物生物量碳呈显著正相关,但与土壤含水率的相关性不显著.解冻期4个处理的土壤N₂O释放差异显著,其平均通量和累积释放量均随纬度升高而下降.这种差异主要是由于不同纬度土壤的微生物活性和土壤物理性质的差异引起的.     

太白红杉林斑块结构与群落特征

根据森林循环理论, 森林群落的动态是处于不同发育阶段的镶嵌系统。通过调查太白山亚高山针叶林带太白红杉 (Larix chinensis) 林的结构, 确定出4种斑块阶段 (林窗阶段、建立阶段、成熟阶段和衰退阶段), 研究了森林斑块动态变化和生物多样性变化规律, 并测定分析了不同斑块类型内光照和温度的日变化规律。结果表明:1) 群落内不同斑块类型的比例分别是:林窗阶段40.3%, 建立阶段34.0%, 成熟阶段17.2%, 退化阶段8.5%。2) 不同斑块类型内, 环境因子 (光照和温度等) 的日变化差异明显。其中, 在林窗阶段的光照强度和土壤表面温度要比其他3个阶段变化更大。3) 森林循环过程中, 不同高度和不同径级个体的密度存在着明显差异。4) 平均胸径、高度和平均基面积、个体平均体积和立地材积均随着森林的循环而增加。5) 森林循环过程中, 生物多样性的变化为波形的。运用自然干扰与斑块动态理论, 解释了太白红杉林循环过程中不同斑块之间生物多样性存在差异的可能原因。     

13CO2 pulse-labelling of photoassimilates reveals carbon allocation within and between tree rings

Post-photosynthetic fractionation processes during translocation, storage and remobilization of photoassimilate are closely related to intra-annual sigma13C of tree rings, and understanding how these processes affect tree-ring sigma13C is therefore indispensable for improving the quality of climate reconstruction. Our first objective was to study the relationship between translocation path and phloem grain. We pulse-labelled a branch of Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Rupr. and later analysed the sigma13C distribution in the stem. A 13C spiral translocation path closely related to the spiral grain was observed. Our second objective was to study the use of remobilized storage material for earlywood formation in spring, which is a suspected cause of the autocorrelation (correlation of ring parameters to the climate in the previous year) observed in (isotope) dendroclimatology. We pulse-labelled whole trees to study how spring, summer and autumn photoassimilate is later used for both earlywood and latewood formation. Analysis of intra-annual sigma13C of the tree rings formed after the labelling revealed that earlywood contained photoassimilate from the previous summer and autumn as well as from the current spring. Latewood was mainly composed of photoassimilate from the current year's summer/autumn, although it also relied on stored material in some cases. These results emphasize the need for separating earlywood and latewood for climate reconstruction work with narrow boreal tree rings.     

太白红杉单木胸径生长模型的研究

通过比较分析4种有代表性的植物竞争指数的预测效果,选择较合适的指标构建太白红杉(Larix chinensis)的单木生长模型.研究结果表明:包含对象木胸径、竞争木胸径及对象木与竞争木距离的APA指数能客观反映太白红杉群落植株间的竞争关系;以近2年内胸径相对生长速率为因变量,自身胸径大小和竞争强度为自变量,通过回归分析建立的太白红杉单木生长模型具有较高的回归优度(r＝0.916,P<0.05),表明该模型能很好地预测太白红杉的生长.     

Landscape history in the subalpine karst region of Moncodeno (Lombardy Prealps, Northern Italy)

In situ larch stumps have been found above the present forest line in the karst region of Moncodeno, Grigna Settentrionale, northern Italy, an area where very few trees currently grow. Samples from living trees at the treeline and in the forest nearby were collected to develop a reference chronology for cross-dating the stumps. The latter span the period between 1218 and 1900, and together with the living trees, which cover the last 150 years, they have led to the development of a 784-year larch tree-ring chronology (1218–2001). Age and location of the stumps reflect past human activity. Deforestation and grazing have intensified the erosion processes in the area. The soil has thinned out and fragmented allowing karst landforms, previously buried by the soil, to emerge. Presently, the rocky outcrops limit the establishment of young larches so that only few scattered trees are currently found.