Differences in the leaf functional traits of six beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) populations are reflected in their response to water limitation |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague 12843, Czech Republic;2. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC), Avda. Montañana 10005, Zaragoza 50009, Spain;3. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apdo.1905, Sevilla 41080, Spain;4. EiFAB-iuFOR, Universidad de Valladolid, Campus Duques de Soria, Soria 42004, Spain;5. University of the Basque Country, (UPV), Leioa, Spain;6. University of La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain;7. Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology IMAB, Public University of Navarre, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;8. Department of Agriculture and Forest Engineering (EAGROF), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain;9. Joint Research Unit CTFC – AGROTECNIO, Solsona, Spain;10. CREAF, Bellaterra, Spain;11. Fakulteti i Shkencave Pyjore, Universiteti Bujqësor i Tiranës, Tirana 1029, Albania;12. Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra 3000-456, Portugal;1. Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China;2. Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China;3. Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang Basin Co-founded by Anhui Province and Ministry of Education, School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China;4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China |
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| Abstract: | Patterns of intraspecific variation in functional traits have been widely studied across plant species to find out what general suites of traits provide functional advantage under specific environmental conditions. Much less is known about this variation within tree species and, in particular, about its relationship with performance variables such as photosynthetic rates under water deficit. Nevertheless, this knowledge is fundamental to understand the adaptive potential of drought sensitive tree species to increased aridity as predicted in the context of climate change.Intraspecific variation in photosynthetic performance and other leaf functional traits in response to water availability were examined in a glasshouse experiment using seedlings of six European beech populations. The physiological response of seedlings to a “water stress” treatment was compared to a “control” treatment along an experimental cycle of progressive soil water deficit and recovery. We found evidence of intraspecific variation in beech's photosynthetic performance and other leaf functional traits in response to water availability. We also detected intraspecific variation in leaf-level tolerance of water deficit and phenotypic plasticity to water availability suggesting a pattern shaped by both regional and local scale effects. The Swedish population was particularly sensitive to water deficit, being the only population showing impaired photochemical efficiency under the experimental water deficit. Leaf-level tolerance of water deficit was related to PNUE, but not to other functional traits, such as WUE, SLA or leaf nitrogen content, that have been described to vary across species in adaptation to drought tolerance. Our results support the idea that general trends for variation in functional traits across species do not necessarily reflect a similar pattern when observed at the intraspecific level. The observed functional variation between beech populations reaffirms the importance of local adaptation to water deficit in the context of climate change. |
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