Hydraulic adjustment of Scots pine across Europe.
* The variability of branch-level hydraulic properties was assessed across 12 Scots pine populations covering a wide range of environmental conditions, including some of the southernmost populations of the species. The aims were to relate this variability to differences in climate, and to study the potential tradeoffs between traits. * Traits measured included wood density, radial growth, xylem anatomy, sapwood- and leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity (K(S) and K(L)), vulnerability to embolism, leaf-to-sapwood area ratio (A(L) : A(S)), needle carbon isotope discrimination (Delta13C) and nitrogen content, and specific leaf area. * Between-population variability was high for most of the hydraulic traits studied, but it was directly associated with climate dryness (defined as a combination of atmospheric moisture demand and availability) only for A(L) : A(S), K(L) and Delta13C. Shoot radial growth and A(L) : A(S) declined with stand development, which is consistent with a strategy to avoid exceedingly low water potentials as tree size increases. In addition, we did not find evidence at the intraspecific level of some associations between hydraulic traits that have been commonly reported across species. * The adjustment of Scots pine's hydraulic system to local climatic conditions occurred primarily through modifications of A(L) : A(S) and direct stomatal control, whereas intraspecific variation in vulnerability to embolism and leaf physiology appears to be limited.
Martínez-Vilalta
J
J
CREAF/Ecology Unit, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra E-08193, Barcelona, Spain.|School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JN, UK.
Cochard
H
H
INRA, UMR 547 PIAF, F-63100 Clermont-Ferrand, France.|Université Blaise Pascal, UMR 547 PIAF, F-63177, Aubière, France.
Mencuccini
M
M
School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JN, UK.
Sterck
F
F
Centre for Ecosystem Studies, Wageningen University and Research Centre, PO 47, NL-6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Herrero
A
A
Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
Korhonen
J F J
JFJ
Department of Physics, PO Box 64, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Llorens
P
P
Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain.
Nikinmaa
E
E
Department of Forest Ecology, PO Box 24, FI-00014 Univesity of Helsinki, Finland.
Nolè
A
A
Dipartimento Scienze dei Sistemi Colturali, Forestali e dell'Ambiente, Università della Basilicata, I-851000, Potenza, Italy.
Poyatos
R
R
Institute of Ecosystem Science, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
Ripullone
F
F
Dipartimento Scienze dei Sistemi Colturali, Forestali e dell'Ambiente, Università della Basilicata, I-851000, Potenza, Italy.
Sass-Klaassen
U
U
Centre for Ecosystem Studies, Wageningen University and Research Centre, PO 47, NL-6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Zweifel
R
R
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002980:Climate; D003681:Dehydration; D004777:Environment; D014644:Genetic Variation; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D041605:Pinus sylvestris / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D054046:Plant Stomata; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D014867:Water / Q000502:physiology*; D014934:Wood / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D052584:Xylem / Q000033:anatomy & histology
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D014867:Water; D009584:Nitrogen
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