title: Hydraulic adjustment of Scots pine across Europe.
abstract: * 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.
authors.affiliation: CREAF/Ecology Unit, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra E-08193, Barcelona, Spain.|School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JN, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez-Vilalta
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR 547 PIAF, F-63100 Clermont-Ferrand, France.|Université Blaise Pascal, UMR 547 PIAF, F-63177, Aubière, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cochard
authors.affiliation: School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JN, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mencuccini
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecosystem Studies, Wageningen University and Research Centre, PO 47, NL-6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sterck
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herrero
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, PO Box 64, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J F J
authors.initials: JFJ
authors.lastname: Korhonen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Llorens
authors.affiliation: Department of Forest Ecology, PO Box 24, FI-00014 Univesity of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nikinmaa
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Scienze dei Sistemi Colturali, Forestali e dell'Ambiente, Università della Basilicata, I-851000, Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nolè
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecosystem Science, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poyatos
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Scienze dei Sistemi Colturali, Forestali e dell'Ambiente, Università della Basilicata, I-851000, Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ripullone
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecosystem Studies, Wageningen University and Research Centre, PO 47, NL-6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sass-Klaassen
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zweifel
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D014867:Water; D009584:Nitrogen
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