When density matters

ǂthe ǂspatial balance between early and latewood

Maria Royo-Navascues (Author), Edurne Martinez Del Castillo (Author), Roberto Serrano-Notivoli (Author), Ernesto Tejedor (Author), Klemen Novak (Author), Luis Alberto Longares (Author), Miguel Ángel Saz Sánchez (Author), Martin De Luis (Author)

Abstract

Understanding the influence of the current climate on the distribution, composition, and carbon storage capacity of Mediterranean tree species is key to determining future pathways under a warmer and drier climate scenario. Here, we evaluated the influence of biotic and environmental factors on earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) growth in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.). Our investigation was based on a dense dendrochronological network (71 sites), which covered the entire distribution area of the species in the Iberian Peninsula (around 119.652 km2), and a high-resolution climate dataset of the Western Mediterranean area. We used generalized linear-mixed models to determine the spatial and temporal variations of EW and LW across the species distribution. Our results showed an intense but differentiated climatic influence on both EW and LW growth components. The climatic influence explained significant variations across the environmental gradients in the study area, which suggested an important adaptation through phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation to varying climatic conditions. In addition, we detected a clear spatial trade-off between efficiency and safety strategy in the growth patterns across the species distribution. Additionally, in more productive areas, the trees presented a higher proportion of EW (more efficient to water transport), while, in more xeric conditions, the LW proportion increased (more safety to avoid embolisms), implying an adaptation to more frequent drought episodes and a higher capacity of carbon depletion. We therefore concluded that Mediterranean forests adapted to dryer conditions might be more efficient as carbon reservoirs than forests growing in wetter areas. Finally, we advocated for the need to consider wood density (EW/LW proportion) when modeling current and future forest carbon sequestrations.

Keywords

Iberski pootok;Alepski bor;rani les;kasni les;klimatske lastnosti;prirast;earlywood;latewood;Pinus halepensis;Aleppo pine;dendrochronology;droughts;Iberian Peninsula;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2021
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UL BF - Biotechnical Faculty
UDC:	630*1
COBISS:	67941891
ISSN:	1999-4907
Views:	108
Downloads:	34
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary keywords:	Iberski polotok;alepski bor;rani les;kasni les;klimatske lastnosti;prirast;
Type (COBISS):	Article
Pages:	[17] str.
Volume:	12
Issue:	ǂiss. ǂ7
Chronology:	2021
DOI:	10.3390/f12070818
ID:	15078713