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Towards an advanced assessment of the hydrological vulnerability of forests to climate change‐induced drought
Author(s) -
Klein Tamir,
Yakir Dan,
Buchmann Nina,
Grünzweig José M.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.12548
Subject(s) - biome , climate change , threatened species , vulnerability (computing) , drought tolerance , environmental science , resistance (ecology) , agroforestry , ecology , biology , ecosystem , habitat , agronomy , computer security , computer science
Preserving the integrity of the hydraulic system is crucial for survival of trees under dry conditions (Br eda et al., 2006). Maintaining a hydraulic safety margin (HSM) between the water potential (WP) associated with stomatal closure and the WP associated with cavitation can therefore be an important drought resistance trait in many tree species. Based on a broad survey of HSMs across tree species, it was recently concluded that all forest biomes are similarly and strongly threatened by climate changeinduced drought (Choat et al., 2012). We submit that while the prevalence of narrow HSMs across tree species and climates is remarkable, additional factors must be considered to assess vulnerability of trees and forests to drought, that is, the degree to which they are susceptible to, and unable to cope with, adverse impacts of drought (IPCC, 2007). In fact, such prevalence of narrowHSM is likely a basis, and a trigger, for the development of a range of strategies to cope with this situation in light of the everimminent drought stress. Furthermore, settling for an apparently small HSM alone may slow down research into critical aspects of water-use strategies in trees. For example, the accumulating evidence in recent years for rapid recovery from loss of hydraulic conductivity (Brodersen & McElrone, 2013, and references cited therein) indicates a lesser importance of the HSM and any temporary loss of conductivity than suggested. Here, we briefly review key issues in tree strategies to cope with drought that are critical to consider in addition to HSM, if we are to improve predictions of drought related vulnerability of forests.