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Determinants of legacy effects in pine trees – implications from an irrigation‐stop experiment
Author(s) -
Zweifel Roman,
Etzold Sophia,
Sterck Frank,
Gessler Arthur,
Anfodillo Tommaso,
Mencuccini Maurizio,
von Arx Georg,
Lazzarin Martina,
Haeni Matthias,
Feichtinger Linda,
Meusburger Katrin,
Knuesel Simon,
Walthert Lorenz,
Salmon Yann,
Bose Arun K.,
Schoenbeck Leonie,
Hug Christian,
De Girardi Nicolas,
Giuggiola Arnaud,
Schaub Marcus,
Rigling Andreas
Publication year - 2020
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.16582
Subject(s) - scots pine , crown (dentistry) , environmental science , shoot , irrigation , biology , botany , ecology , agronomy , pinus <genus> , medicine , dentistry
Summary Tree responses to altered water availability range from immediate (e.g. stomatal regulation) to delayed (e.g. crown size adjustment). The interplay of the different response times and processes, and their effects on long‐term whole‐tree performance, however, is hardly understood. Here we investigated legacy effects on structures and functions of mature Scots pine in a dry inner‐Alpine Swiss valley after stopping an 11‐yr lasting irrigation treatment. Measured ecophysiological time series were analysed and interpreted with a system‐analytic tree model. We found that the irrigation stop led to a cascade of downregulations of physiological and morphological processes with different response times. Biophysical processes responded within days, whereas needle and shoot lengths, crown transparency, and radial stem growth reached control levels after up to 4 yr only. Modelling suggested that organ and carbon reserve turnover rates play a key role for a tree’s responsiveness to environmental changes. Needle turnover rate was found to be most important to accurately model stem growth dynamics. We conclude that leaf area and its adjustment time to new conditions is the main determinant for radial stem growth of pine trees as the transpiring area needs to be supported by a proportional amount of sapwood, despite the growth‐inhibiting environmental conditions.