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Rapid hydraulic collapse as cause of drought-induced mortality in conifers.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the vulnerability of trees to drought-induced mortality is key to predicting the fate of forests in a future climate with more frequent and intense droughts, although the underlying mechanisms are difficult to study in adult trees. Here, we explored the dynamic changes of water relations and limits of hydraulic function in dying adults of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) during the progression of the record-breaking 2018 Central European drought. In trees on the trajectory to drought-induced mortality, we observed rapid, nonlinear declines of xylem pressure that commenced at the early onset of xylem cavitation and caused a complete loss of xylem hydraulic conductance within a very short time. We also observed severe depletions of nonstructural carbohydrates, though carbon starvation could be ruled out as the cause of the observed tree death, as both dying and surviving trees showed these metabolic limitations. Our observations provide striking field-based evidence for fast dehydration and hydraulic collapse as the cause of drought-induced mortality in adult Norway spruce. The nonlinear decline of tree water relations suggests that considering the temporal dynamics of dehydration is critical for predicting tree death. The collapse of the hydraulic system within a short time demonstrates that trees can rapidly be pushed out of the zone of hydraulic safety during the progression of a severe drought. In summary, our findings point toward a higher mortality risk for Norway spruce than previously assumed, which is in line with current reports of unprecedented levels of drought-induced mortality in this major European tree species.

SUBMITTER: Arend M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8072240 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Drought-induced tree mortality has been observed worldwide. Nevertheless, the physiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are still being debated. Potted Robinia pseudoacacia and Platycladus orientalis saplings were subjected to drought and their hydraulic failure and carbon starvation responses were studied. They underwent simulated fast drought (FD) and slow drought (SD) until death. The dynamics of their growth, photosynthesis, water relations and carbohydrate concentration were measured. The results showed that during drought, growth and photosynthesis of all saplings were significantly reduced in both species. The predawn water potential in both species was ~ -8 MPa at mortality. The percentage loss of conductivity (PLC) was at a maximum at mortality under both FD and SD. For R. pseudoacacia and P. orientalis, they were >95 and ~45 %, respectively. At complete defoliation, the PLC of R. pseudoacacia was ~90 % but the trees continued to survive for around 46 days. The non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations in the stems and roots of both FD and SD R. pseudoacacia declined to a very low level near death. In contrast, the NSC concentrations in the needles, stems and roots of P. orientalis at mortality under FD did not significantly differ from those of the control, whereas the NSC concentrations in SD P. orientalis stems and roots at death were significantly lower than those of the control. These results suggest that the duration of the drought affected NSC at mortality in P. orientalis. In addition, the differences in NSC between FD and SD P. orientalis did not alter mortality thresholds associated with hydraulic failure. The drought-induced death of R. pseudoacacia occurred at 95 % PLC for both FD and SD, indicating that hydraulic failure played an important role in mortality. Nevertheless, the consistent decline in NSC in R. pseudoacacia saplings following drought-induced defoliation may have also contributed to its mortality.

Project description:Plant hydraulic conductance (k s) is a critical control on whole-plant water use and carbon uptake and, during drought, influences whether plants survive or die. To assess long-term physiological and hydraulic responses of mature trees to water availability, we manipulated ecosystem-scale water availability from 2007 to 2013 in a piñon pine (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniperus monosperma) woodland. We examined the relationship between k s and subsequent mortality using more than 5 years of physiological observations, and the subsequent impact of reduced hydraulic function and mortality on total woody canopy transpiration (E C) and conductance (G C). For both species, we observed significant reductions in plant transpiration (E) and k s under experimentally imposed drought. Conversely, supplemental water additions increased E and k s in both species. Interestingly, both species exhibited similar declines in k s under the imposed drought conditions, despite their differing stomatal responses and mortality patterns during drought. Reduced whole-plant k s also reduced carbon assimilation in both species, as leaf-level stomatal conductance (g s) and net photosynthesis (A n) declined strongly with decreasing k s. Finally, we observed that chronically low whole-plant k s was associated with greater canopy dieback and mortality for both piñon and juniper and that subsequent reductions in woody canopy biomass due to mortality had a significant impact on both daily and annual canopy E C and G C. Our data indicate that significant reductions in k s precede drought-related tree mortality events in this system, and the consequence is a significant reduction in canopy gas exchange and carbon fixation. Our results suggest that reductions in productivity and woody plant cover in piñon-juniper woodlands can be expected due to reduced plant hydraulic conductance and increased mortality of both piñon pine and juniper under anticipated future conditions of more frequent and persistent regional drought in the southwestern United States.

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Rapid hydraulic collapse as cause of drought-induced mortality in conifers.

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