Balancing the risks of hydraulic failure and carbon starvation: a twig scale analysis in declining Scots pine.

ABSTRACT: Understanding physiological processes involved in drought-induced mortality is important for predicting the future of forests and for modelling the carbon and water cycles. Recent research has highlighted the variable risks of carbon starvation and hydraulic failure in drought-exposed trees. However, little is known about the specific responses of leaves and supporting twigs, despite their critical role in balancing carbon acquisition and water loss. Comparing healthy (non-defoliated) and unhealthy (defoliated) Scots pine at the same site, we measured the physiological variables involved in regulating carbon and water resources. Defoliated trees showed different responses to summer drought compared with non-defoliated trees. Defoliated trees maintained gas exchange while non-defoliated tre

SUBMITTER: Salmon Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4989476 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature