Structural adaptation rather than water conservation was observed in Scots pine over a range of wet to dry climates.
We investigated the functional and structural responses of Scots pine to climate and estimated the importance of the genotype on the traits studied. We analysed 13C isotope discrimination (Δ13C) of various provenances in a common garden experiment and gas exchange characteristics for provenances growing in their natural environment. No clear climatic trend was found in the foliar Δ13C values of common garden trees. Similar results were obtained from estimation of λ (a largely VPD, temperature and light independent measure of intrinsic water use efficiency) from the gas exchange data. The ratio of needle mass to unit stem area and branch area to stem area increased towards south in both experiments and hence, seemed to be genetic. Trees from drier and warmer conditions seemed not to have either lower needle mass or higher intrinsic water use efficiency compared to northern latitudes.
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Related Subject Headings
- Ecology
- 3109 Zoology
- 3104 Evolutionary biology
- 3103 Ecology
- 0602 Ecology
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Related Subject Headings
- Ecology
- 3109 Zoology
- 3104 Evolutionary biology
- 3103 Ecology
- 0602 Ecology