Phenotypic Plasticity Explains Response Patterns of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Saplings to Nitrogen Fertilization and Drought Events
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
Standard
Phenotypic Plasticity Explains Response Patterns of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Saplings to Nitrogen Fertilization and Drought Events. / Dziedek, Christoph; Fichtner, Andreas; Calvo, Leonor et al.
in: Forests, Jahrgang 8, Nr. 3, 91, 20.03.2017, S. 1-11.Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Phenotypic Plasticity Explains Response Patterns of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Saplings to Nitrogen Fertilization and Drought Events
AU - Dziedek, Christoph
AU - Fichtner, Andreas
AU - Calvo, Leonor
AU - Marcos, Elena
AU - Jansen, Kirstin
AU - Kunz, Matthias
AU - Walmsley, David
AU - Von Oheimb, Goddert
AU - Härdtle, Werner
PY - 2017/3/20
Y1 - 2017/3/20
N2 - Climate and atmospheric changes affect forest ecosystems worldwide, but little is known about the interactive effects of global change drivers on tree growth. In the present study, we analyzed single and combined effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization and drought events (D) on the growth of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) saplings in a greenhouse experiment. We quantified morphological and physiological responses to treatments for one- and two-year-old plants. N fertilization increased the saplings' aboveground biomass investments, making them more susceptible to D treatments. This was reflected by the highest tissue dieback in combined N and D treatments and a significant N × D interaction for leaf δ 13C signatures. Thus, atmospheric N deposition can strengthen the drought sensitivity of beech saplings. One-year-old plants reacted more sensitively to D treatments than two-year-old plants (indicated by D-induced shifts in leaf δ 13C signatures of one-year-old and two-year-old plants by +0.5% and -0.2%, respectively), attributable to their higher shoot:root-ratios (1.8 and 1.2, respectively). In summary, the saplings' treatment responses were determined by their phenotypic plasticity (shifts in shoot:root-ratios), which in turn was a function of both the saplings' age (effects of allometric growth trajectories = apparent plasticity) and environmental impacts (effects of N fertilization = plastic allometry).
AB - Climate and atmospheric changes affect forest ecosystems worldwide, but little is known about the interactive effects of global change drivers on tree growth. In the present study, we analyzed single and combined effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization and drought events (D) on the growth of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) saplings in a greenhouse experiment. We quantified morphological and physiological responses to treatments for one- and two-year-old plants. N fertilization increased the saplings' aboveground biomass investments, making them more susceptible to D treatments. This was reflected by the highest tissue dieback in combined N and D treatments and a significant N × D interaction for leaf δ 13C signatures. Thus, atmospheric N deposition can strengthen the drought sensitivity of beech saplings. One-year-old plants reacted more sensitively to D treatments than two-year-old plants (indicated by D-induced shifts in leaf δ 13C signatures of one-year-old and two-year-old plants by +0.5% and -0.2%, respectively), attributable to their higher shoot:root-ratios (1.8 and 1.2, respectively). In summary, the saplings' treatment responses were determined by their phenotypic plasticity (shifts in shoot:root-ratios), which in turn was a function of both the saplings' age (effects of allometric growth trajectories = apparent plasticity) and environmental impacts (effects of N fertilization = plastic allometry).
KW - Sustainability Science
KW - Allometric growth
KW - Apparent plasticity
KW - Global change
KW - Plastic allometry
KW - Shoot:root ratio
KW - δ13C
KW - Ecosystems Research
KW - allometric growth
KW - apparent plasticity
KW - δ13C
KW - global change
KW - plastic allometry
KW - shoot:root ratio
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85016134728&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/f8030091
DO - 10.3390/f8030091
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 8
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Forests
JF - Forests
SN - 1999-4907
IS - 3
M1 - 91
ER -