Humidity‐driven changes in growth rate, photosynthetic capacity, hydraulic properties and other functional traits in silver birch (<i>Betula pendula</i>)

Sellin, Arne; Tullus, Arvo; Niglas, Aigar; Õunapuu, Eele; Karusion, Annika; Lõhmus, Krista

doi:10.1007/s11284-013-1041-1

Cited by 56 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…Our pattern of decreasing SLA from understory to upper canopy coincides with other studies [31,53,57]. The formation of thinner and larger leaf lamina (high SLA values) is a common response to a humid environment [58–60]. This finding supports a stronger influence of humidity than temperature on the characteristic of SLA.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Reading the Leaves’ Palm: Leaf Traits and Herbivory along the Microclimatic Gradient of Forest Layers

2017

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Microclimate in different positions on a host plant has strong direct effects on herbivores. But little is known about indirect effects due to changes of leaf traits. We hypothesized that herbivory increases from upper canopy to lower canopy and understory due to a combination of direct and indirect pathways. Furthermore, we hypothesized that herbivory in the understory differs between tree species in accordance with their leaf traits. We investigated herbivory by leaf chewing insects along the vertical gradient of mixed deciduous forest stands on the broad-leaved tree species Fagus sylvatica L. (European beech) with study sites located along a 140 km long transect. Additionally, we studied juvenile Acer pseudoplatanus L. (sycamore maple) and Carpinus betulus L. (hornbeam) individuals within the understory as a reference of leaf traits in the same microclimate. Lowest levels of herbivory were observed in upper canopies, where temperatures were highest. Temperature was the best predictor for insect herbivory across forest layers in our study. However, the direction was opposite to the generally known positive relationship. Herbivory also varied between the three tree species with lowest levels for F. sylvatica. Leaf carbon content was highest for F. sylvatica and probably indicates higher amounts of phenolic defense compounds. We conclude that the effect of temperature must have been indirect, whereby the expected higher herbivory was suppressed due to unfavorable leaf traits (lower nitrogen content, higher toughness and carbon content) of upper canopy leaves compared to the understory.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Reading the Leaves’ Palm: Leaf Traits and Herbivory along the Microclimatic Gradient of Forest Layers

2017

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“…Previous studies focusing on the first three years of humidity manipulation (2008)(2009)(2010) reveal that misting tended to reduce above-ground growth in both species (Tullus et al 2012;Sellin et al 2013). Based on lower leaf nitrogen content and non-optimal nutrient ratios, the authors propose that increased humidity restricts growth due to limited nutrient uptake, resulting from decreased transpirational flux, and this hypothesis is also consistent with the changes in the morphology of fine roots (Parts et al 2013).…”

Section: The Effects Of Elevated Air Humidity On Crown Developmentsupporting

confidence: 60%

Elevated air humidity modulates bud size and the frequency of bud break in fast-growing deciduous trees: silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) and hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × P. tremuloides Michx.)

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et al. 2015

Trees

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Elevated air humidity modulates bud size and the frequency of bud break in fast-growing deciduous trees: silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) and hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. 3 P. tremuloides Michx.) Abstract Key message Elevated atmospheric humidity reduced bud size by restricting primordium growth and increased the frequency of bud break in fast-growing deciduous trees, but the responses are species-specific. Abstract The initiation, development, and growth potential of buds determine the structure of a tree crown. Climate change scenarios project increasing amounts of precipitation at high latitudes in the future, but the effects of a more humid climate on bud size and growth potential remain mostly unexplored. This study investigates the effects of atmospheric humidity on fast-growing deciduous trees, silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) and hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. 9 P. tremuloides Michx.), planted in a unique free-air experimental facility, designed for increasing air humidity during the growing season. Over four consecutive years (2009)(2010)(2011)(2012), the size of overwintering buds was assessed in the upper crown of young trees, and additionally, annual height increments were assessed during the study period. Furthermore, bud contents, probabilities of bud death and break, and subsequent shoot growth were examined. In silver birch, misting effect on height growth depended on year, possibly due to acclimation or variable weather conditions, but bud size was consistently reduced. Nevertheless, misting restricted the growth rather than the initiation of leaf primordia in the bud, and decreased bud size did not translate into changes in the leaf area of future shoots. In contrast, the size of hybrid aspen buds was markedly reduced by misting only in 2009; however, increased humidity promoted bud break, reducing the proportion of dormant buds. The underlying mechanisms causing reduced bud size may involve interactions with shoot growth, but require further study. Although the effect of stimulated bud break is subtle in a given year, cumulative effects may modulate crown structure in the long term, facilitating the acclimation of tree growth to rising humidity in the future.

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“…Thinner absorptive roots and increased SRL have been associated with decreasing nutrient availability (Ostonen et al, 2007; Zobel et al, 2007). The change in soil conditions of humidified plots was mediated by plant responses such as reduced transpiration flux (Kupper et al, 2011), changed hydraulic architecture (Sellin et al, 2013) and higher fine root biomass in trees (Rosenvald et al, 2014). The results of this study indicate that shifts in root morphology have a significant effect on the microbial community in the rhizosphere.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Results from this experiment have shown that the increased air humidity induced diverse changes in the functional traits of trees including the soil-to-leaf water transport pathway, resources, and biomass allocation patterns (Tullus et al, 2012; Sellin et al, 2013; Rosenvald et al, 2014). Parts et al (2013) detected several changes in silver birch absorptive root morphology as well as in the ectomycorrhizal colonization pattern, reflecting the adaptation mechanism of this tree species at elevated air humidity conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevated Air Humidity Changes Soil Bacterial Community Structure in the Silver Birch Stand

et al. 2017

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Soil microbes play a fundamental role in forest ecosystems and respond rapidly to changes in the environment. Simultaneously with the temperature increase the climate change scenarios also predict an intensified hydrological cycle for the Baltic Sea runoff region. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of elevated air humidity on the top soil microbial community structure of a silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) stand by using a free air humidity manipulation facility (FAHM). The bacterial community structures of bulk soil and birch rhizosphere were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of bacteria-specific16S rRNA gene fragments and quantification of denitrification related genes. The increased air humidity altered both bulk soil and rhizosphere bacterial community structures, and changes in the bacterial communities initiated by elevated air humidity were related to modified soil abiotic and biotic variables. Network analysis revealed that variation in soil bacterial community structural units is explained by altered abiotic conditions such as increased pH value in bulk soil, while in rhizosphere the change in absorptive root morphology had a higher effect. Among root morphological traits, the absorptive root diameter was strongest related to the bacterial community structure. The changes in bacterial community structures under elevated air humidity are associated with shifts in C, N, and P turnover as well as mineral weathering processes in soil. Increased air humidity decreased the nir and nosZ gene abundance in the rhizosphere bacterial community. The potential contribution of the denitrification to the N2O emission was not affected by the elevated air humidity in birch stand soil. In addition, the study revealed a strong link between the bacterial community structure, abundance of denitrification related genes, and birch absorptive root morphology in the ecosystem system adaptation to elevated air humidity.

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Humidity‐driven changes in growth rate, photosynthetic capacity, hydraulic properties and other functional traits in silver birch (Betula pendula)

Cited by 56 publications

References 82 publications

Reading the Leaves’ Palm: Leaf Traits and Herbivory along the Microclimatic Gradient of Forest Layers

Reading the Leaves’ Palm: Leaf Traits and Herbivory along the Microclimatic Gradient of Forest Layers

Elevated air humidity modulates bud size and the frequency of bud break in fast-growing deciduous trees: silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) and hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × P. tremuloides Michx.)

Elevated Air Humidity Changes Soil Bacterial Community Structure in the Silver Birch Stand

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