Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 1, 2026
06:27
Simulating Impacts of Ice Storms on Forest Ecosystems
Published on: June 30, 2020
7.5K
Northern forest tree populations are physiologically maladapted to drought
Miriam Isaac-Renton1, David Montwé2, Andreas Hamann2
1Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada. isaacren@ualberta.ca.
Nature Communications
|December 12, 2018
Summary
Northern forests may struggle with climate warming due to drought. Physiological adaptations in xylem and stomatal response vary, with northern populations lacking key drought tolerance traits.
Area of Science:
- Forest ecology
- Plant physiology
- Climate change biology
Background:
- Climate warming poses drought stress risks to forests, particularly at their northern range edges.
- Understanding tree physiological mechanisms is crucial for predicting forest resilience to climate change and drought.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the roles of xylem plasticity and stomatal response in drought tolerance across regional populations of a widespread conifer.
- To determine if genetic adaptation influences forest responses to drought stress.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a 32-year genetic field trial.
- Examination of xylem structure (tracheid number and cell wall thickness).
- Inferred assessment of stomatal responsiveness to drought.
Main Results:
- Drought tolerance varied among regional tree populations due to genetic adaptation.
- Trailing-edge populations exhibited drought-tolerant traits: fewer tracheids with thicker cell walls.
- Central populations showed moderate drought tolerance linked to stomatal response.
- Northern populations displayed growth loss due to low stomatal responsiveness and thinner-walled tracheids.
Conclusions:
- Forests at the northern range edge may lack sufficient physiological adaptations for increasing drought conditions.
- Xylem plasticity and stomatal regulation are key, but genetically determined, factors in conifer drought tolerance.
- Widespread boreal forests may be vulnerable to drier conditions under climate warming.
Related Concept Videos
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
12.1K
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
12.1K
02:40The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes
38.4K
The “tree of life” describes the evolution of life and the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The root of the tree is the common ancestor to all life on Earth. All other species radiate from this point, much like the branches of a tree. The numerous tips of these branches on the tree of life represent every living, or extant, species. Extinct species, which are species that no longer exist, can be found towards the center of the tree. Currently, these organisms, both...
38.4K
01:19Survival Tree
429
Survival trees are a non-parametric method used in survival analysis to model the relationship between a set of covariates and the time until an event of interest occurs, often referred to as the "time-to-event" or "survival time." This method is particularly useful when dealing with censored data, where the event has not occurred for some individuals by the end of the study period, or when the exact time of the event is unknown.
Building a Survival Tree
Constructing a...
Building a Survival Tree
Constructing a...
429
03:21Phylogenetic Trees
49.6K
Phylogenetic trees come in many forms. It matters in which sequence the organisms are arranged from the bottom to the top of the tree, but the branches can rotate at their nodes without altering the information. The lines connecting individual nodes can be straight, angled, or even curved.
49.6K
01:23The Bronchial Tree
6.7K
The human bronchi and bronchial tree play a crucial role in the respiratory system, facilitating the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Let's delve into the intricate structure and functions of these respiratory components.
The trachea, commonly known as the windpipe, is a tube that connects the larynx (voice box) to the bronchi. At a point called the carina, it bifurcates into two primary bronchi. The right primary bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical than the left primary...
The trachea, commonly known as the windpipe, is a tube that connects the larynx (voice box) to the bronchi. At a point called the carina, it bifurcates into two primary bronchi. The right primary bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical than the left primary...
6.7K
02:04Conservation of Small Populations
17.3K
Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less...
17.3K