Local adaptation shapes functional traits and resource allocation in black spruce

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Forestry
• Climate Change Biology

Background:

• Climate change is altering weather patterns and climatic zones globally.
• Tree survival and productivity depend on functional traits adapted to local environmental conditions.
• Understanding these traits is crucial for predicting species' responses and ensuring forest resilience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate functional trait variability in black spruce (Picea mariana) provenances along a latitudinal gradient.
• To assess adaptations in bud phenology, growth, and reproduction in response to environmental conditions.
• To evaluate the impact of late-frost events on black spruce growth and phenological adjustments.

Main Methods:

• Examined five black spruce provenances from a latitudinal gradient in the boreal forest.
• Planted provenances in a common garden in Quebec, Canada for controlled observation.
• Assessed differences in bud phenology, growth performance, lifetime first reproduction, and response to a late-frost event.

Main Results:

• Northern provenances exhibited earlier budbreak and reached reproductive maturity sooner than southern provenances.
• Trees from northern sites displayed lower growth increments compared to those from southern sites.
• Late-frost events impacted growth performance, but no significant phenological adjustment was observed in the subsequent year.

Conclusions:

• Observed local adaptation in black spruce functional traits along the latitudinal gradient.
• These adaptations may result in maladaptation under future climate change scenarios.
• Alternatively, trait variability could drive rapid evolutionary adaptation in response to changing environments.