Weak global trade-off between frost and drought resistance in trees

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Plant Physiology

Background:

• Species distributions are limited by environmental stresses like drought and frost.
• Understanding stress resistance traits is crucial for predicting species vulnerability to climate change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate evolutionary trade-offs between drought and frost resistance in woody plants.
• To assess how these traits influence species distribution and vulnerability to climate change.

Main Methods:

• Compiled a global database of drought resistance (P50) and frost resistance (LT50) measurements.
• Utilized Bayesian phylogenetic quantile regressions to analyze trait evolution and trade-offs.
• Included phylogenetic signal in the analysis.

Main Results:

• Conifers generally exhibit higher resistance to both drought and frost than angiosperms.
• A weak trade-off exists: drought-resistant species are less frost-hardy, and vice versa.
• Drought resistance correlates with denser wood, smaller conduits, shorter stature, and lower specific leaf area.

Conclusions:

• The study identifies a limited trade-off between drought and frost resistance, with few species highly resistant to both.
• Phylogenetic signal influences the observed relationships between stress resistance traits.
• Findings have implications for forest adaptation strategies in the face of changing climate patterns, including hotter summers and increased frost risk.