Evergreen species response to Mediterranean climate stress factors
Recent climatic projections predict a decline in rainfall mainly during the summer period and an increase in air temperature for the Mediterranean basin, resulting in extended periods of soil water deficit. Mediterranean evergreen species attain drought resistance through different traits or combina...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)
2016-12-01
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| Series: | iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor1848-009 |
| _version_ | 1830298462008115200 |
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| author | Gratani L Catoni R Varone L |
| author_facet | Gratani L Catoni R Varone L |
| author_sort | Gratani L |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent climatic projections predict a decline in rainfall mainly during the summer period and an increase in air temperature for the Mediterranean basin, resulting in extended periods of soil water deficit. Mediterranean evergreen species attain drought resistance through different traits or combination of traits. The main objective of this research is to analyze the response of the evergreen species co-occurring in the Mediterranean maquis to variations in water availability and air temperature during the year. The results show that leaf structural traits significantly affect physiological traits as confirmed by the Partial Least Squares Regression analysis (PLS). In particular, the considered species have a similar leaf respiration (RL) trend during the year with the lowest rates in winter (mean 0.95 ± 0.44 µmol m-2 s-1) and the highest in drought (mean 3.05 ± 0.96 µmol m-2 s-1). Nevertheless, a different RL effect on gross photosynthesis (PG) during drought was observed. C. incanus, E. multiflora, R. officinalis and S. aspera have the highest RL/PG ratio (mean 0.54 ± 0.08), while Q. ilex, P. latifolia, P. lentiscus, A. unedo and E. arborea have the lowest (mean 0.22 ± 0.07). RL/PG ratio variations depend on the sensitivity of both the two parameters to drought. Considering the increase of the length and intensity of drought in the Mediterranean basin, and that the photosynthesis of Mediterranean evergreen species is frequently limited by sub-optimal conditions (i.e., water deficit, high light intensity and high air temperature), it is important to improve knowledge on RL, since it has a critical function in modulating carbon balance of Mediterranean species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T07:51:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7b91dbb1b7ad4ef4a915cb363c7cf5c8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1971-7458 1971-7458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T07:51:40Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
| publisher | Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry |
| spelling | doaj.art-7b91dbb1b7ad4ef4a915cb363c7cf5c82022-12-21T20:30:09ZengItalian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry1971-74581971-74582016-12-019194695310.3832/ifor1848-0091848Evergreen species response to Mediterranean climate stress factorsGratani L0Catoni R1Varone L2Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome (Italy)Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome (Italy)Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome (Italy)Recent climatic projections predict a decline in rainfall mainly during the summer period and an increase in air temperature for the Mediterranean basin, resulting in extended periods of soil water deficit. Mediterranean evergreen species attain drought resistance through different traits or combination of traits. The main objective of this research is to analyze the response of the evergreen species co-occurring in the Mediterranean maquis to variations in water availability and air temperature during the year. The results show that leaf structural traits significantly affect physiological traits as confirmed by the Partial Least Squares Regression analysis (PLS). In particular, the considered species have a similar leaf respiration (RL) trend during the year with the lowest rates in winter (mean 0.95 ± 0.44 µmol m-2 s-1) and the highest in drought (mean 3.05 ± 0.96 µmol m-2 s-1). Nevertheless, a different RL effect on gross photosynthesis (PG) during drought was observed. C. incanus, E. multiflora, R. officinalis and S. aspera have the highest RL/PG ratio (mean 0.54 ± 0.08), while Q. ilex, P. latifolia, P. lentiscus, A. unedo and E. arborea have the lowest (mean 0.22 ± 0.07). RL/PG ratio variations depend on the sensitivity of both the two parameters to drought. Considering the increase of the length and intensity of drought in the Mediterranean basin, and that the photosynthesis of Mediterranean evergreen species is frequently limited by sub-optimal conditions (i.e., water deficit, high light intensity and high air temperature), it is important to improve knowledge on RL, since it has a critical function in modulating carbon balance of Mediterranean species.https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor1848-009Global Climate ChangeMediterranean Evergreen SpeciesNet PhotosynthesisGross PhotosynthesisLeaf Respiration |
| spellingShingle | Gratani L Catoni R Varone L Evergreen species response to Mediterranean climate stress factors iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry Global Climate Change Mediterranean Evergreen Species Net Photosynthesis Gross Photosynthesis Leaf Respiration |
| title | Evergreen species response to Mediterranean climate stress factors |
| title_full | Evergreen species response to Mediterranean climate stress factors |
| title_fullStr | Evergreen species response to Mediterranean climate stress factors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evergreen species response to Mediterranean climate stress factors |
| title_short | Evergreen species response to Mediterranean climate stress factors |
| title_sort | evergreen species response to mediterranean climate stress factors |
| topic | Global Climate Change Mediterranean Evergreen Species Net Photosynthesis Gross Photosynthesis Leaf Respiration |
| url | https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor1848-009 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gratanil evergreenspeciesresponsetomediterraneanclimatestressfactors AT catonir evergreenspeciesresponsetomediterraneanclimatestressfactors AT varonel evergreenspeciesresponsetomediterraneanclimatestressfactors |