Drought Impact on Leaf Phenology and Spring Frost Susceptibility in a Quercus robur L. Provenance Trial
Research highlights: The susceptibility of oaks to late spring and early autumn frosts is directly related to their leaf phenology. Drought may alter the leaf phenology and therefore frost tolerance of oaks. However, the effects of drought on oak leaf phenology and frost resistance have not been tho...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019-01-01
|
| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/10/1/50 |
| _version_ | 1811256537741524992 |
|---|---|
| author | Ivica Čehulić Krunoslav Sever Ida Katičić Bogdan Anamarija Jazbec Željko Škvorc Saša Bogdan |
| author_facet | Ivica Čehulić Krunoslav Sever Ida Katičić Bogdan Anamarija Jazbec Željko Škvorc Saša Bogdan |
| author_sort | Ivica Čehulić |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research highlights: The susceptibility of oaks to late spring and early autumn frosts is directly related to their leaf phenology. Drought may alter the leaf phenology and therefore frost tolerance of oaks. However, the effects of drought on oak leaf phenology and frost resistance have not been thoroughly studied. Background and objectives: One of the consequences of climate change is an increase in the frequency of dry episodes during the vegetation period. Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) is an economically and ecologically important forest tree species that prefers humid habitats. Therefore, knowledge of the impact of drought on this species is of great importance for the adaptation of forestry strategies and practices to altered environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of drought on leaf phenology and spring frost susceptibility in nine provenances. Materials and methods: One-year-old saplings originating from nine European provenances were used in the trial. The saplings were exposed to experimental drought and then re-watered in two subsequent years. Spring and autumn leaf phenology were scored. The trial was impacted by a late spring frost in the third year, and the resulting leaf frost injury was scored. The effects of drought treatment on the phenology and frost susceptibility of plants from the provenances were analysed. Results: Leaf phenology of plants from most of the studied provenances was significantly influenced by the drought treatment (p < 0.001). Drought induced a carry-over effect on flushing phenology, which was observed as delayed bud burst (from 0.6 to 2.4 days) in the second year and as advanced bud burst (from 0.1 to 6.3 days) in the third year. Therefore, opposite shifts in flushing phenology may be induced as a result of differences in the time span when plants sense water deficits. In contrast to flushing, autumn leaf phenology was unambiguously delayed following the drought treatments for all studied provenances (from 2.1 to 25.8 days). Differences in late frost susceptibility were predominantly caused by among-provenance differences in flushing phenology. However, the drought treatment significantly increased frost susceptibility in the plants (the rate of frost-injured plants per provenance increased from 3% to 78%). This higher susceptibility to spring frost was most likely caused by the advanced flushing phenology that resulted from the drought treatment in the previous year. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T17:42:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9e451e3acc57430ba319711a0555e41c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T17:42:30Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e451e3acc57430ba319711a0555e41c2022-12-22T03:22:46ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072019-01-011015010.3390/f10010050f10010050Drought Impact on Leaf Phenology and Spring Frost Susceptibility in a Quercus robur L. Provenance TrialIvica Čehulić0Krunoslav Sever1Ida Katičić Bogdan2Anamarija Jazbec3Željko Škvorc4Saša Bogdan5Croatian Forest Research Institute, 10450 Jastrebarsko, CroatiaFaculty of Forestry; University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Forestry; University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Forestry; University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Forestry; University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Forestry; University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaResearch highlights: The susceptibility of oaks to late spring and early autumn frosts is directly related to their leaf phenology. Drought may alter the leaf phenology and therefore frost tolerance of oaks. However, the effects of drought on oak leaf phenology and frost resistance have not been thoroughly studied. Background and objectives: One of the consequences of climate change is an increase in the frequency of dry episodes during the vegetation period. Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) is an economically and ecologically important forest tree species that prefers humid habitats. Therefore, knowledge of the impact of drought on this species is of great importance for the adaptation of forestry strategies and practices to altered environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of drought on leaf phenology and spring frost susceptibility in nine provenances. Materials and methods: One-year-old saplings originating from nine European provenances were used in the trial. The saplings were exposed to experimental drought and then re-watered in two subsequent years. Spring and autumn leaf phenology were scored. The trial was impacted by a late spring frost in the third year, and the resulting leaf frost injury was scored. The effects of drought treatment on the phenology and frost susceptibility of plants from the provenances were analysed. Results: Leaf phenology of plants from most of the studied provenances was significantly influenced by the drought treatment (p < 0.001). Drought induced a carry-over effect on flushing phenology, which was observed as delayed bud burst (from 0.6 to 2.4 days) in the second year and as advanced bud burst (from 0.1 to 6.3 days) in the third year. Therefore, opposite shifts in flushing phenology may be induced as a result of differences in the time span when plants sense water deficits. In contrast to flushing, autumn leaf phenology was unambiguously delayed following the drought treatments for all studied provenances (from 2.1 to 25.8 days). Differences in late frost susceptibility were predominantly caused by among-provenance differences in flushing phenology. However, the drought treatment significantly increased frost susceptibility in the plants (the rate of frost-injured plants per provenance increased from 3% to 78%). This higher susceptibility to spring frost was most likely caused by the advanced flushing phenology that resulted from the drought treatment in the previous year.http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/10/1/50pedunculate oakdroughtstressmemoryflushingautumn leaf senescencephenological shiftcarry-over effect |
| spellingShingle | Ivica Čehulić Krunoslav Sever Ida Katičić Bogdan Anamarija Jazbec Željko Škvorc Saša Bogdan Drought Impact on Leaf Phenology and Spring Frost Susceptibility in a Quercus robur L. Provenance Trial Forests pedunculate oak drought stress memory flushing autumn leaf senescence phenological shift carry-over effect |
| title | Drought Impact on Leaf Phenology and Spring Frost Susceptibility in a Quercus robur L. Provenance Trial |
| title_full | Drought Impact on Leaf Phenology and Spring Frost Susceptibility in a Quercus robur L. Provenance Trial |
| title_fullStr | Drought Impact on Leaf Phenology and Spring Frost Susceptibility in a Quercus robur L. Provenance Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Drought Impact on Leaf Phenology and Spring Frost Susceptibility in a Quercus robur L. Provenance Trial |
| title_short | Drought Impact on Leaf Phenology and Spring Frost Susceptibility in a Quercus robur L. Provenance Trial |
| title_sort | drought impact on leaf phenology and spring frost susceptibility in a quercus robur l provenance trial |
| topic | pedunculate oak drought stress memory flushing autumn leaf senescence phenological shift carry-over effect |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/10/1/50 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ivicacehulic droughtimpactonleafphenologyandspringfrostsusceptibilityinaquercusroburlprovenancetrial AT krunoslavsever droughtimpactonleafphenologyandspringfrostsusceptibilityinaquercusroburlprovenancetrial AT idakaticicbogdan droughtimpactonleafphenologyandspringfrostsusceptibilityinaquercusroburlprovenancetrial AT anamarijajazbec droughtimpactonleafphenologyandspringfrostsusceptibilityinaquercusroburlprovenancetrial AT zeljkoskvorc droughtimpactonleafphenologyandspringfrostsusceptibilityinaquercusroburlprovenancetrial AT sasabogdan droughtimpactonleafphenologyandspringfrostsusceptibilityinaquercusroburlprovenancetrial |