Non-structural carbohydrate dynamics associated with drought-induced die-off in woody species of a shrubland community
Lloret Maya, Francisco (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Sapes, Gerard (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Rosas, Teresa (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Galiano, Lucía (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Saura Mas, Sandra (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Sala, Anna (University of Montana. Division of Biological Sciences)
Martínez Vilalta, Jordi, 1975- (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)

Date:	2018
Abstract:	The relationship between plant carbon economy and drought responses of co-occurring woody species can be assessed by comparing carbohydrate (C) dynamics following drought and rain periods, relating these dynamics to species' functional traits. We studied nine woody species coexisting in a continental Mediterranean shrubland that experienced severe drought effects followed by rain. During drought, NSC concentrations were overall lower in stems and roots of plants experiencing leaf loss, while SS decreases were smaller. Roots had higher NSC concentrations than stems. After the rain, NSC concentrations continued to decrease, while SS increased. Green foliage recovered after rain, particularly in plants previously experiencing higher leaf loss, independently of NSC concentrations during drought. Species with lower WD tended to have more SS during drought and lower SS increases after rain. In low-WD species, plants with severe leaf loss had lower NSC relative to undefoliated ones. No significant relationship was found between H or SLA and C content or dynamics. Our community-level study reveals that, while responses were species-specific, C stocks overall diminished in plants affected by prolonged drought and did not increase after a pulse of seasonal rain. Dynamics were faster for SS than NSC. We found limited depletion of SS, consistent with their role in basal metabolic, transport and signalling functions. In a scenario of increased drought under climate change, NSC stocks in woody plants are expected to decrease differentially in coexisting species, with potential implications for their adaptive abilities and community dynamics.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2012-32965 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2015-67419-R Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2014-53840-REDT Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2013-46808-R Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2014/SGR-453
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Climate change ; Canopy dieback ; Die-off ; Drought ; Mediterranean ; Non-structural carbohydrates ; Shrubland ; Plant functional traits ; Soluble sugars ; Wood density
Published in:	Annals of botany, Vol. 121, Issue 7 (June 2018) , p. 1383-1396, ISSN 1095-8290

DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcy039
PMID: 29893878

Postprint 54 p, 1.6 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles