Journal
NEW PHYTOLOGIST
Volume 229, Issue 1, Pages 199-212Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/nph.16859
Keywords
available water; bedrock; dolostone; drought; karst; limestone; tree mortality; water potential
Categories
Funding
- project 'Individuazione e caratterizzazione delle aree carsiche del Friuli Venezia Giulia' (Regione Autonoma FVG)
- project 'Individuazione e caratterizzazione delle aree carsiche del Friuli Venezia Giulia' (University of Trieste, DMG)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study shows that different bedrock characteristics can affect tree water status and drought resistance, leading to landscape-level heterogeneity in the impact of drought on tree water status and dieback.
Drought-induced tree mortality frequently occurs in patches with different spatial and temporal distributions, which is only partly explained by inter- and intraspecific variation in drought tolerance. We investigated whether bedrock properties, with special reference to rock water storage capacity, affects tree water status and drought response in a rock-dominated landscape. We measured primary porosity and available water content of breccia (B) and dolostone (D) rocks. Saplings ofFraxinus ornuswere grown in pots filled with soil or soil mixed with B and D rocks, and subjected to an experimental drought. Finally, we measured seasonal changes in water status of trees in field sites overlying B or D bedrock. B rocks were more porous and stored more available water than D rocks. Potted saplings grown with D rocks had less biomass and suffered more severe water stress than those with B rocks. Trees in sites with B bedrock had more favourable water status than those on D bedrock which also suffered drought-induced canopy dieback. Bedrock represents an important water source for plants under drought. Different bedrock features translate into contrasting below-ground water availability, leading to landscape-level heterogeneity of the impact of drought on tree water status and dieback.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available