Effects of mid-season frost and elevated growing season temperature on stomatal conductance and specific xylem conductivity of the arctic shrub, Salix pulchra

Increased risk of frost is expected during the growing season, as climate warming increases spring temperatures in the Arctic. Because deciduous species have a growth season limited in length and also have generally larger conduit volumes, they are more likely than evergreens to be injured by freeze-thaw-induced cavitation during the growing season. To test whether growth at elevated temperature increases susceptibility to freeze-thaw damage, we grew a deciduous arctic shrub species (Salix pulchra Chain.) in simulated Alaskan summer temperatures and at 5 degreesC above the ambient simulation (+5 degreesC plants) in controlled environments. Stem specific hydraulic conductivity (Q and leaf stomatal conductance (gs) were measured in plants grown at both temperatures before and after a freeze treatment simulating a mid-season frost. Before the freeze treatment, specific xylem conductivity was 2.5 times higher and stomatal conductances were 1.3 times higher in +5 degreesC plants than in ambient-grown plants. Reductions in hydraulic conductivity and stomatal conductance as a result of the freeze were 3.5 and 1.8 times greater respectively in +5 degreesC plants than in ambient-grown plants. Many of the +5 degreesC plants showed extensive leaf damage. Plants grown in the two treatments also differed in comparative xylem anatomy; +5 degreesC plants had larger vessel diameters (25.4 versus 22.6 mum) and higher vessel densities (71 versus 67.4 vessels mm(-2)) than ambient-grown plants. Our results suggest that higher growing season temperatures will increase the susceptibility of arctic deciduous shrubs to frost damage, which may offset their competitive growth advantage.