Contributions of dynamic environmental signals during life-cycle transitions to early life-history traits in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.)
نویسندگان
چکیده
Environmental signals are important triggers in the life-cycle transitions and play a crucial role in the life-history evolution. Yet very little is known about the leading ecological factors contributing to the variations of life-history traits in perennial plants. This paper explores both the causes and consequences for the evolution of life-history traits (i.e., seed dormancy and size) in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.) across British Columbia (B.C.), Canada. We selected 83 logepole pine populations covering 22 ecosystem zones of B.C. and through their geographic coordinate, 197 climatic variables were generated accordingly for the reference (1961–1990) and future (2041–2070) periods. We found that dynamic climatic variables rather than constant geographic variables are the true environmental driving forces in seed dormancy and size variations and thus provide reliable predictors in response to global climate change. Evapotranspiration and precipitation in the plant-to-seed chronology are the most critical climate variables for seed dormancy and size variations, respectively. Hence, we predicted that levels of seed dormancy in lodgepole pine would increase across large tracts of B.C. in 2050s. Winter-chilling is able to increase the magnitude of life-history plasticity and lower the bet-hedge strategy in the seed-to-plant transition; however, winter-chilling is likely to be insufficient in the north of 49 N in 2050s, which may delay germination while unfavorable conditions during dry summers may result in adverse consequences in the survival of seedlings owing to extended germination span. These findings provide useful information to studies related to assessments of seed transfer and tree adaptation.
منابع مشابه
Contributions of dynamic environmental signals during life - cycle transitions 1 to early life - history traits in lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta Dougl . )
متن کامل
Variation in water potential, hydraulic characteristics and water source use in montane Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine trees in southwestern Alberta and consequences for seasonal changes in photosynthetic capacity.
Tree species response to climate change-induced shifts in the hydrological cycle depends on many physiological traits, particularly variation in water relations characteristics. We evaluated differences in shoot water potential, vulnerability of branches to reductions in hydraulic conductivity, and water source use between Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm. (lodgepole pine) a...
متن کاملInfluence of water deficit on the induced and constitutive responses of pines to infection by mountain pine beetle fungal associates
Background The ongoing outbreak of mountain pine beetle (MPB; Dendroctonus ponderasae Hopkins) and its associated pathogenic fungi (e.g. Grosmannia clavigera [RobinsonJeffrey and Davidson] Zipfel, de Beer and Wingfield) in western North America has resulted in the loss of more than 13 million hectares of pines since 1999 in British Columbia alone [1]. MPB has principally attacked lodgepole pine...
متن کاملCharacterizing the physical and genetic structure of the lodgepole pine × jack pine hybrid zone: mosaic structure and differential introgression
Understanding the physical and genetic structure of hybrid zones can illuminate factors affecting their formation and stability. In north-central Alberta, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb) form a complex and poorly defined hybrid zone. Better knowledge of this zone is relevant, given the recent host expansion of mountain pine bee...
متن کاملHeight growth determinants and adaptation to temperature in pines: a case study of Pinus contorta and Pinus monticola
In this study we aimed to compare and explain the height growth performance of two contrasting pine species: lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud) and western white pine (Pinus monticola Dougl. ex D. Don.). We compiled measurements of total height growth at different ages and shoot elongation phenology realized in several provenance test trials for 109 provenances of lodgepole pine an...
متن کامل