|
D-STRESS-CH aims at generating an integrated, tree-level understanding of how
water deficit affects the hydraulic xylem architecture, plant-water relations,
and carbon allocation.
Background
Climate change will
likely increase drought stress with consequences on forest productivity and
tree mortality. While drought broadly impacts formation and functioning of
water conducting cells, the relative importance and intertwined roles of these
mechanisms for plant-level hydraulic architecture, carbon allocation and tree
fitness is debated. However, understanding of the drought response mechanisms
is critical to predict mortality events associated with projected future
climate change, and is thus fundamental to adopt appropriate and timely management
measures.
Project Aims
This project aims at
generating an integrated, tree-level understanding of how water deficit affects
the hydraulic xylem architecture, plant-water relations, and carbon allocation.
Particular aims are to
- link plant-water relations and carbon allocation to growth and storage to fluctuating environmental conditions
- relate several xylem anatomical features to water supply and demand
- quantify functional
sapwood and tracheids under contrasting drought regimes to advance mechanistic
understanding of hydraulic failure.
Methods
The project is
situated at the Pfynwald Pinus sylvestris irrigation experiment. It capitalizes
upon a unique long-term, large-scale, and data rich framework and notably catches
tree response when 10 years of irrigation end. The methodological toolbox
includes state-of-the-art techniques used in tree-ring anatomy and tree
physiology.
WSL Participants
- Patrick Fonti (project leader)
- Georg von Arx (principal researcher)
- Roman Zweifel
- David Frank
- Andreas Rigling
International Collaborators
- Stefan Mayr, University of Innsbruck (A)
- José Miguel Olano, Universidad de Valladolid (E)
Links
COST Action FP1106: STReESS
- Studying Tree Responses to extreme Events: a SynthesiS (http://www.cost.eu/domains_actions/fps/Actions/FP1106)