1. Tree-ring formation dynamics in Fagus sylvatica and Quercus petraea in a dry and a wet yearRadosław Puchałka, Peter Prislan, Marcin Miroslav Klisz, M. Koprowski, Jožica Gričar, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: European beech Fagus sylvatica and Sessile oak Quercus petraea are reaching the north-eastern limits of their natural ranges in northern Poland. According to the projected changes in potential ranges in this region, climatic conditions for both species until 2080 will remain stable. On the other hand, a decrease in the vitality of mature trees and a reduction in their radial growth are currently observed. To understand these contradictory findings, we monitored the cambial activity in both species during two vegetation seasons. 2015 was characterized by a negative water balance, while 2017 was wet. This provided an opportunity to compare how the xylogenesis proceeds in diffuse-porous beech and ring-porous oak during contrasting in the summer precipitation seasons. The forming annual increments were sampled with Presler borer at variable time intervals depending on the leaf phenological phases. The cores were prepared using a sledge microtome and double-stained with safranin and astra blue. Observations of the phases of wood formation and measurements of the width of the forming increments were analysed on the microslide digital images. Differences in the dates of the phenological phases were analysed using Two-Way ANOVA, while the dynamics of the formation of annual increments were fitted to the Single and Double Gompertz function for beech and oak, respectively. The beginning of vessel formation started earlier in both seasons compared to previous studies. Inter-seasonal differences in the duration of spring phenological phases were insignificant for both species, while inter-species differences were significant due to physiological diversity between diffuse-porous beech and ring-porous oak. In dry 2015, cambial activity ceased sooner in both species than in 2017. Differences between oak and beech were insignificant in both years, but statistically significant disparities existed within each species due to varying in precipitation seasons. Rainfall significantly elongated the duration of cambial activity and caused wider tree-rings. According to our study, despite predicted maintaining their climatic niche, both species, situated at the north-eastern cooler range boundary, are expected to produce wood at a lower rate due to the projected warmer central European climate with increased heatwaves and summer droughts.
Keywords: climate change, meteorological extremes, wood formation, summer drought, xylogenesis
Published in DiRROS: 08.07.2025; Views: 460; Downloads: 357
 Full text (2,56 MB)
This document has many files! More... |
2. Timeline of autumn phenology in temperate deciduous treesInge Dox, Jožica Gričar, Lorène Julia Marchand, Sebastien Leys, Paolo Zuccarini, Charly Geron, Peter Prislan, Bertold Mariën, Patrick Fonti, Holger Lange, Josep Peñuelas, Jan Van den Bulcke, Matteo Campioli, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: Cessation of xylem formation or wood growth (CWG) and onset of foliar senescence (OFS) are key autumn phenological events in temperate deciduous trees. Their timing is fundamental for development and survival of trees, ecosystem nutrient cycling, the seasonal exchange of matter and energy between the biosphere and atmosphere and affect the impact and feedback of forests to global change. A large-scale experimental effort and improved observational methods have allowed us to compare the timing of CWG and OFS for different deciduous tree species in Western Europe, in particularly silver birch, a pioneer species, and European beech, a late-succession species, at stands of different latitudes, of different levels of site fertility, and for two years with contrasting meteorological and drought conditions i.e., the low-moderately dry 2017 and the extremely dry 2018. Specifically, we tested whether foliar senescence started before, after or concurrently with CWG. OFS and CWG occurred generally between late September and early November, with larger differences across species and sites for OFS. Foliar senescence started concurrently with CWG in most cases, except for the drier 2018 and, for beech, at the coldest site, where OFS occurred significantly later than CWG. Behavior of beech in Spain, the southern edge of its European distribution, was unclear, with no CWG, but very low wood growth at the time of OFS. Our study suggests that OFS is generally triggered by the same drivers of CWG or when wood growth decreases in late summer, indicating an overarching mechanism of sink limitation as a possible regulator of the timing of foliar senescence.
Keywords: autumn phenology, xylem formation, foliar senescence, cambium, chlorophyll, radial growth, wood, decidiuous trees, common aspen, common beech, pedunculate oak, silver birch
Published in DiRROS: 10.06.2020; Views: 3055; Downloads: 2001
Full text (2,04 MB)
This document has many files! More... |
3. Inter-individual variability in spring phenology of temperate deciduous trees depends on species, tree size and previous year autumn phenologyLorène Julia Marchand, Inge Dox, Jožica Gričar, Peter Prislan, Sebastien Leys, Jan Van den Bulcke, Patrick Fonti, Holger Lange, Erik Matthysen, Josep Peñuelas, Paolo Zuccarini, Matteo Campioli, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: We explored the inter-individual variability in bud-burst and its potential drivers, in homogeneous mature stands of temperate deciduous trees. Phenological observations of leaves and wood formation were performed weekly from summer 2017 to summer 2018 for pedunculate oak, European beech and silver birch in Belgium. The variability of bud-burst was correlated to previous' year autumn phenology (i.e. the onset of leaf senescence and the cessation of wood formation) and tree size but with important differences among species. In fact, variability of bud-burst was primarily related to onset of leaf senescence, cessation of wood formation and tree height for oak, beech and birch, respectively. The inter-individual variability of onset of leaf senescence was not related to the tree characteristics considered and was much larger than the inter-individual variability in bud-burst. Multispecies multivariate models could explain up to 66% of the bud-burst variability. These findings represent an important advance in our fundamental understanding and modelling of phenology and tree functioning of deciduous tree species.
Keywords: leaf unfolding, wood formation, coloration, Pedunculate oak, European beech, Silver birch
Published in DiRROS: 10.06.2020; Views: 2897; Downloads: 1787
 Link to full text
This document has many files! More... |
