TY - JOUR
T1 - Environmental and genetic drivers of physiological and functional traits in a key canopy species
AU - Challis, A.
AU - Rymer, P. D.
AU - Ahrens, C. W.
AU - Hardy, G. E.S.J.
AU - Byrne, M.
AU - Ruthrof, K. X.
AU - Tissue, D. T.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/10
Y1 - 2024/10
N2 - The resilience of forests worldwide is challenged by climate change. Large-scale tree mortality and dieback events have been documented across continents in recent decades. The adaptive capacity of forests is important for predicting forest resistance and resilience to future climates yet remains largely unknown. We grew 12 populations of a widespread foundation tree species (Corymbia calophylla), originating from different temperature and rainfall regimes, in two common garden trials in Western Australia that had similar temperature but contrasting rainfall conditions. We quantified intraspecific trait variation at these two sites to estimate genetically determined trait variation with climate origin (genetic adaptation) and trait variation associated with environment (phenotypic plasticity). We aimed to determine the 1) contribution of genetic and environmental factors on growth, functional, and physiological trait variation; 2) coordination of leaf traits within the context of the leaf economic spectrum (LES) in variable rainfall conditions; and 3) role of local or regional climate adaptation influencing tree growth and water use efficiency. Growth and physiological traits were differentially expressed across populations and sites, highlighting the importance of genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. Leaf traits reflected a more water conservative strategy with higher water use efficiency, high foliar nitrogen content, and low specific leaf area, as predicted by the LES, in trees at the dry site measured in autumn after the warm summer. Local adaptation was detected in growth and leaf water use efficiency traits at the regional climate, not the local population, scale. Plants from the cool region had greater performance than those from the warm region in most plant traits. Home-site rainfall was not a good predictor of trait expression. The capacity of C. calophylla to respond to low water availability through genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity may enable it to maintain optimal performance in drier conditions associated with climate change.
AB - The resilience of forests worldwide is challenged by climate change. Large-scale tree mortality and dieback events have been documented across continents in recent decades. The adaptive capacity of forests is important for predicting forest resistance and resilience to future climates yet remains largely unknown. We grew 12 populations of a widespread foundation tree species (Corymbia calophylla), originating from different temperature and rainfall regimes, in two common garden trials in Western Australia that had similar temperature but contrasting rainfall conditions. We quantified intraspecific trait variation at these two sites to estimate genetically determined trait variation with climate origin (genetic adaptation) and trait variation associated with environment (phenotypic plasticity). We aimed to determine the 1) contribution of genetic and environmental factors on growth, functional, and physiological trait variation; 2) coordination of leaf traits within the context of the leaf economic spectrum (LES) in variable rainfall conditions; and 3) role of local or regional climate adaptation influencing tree growth and water use efficiency. Growth and physiological traits were differentially expressed across populations and sites, highlighting the importance of genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. Leaf traits reflected a more water conservative strategy with higher water use efficiency, high foliar nitrogen content, and low specific leaf area, as predicted by the LES, in trees at the dry site measured in autumn after the warm summer. Local adaptation was detected in growth and leaf water use efficiency traits at the regional climate, not the local population, scale. Plants from the cool region had greater performance than those from the warm region in most plant traits. Home-site rainfall was not a good predictor of trait expression. The capacity of C. calophylla to respond to low water availability through genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity may enable it to maintain optimal performance in drier conditions associated with climate change.
KW - Common garden
KW - Eucalypt
KW - Genotype-by-environment
KW - Leaf economic spectrum
KW - Local adaptation
KW - Water use efficiency
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85198948473&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105904
DO - 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2024.105904
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85198948473
SN - 0098-8472
VL - 226
JO - Environmental and Experimental Botany
JF - Environmental and Experimental Botany
M1 - 105904
ER -