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Stem increment and hydraulic architecture of a boreal conifer (Larix sibirica) under contrasting macroclimates

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Hydraulic conductivity and wood anatomical traits in Larix sibirica are correlated with macroclimate, and growing season precipitation in particular, along a precipitation gradient of 700 mm year −1.

Abstract

Empirical (K s) and theoretical (K p) sapwood area-specific hydraulic conductivity, hydraulically weighted (d h ) and simple (d) tracheid diameters as well as tracheid density (TD) in roots, stems, and branches were studied in Larix sibirica trees, the dominant conifer at the southern, drought-affected range limit of the boreal forest in Inner Asia. We compared the hydraulic architecture of L. sibirica in two stands in Mongolia to larch trees grown in Central Europe under moist conditions and related hydraulics to macroclimate (precipitation, temperature) and productivity (basal area increment, BAI). K s, K p, d h, and d correlated positively, and TD negatively with precipitation, temperature, and also BAI. Mean growing season precipitation (MGSP) seemed to affect the hydraulic traits more than temperature. A meta-analysis covering data of 14 conifer species from the northern hemisphere revealed a general relationship between MGSP and hydraulic traits. In contrast to expectation, K p and d h did not show a steady decline from roots through the stem to branches in L. sibirica, but were of similar size or larger in the stem. Our results suggest that considerable plasticity in the hydraulic architecture is an important element of the drought adaptation of L. sibirica. It combines with drought-induced fine root abscission (as reported from earlier work) which may help to protect larger roots and the stem from cavitation.

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Author contribution statement

All authors designed the study and wrote the paper. TC, CD and MH performed field work. TC and BS conducted laboratory work. TC, CD, MH and BS analyzed data. DH performed the meta-analysis.

Acknowledgments

The study was supported by a grant from the Volkswagen Foundation to M. Hauck, Ch. Dulamsuren and Ch. Leuschner for the project ‘Forest regeneration and biodiversity at the forest-steppe border of the Altai and Khangai Mountains under contrasting developments of livestock numbers in Kazakhstan and Mongolia’. Tselmeg Chenlemuge was funded by a scholarship of the China Scholarship Council (CSC). We thank the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park (Ulgii) for permissions to carry out the field work and are very grateful that Hildegard Neeser allowed us to sample her trees at the Giegengrün plantation in the Ore Mountains (http://www.sibirische-laerche-pflanzensamen.de). We thank Claus Döring (University of Göttingen) for modeling the climate date for the Giegengrün site.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Ecology, Albrecht von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg August University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Gottingen, Germany

    Tselmeg Chenlemuge, Bernhard Schuldt, Choimaa Dulamsuren, Dietrich Hertel, Christoph Leuschner & Markus Hauck

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  1. Tselmeg Chenlemuge
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  2. Bernhard Schuldt
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  3. Choimaa Dulamsuren
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Correspondence to Markus Hauck.

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Communicated by M. Zwieniecki.

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Chenlemuge, T., Schuldt, B., Dulamsuren, C. et al. Stem increment and hydraulic architecture of a boreal conifer (Larix sibirica) under contrasting macroclimates. Trees 29, 623–636 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-014-1131-x

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