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Fertilization and allelopathy modify Pinus halepensis saplings crown acclimation to shade

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Abstract

Pinus halepensis Mill., is a Mediterranean pioneer forest species with shade-intolerant features. The purpose of this study is to better understand how stand fertility and allelopathic properties of adult trees influence shade acclimation of saplings. Crown growth and morphological plasticity were studied under different light, fertilization, and allelopathic conditions in a nursery experiment. We tested whether shade-acclimation capacity increases with fertilization, and is affected by autotoxicity due to pine leachates. We examined stem diameter, and crown characteristics (length, width, shape, and density) in a factorial experiment with two levels for each tested factor: light (full and 20% reduced light), fertilization (low and high rate of NPK fertilizer) and allelopathy (control and allelopathic leachates uptake). In our study, shading induced a significantly higher crown length, width, and surface. Fertilization strongly increased crown length and vertical expended crown shape (the ratio crown length/crown width). Leachates uptake reduced crown length and density, highlighting an autotoxicity phenomenon. We concluded that P. halepensis saplings presented a shade-avoiding syndrome and that the crown shade-acclimation response increased with fertilization but was severely compromised by autotoxicity. We finally discuss the role of fertilization and allelopathy in early P. halepensis acclimation ability.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the CNRS within the framework of the Zone Atelier “Arrière-pays Méditerranéen”. We thank the staff of the administrative plant nursery of Les Milles (Departmental Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry of the Bouches-du-Rhône, France), particularly Patrice Brahic for his useful comments and all the staff for technical assistance. We would also like to thank Michal Paul for proofreading the English, Nicolas Faivre and Christine Scoffoni for their comments that improve the manuscript, and Sylvie Dupouyet, Stéphane Greff, Caroline Lecareux, Céline Pernin, and the DFCV team who assisted us with collection of needles and for leachates confection and watering.

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  1. Institut Méditerranéen d’Ecologie et de Paléoécologie (IMEP, UMR CNRS 6116), Aix-Marseille Université, Centre St-Charles, 3 place Victor Hugo, 13331, Marseille cedex 03, France

    Yogan Monnier, Bruno Vila, Nicolas Montès, Anne Bousquet-Mélou & Catherine Fernandez

  2. CEMAGREF, UR EMAX, 3275 Route de Cézanne CS 40061, 13182, Aix en Provence Cedex 5, France

    Yogan Monnier & Bernard Prévosto

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  1. Yogan Monnier
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  2. Bruno Vila
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  3. Nicolas Montès
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  4. Anne Bousquet-Mélou
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  5. Bernard Prévosto
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  6. Catherine Fernandez
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Correspondence to Yogan Monnier.

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Communicated by W. Bilger.

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Monnier, Y., Vila, B., Montès, N. et al. Fertilization and allelopathy modify Pinus halepensis saplings crown acclimation to shade. Trees 25, 497–507 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-010-0525-7

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