Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effects of artificial soil frost on cambial activity and xylem formation in Norway spruce

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Trees Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We studied the effects of artificial soil frost on cambial activity and xylem formation on 47-year-old Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] trees grown on medium fertile site type (with moraine soil) in eastern Finland (62°42′N; 29°45′E). Different soil frost treatments applied were: (1) natural snow accumulation and melting (control, CTRL); (2) artificial removal of snow from soil surface during two consecutive winters (OPEN); and (3) snow clearing and insulation (FROST), which was in other ways similar to OPEN, but the ground was insulated in early spring to delay soil thawing. Each treatment was replicated in three blocks, and two sample trees in each plot were repeatedly microcored during growing seasons of 2006–2007 for the analysis of the onset, cessation and the duration of xylem formation. The phases of tracheid differentiation (tracheids in radial enlargement, secondary cell wall formation, and mature tracheids) were measured from the microcores of 2007. The intra-ring growth and wood density variables were analysed based on X-ray densitometry. In FROST in 2006, xylem formation started a week later than in the other treatments. In 2007, no difference was found between the treatments. The discrepancy in results between the two study years may be explained by between-years variation in weather, i.e., the winter was colder in 2005/2006 than in 2006/2007. No effects of soil frost treatments on tracheid differentiation and on most of the intra-ring growth and density variables were discovered. Our results suggest that the delayed thawing of moraine soil may slightly affect the onset, timing and duration of xylem formation in Norway spruce. However, the effects of delayed soil frost may depend also on the soil type and become more evident with increasing water holding capacity of the soil.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Begum S, Nakaba S, Oribe Y, Kubo T, Funada R (2010) Cambial sensitivity to rising temperatures by natural condition and artificial heating from late winter to early spring in the evergreen conifer Cryptomeria japonica. Trees 24:43–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergsten U, Lindeberg J, Rindby A, Evans R (2001) Batch measurements of wood density on intact or prepared drill cores using x-ray microdensitometry. Wood Sci Technol 35:435–452

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cajander AK (1949) Forest types and their significance. Acta For Fenn 56:1–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Creber GT, Chaloner WG (1984) Influence of environmental factors on the wood structure of living and fossil trees. Bot Rev 50(4):357–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deslauriers A, Rossi S, Anfodillo T, Saracino A (2008) Cambial phenology, wood formation and temperature thresholds in two contrasting years at high altitude in southern Italy. Tree Physiol 28:863–871

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Drebs A, Norlund A, Karlsson P, Helminen J, Rissanen P (2002) Climatological statistics of Finland 1971–2000 (in Finnish). Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki

    Google Scholar 

  • Forster T, Schweingruber FH, Denneler B (2000) Increment puncher––a tool for extracting small cores of wood and bark from living trees. Iawa J 21:169–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Gričar J (2007) Xylo- and phloemogenesis in silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Studia Forestalia Slovenica. Professional and Scientific Works 132. Slovenian Forestry Institute, Ljubljana, p 106

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall SM, Milburn JA (1973) Phloem transport in Ricinus: its dependence on the water balance of the tissues. Planta 109:1–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hänninen P, Lintinen P, Lojander S, Sutinen R (2000) Suomen maaperän vedenjohtavuus. Water conductivity of Finnish soils (in Finnish). Vesitalous 6(2000):16–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Hänninen P, Venäläinen A, Sutinen R (2005) Maaperän jäätyminen ja vesipitoisuusmuutokset talvikautena. Soil freezing and the changes in water content of soil during winter (in Finnish). Vesitalous 1(2005):28–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Henttonen H, Mäkinen H, Nöjd P (2009) Seasonal dynamics of the radial increment of Scots pine and Norway spruce in the southern and middle boreal zones in Finland. Can J For Res 39:606–618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hölttä T, Vesala T, Sevanto S, Perämäki M, Nikinmaa E (2006) Modeling xylem and phloem water flows in trees according to cohesion theory and Münch hypothesis. Trees 20:67–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jylhä K, Ruosteenoja K, Räisänen J, Venäläinen A, Tuomenvirta H, Ruokolainen L, Saku S, Seitola T (2009) The changing climate in Finland: estimates for adaptation studies (in Finnish with extended abstract in English). ACCLIM project report 2009. https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/15711. Accessed 28 April 2011

  • Kellomäki S, Maajärvi M, Strandman H, Kilpeläinen A, Peltola H (2010) Model computations on the climate change effects on snow cover, soil moisture and soil frost in the boreal conditions over Finland. Silva Fenn 44:213–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirdyanov A, Hughes M, Vaganov E, Schweingruber F, Silkin P (2003) The importance of early summer temperature and date of snow melt for tree growth in the Siberian Subarctic. Trees 17:61–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson PR (1994) The vascular cambium: development and structure. Springer series in wood science. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, p 725

    Google Scholar 

  • Mäkinen H, Nöjd P, Saranpää P (2003) Seasonal changes in stem radius and production of new tracheids in Norway spruce. Tree Physiol 23:959–968

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mäkinen H, Seo J-W, Nöjd P, Schmitt U, Jalkanen R (2008) Seasonal dynamics of wood formation: a comparison between pinning, microcoring and dendrometer measurements. Eur J Forest Res 127:235–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maljanen M, Alm J, Martikainen PJ, Repo T (2010) Prolongation of soil frost resulting from reduced snow cover increases nitrous oxide emissions from boreal forest soil. Boreal Env Res 15:34–42

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mellander PE, Stahli M, Gustafsson D, Bishop K (2006) Modelling the effect of low soil temperatures on transpiration by Scots pine. Hydrol Process 20:1929–1944

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nöjd P, Henttonen HM, Mäkinen H (2008) Increment cores from the Finnish National Forest Inventory as a source of information for studying intra-annual wood formation. Dendrochronologia 26:133–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peltola H, Kilpeläinen A, Sauvala K, Räisänen T, Ikonen V-P (2007) Effects of early thinning regime and tree status on the radial growth and wood density of Scots pine. Silva Fenn 41(3):489–505

    Google Scholar 

  • Plomion C, Leprovost G, Stokes A (2001) Wood formation in trees. Plant Physiol 127:1513–1523

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Repo T, Kalliokoski T, Domisch T, Lehto T, Mannerkoski H, Sutinen S, Finér L (2005) Effects of timing of soil frost thawing on Scots pine. Tree Physiol 25(8):1053–1062

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Repo T, Sutinen S, Nöjd P, Mäkinen H (2007) Implications of delayed soil thawing on trees: a case study of a Picea abies stand. Scand J Forest Res 22(2):118–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Repo T, Lehto T, Finér L (2008) Delayed soil thawing affects root and shoot functioning and growth in Scots pine. Tree Physiol 28:1583–1591

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Repo T, Roitto M, Sutinen S, Manner M, Jyske T, Mäkinen H, Nöjd P, Finér L (2009) Does the removal of the snow layer enhance the adverse effects of soil frost on Picea abies (L.) Karst.? In: Himmelbauer M, Loiskandl W (eds) RootRAP: 7th ISRR Symposium Root Research and Applications, 4 p

  • Repo T, Roitto M, Sutinen S (2011) Does the removal of snowpack and the consequent changes in soil frost affect the physiology of Norway spruce needles? Environ Exp Bot 72(3):387–396

    Google Scholar 

  • Rivkina EM, Friedmann EI, McKay CP, Gilichinsky DA (2000) Metabolic activity of permafrost bacteria below the freezing point. Appl Environ Microbiol 66:3230–3233

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rossi S, Deslauriers A, Morin H (2003) Application of the Gompertz equation for the study of xylem cell development. Dendrochronologia 21(1):33–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossi S, Deslauriers A, Anfodillo T, Morin H, Saracino A, Motta R, Borghetti M (2006) Conifers in cold environments synchronize maximum growth rate of tree-ring formation with day length. New Phytol 170:301–310

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rossi S, Deslauriers A, Gričar J, Seo JW, Rathgeber CBK, Anfodillo T, Morin H, Levanič T, Oven P, Jalkanen R (2008) Critical temperatures for xylogenesis in conifers of cold climates. Global Ecol Biogeogr 17:696–707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salminen H (2009) The effect of temperature on height growth of Scots pine in northern Finland. Dissertationes Forestales 96, University of Helsinki

  • Savidge RA (2003) Tree growth and wood quality. In: Barnett JR, Jeronimidis G (eds) Wood quality and its biological basis. Blackwell, Oxford, UK, pp 1–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Saxe H, Cannell MGR, Johnsen B, Ryan MG, Vourlitis G (2001) Tree and forest functioning in response to global warming. New Phytol 149:369–399

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schlyter P, Stjernquist I, Bärring L, Jönsson AM, Nilsson C (2006) Assessment of the impacts of climate change and weather extremes on boreal forests in northern Europe, focusing on Norway spruce. Clim Res 31:75–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seppälä R, Buck A, Katila P (eds) (2009) Adaptation of Forests and People to Climate Change. A Global Assessment Report. IUFRO World Series, vol 22. International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), Helsinki, 224 p

  • Sugimoto A, Yanagisawa N, Naito D, Fujita N, Maximov TC (2002) Importance of permafrost as a source of water for plants in east Siberian taiga. Ecol Res 17:493–503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sundberg B, Uggla C, Tuominen H (2000) Cambial growth and auxin gradients. In: Savidge RA, Barnett JR, Napier R (eds) Cell and molecular biology of wood formation. BIOS Scientific publishers Ltd, Oxford, UK, pp 169–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutinen R, Vajda A, Hänninen P, Sutinen M-L (2009) Significance of snowpack for root-zone water and temperature cycles in subarctic Lapland. Arct Antarct Alp Res 41:373–380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tapio (2006) Hyvän metsänhoidon suositukset. Recommendations for good silviculture (in Finnish). Metsäkustannus Oy, Helsinki, p 100

    Google Scholar 

  • Turcotte A, Morin H, Krause C, Deslauriers A, Thibeault-Martel M (2009) The timing of spring rehydration and its relation with the onset of wood formation in black spruce. Agric Forest Meteorol 149:1403–1409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner NC, Jarvis PG (1975) Photosynthesis in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.). IV. Response to soil temperature. J Appl Ecol 12:561–576

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaganov EA, Hughes MK, Kirdyanov AV, Schweingruber FH, Silkin PP (1999) Influence of snowfall and melt timing on tree growth in subarctic Eurasia. Nature 400:149–151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Venäläinen A, Tuomenvirta H, Heikinheimo M, Kellomäki S, Peltola H, Strandman H, Väisänen H (2001) Impact of climate change on soil frost under snow cover in a forested landscape. Clim Res 17:63–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Eva Torres Nuñez, Urho Kettunen, Eija Koljonen, Seija Repo, Hannu Koivunen, and Raino Lievonen at the Forest Research Institute, and Jarmo Pennala at the University of Eastern Finland, School of Forest Sciences, for their technical assistance. This study was funded by the Academy of Finland (projects 115650 and 124390) and the Finnish Forest Research Institute (projects 3394, 3489, and 3519).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Finland Regional Unit, Finnish Forest Research Institute, PO Box 18, 01301, Vantaa, Finland

    Tuula Jyske, Markku Manner, Harri Mäkinen & Pekka Nöjd

  2. Faculty of Science and Forestry, School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101, Joensuu, Finland

    Heli Peltola

  3. Eastern Finland Regional Unit, Finnish Forest Research Institute, PO Box 68, 80101, Joensuu, Finland

    Tapani Repo

Authors
  1. Tuula Jyske
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Markku Manner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Harri Mäkinen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pekka Nöjd
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Heli Peltola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Tapani Repo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tuula Jyske.

Additional information

Communicated by E. Beck.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jyske, T., Manner, M., Mäkinen, H. et al. The effects of artificial soil frost on cambial activity and xylem formation in Norway spruce. Trees 26, 405–419 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-011-0601-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-011-0601-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation