Abstract
Key Message
Foliar physiological traits were similar in males versus females of three Populus taxa grown at warm to cool temperatures, opposing the hypothesis that males would be more tolerant of environmental stress.
Abstract
Dioecy is common in riparian (streamside) trees and shrubs, and other studies indicated that in some poplars (Populus) and willows (Salix), males are more tolerant than females of environmental limitation, including drought, salinity or high temperature (T). We investigated another environmental influence and hypothesized that males might better tolerate low T, consistent with their earlier development during cool spring weather. Branch cuttings from distinct trees of each sex from each of three taxa, narrowleaf, lanceleaf and plains cottonwoods (P. angustifolia, P. × acuminata and P. deltoides), were grown as replicated saplings in four growth chambers with (daytime) temperatures of 24, 20, 18 or 15 °C. With decreasing T, stomatal density and stomatal conductance (gs) decreased, chlorophyll content was consistent; and N concentration, photosynthesis (Asat, by area), and water use efficiency (Asat/gs) increased. None of the foliar characteristics varied significantly between the sexes, and there was no sex × T interaction for any physiological trait, opposing our hypothesis. For growth, P. deltoides and P. × acuminata males had larger leaf and root mass than females, especially at 20 °C, but an opposing pattern was observed for P. angustifolia, as females had larger leaf mass than males. We thus observe similar foliar physiological characteristics between males and females, conclude that low T adaptation has minimal contribution to sex differentiation in cottonwoods, and recommend further investigation for sex differentiation across taxa, particularly including analyses of root structure and function.
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Supplemental Table 1 provides the additional physiology and growth results, beyond the figures provided.
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Acknowledgements
We thank David Pearce for assistance with instrumentation; Samuel Woodman, Evan Hillman and Soba Kaluthota for assistance with data collection (all University of Lethbridge); and Editor Robert Guy and an anonymous reviewer for very helpful recommendations.
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Funding was provided to SBR by Alberta Innovates, Alberta Environment and Parks, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
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Zanewich, K.P., Rood, S.B. Limited sex differentiation in poplars: similar physiological responses to low temperature of males and females of three cottonwood taxa. Trees 37, 1217–1223 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-023-02421-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-023-02421-5