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Diversity of water use efficiency among Quercus robur genotypes: contribution of related leaf traits

Diversité de l’efficience d’utilisation de l’eau entre différents génotypes de Quercus robur : contributions des traits foliaires

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Abstract

  • • Previously, a large intra-specific diversity and a tight genetic control have been shown for Δ13C (carbon isotope discrimination) in a pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) family, which is an estimator for intrinsic water use efficiency (W i), a complex trait defined as the ratio of net CO2 assimilation rate (A) to stomatal conductance for water vapour (g s ).

  • • In the present study, twelve genotypes with extreme phenotypic values of Δ13C were selected within this family to (i) asses the stability of genotype differences across contrasting environments and for different measures W i; (ii) quantify the relationship between Δ13C and Wi within this family; (iii) identify which leaf traits drive the diversity in W i observed in this family.

  • • Genetic variability of Δ13C and W i was largely independent from different temporal integration scales and their correlation was found to be strong (R 2 = 88% for leaf sugars) within this family.

  • • Weak correlations between measures of W i with estimators of photosynthetic capacity, suggest a minor role of the latter in the diversity of W i.

  • • However, the tight correlation between g s and Δ13C as well as W i, and the related genotypic variation in stomatal density, suggest that the genotypic diversity in W i within this pedunculate oak family might be due to differences in g s .

Résumé

  • • Une large diversité intra-spécifique et un fort contrôle génétique ont été mis en évidence pour Δ13C (discrimination isotopique du carbone) dans une famille de chêne pédonculé (Quercus robur L.). Δ13C est un estimateur de l’efficience intrinsèque d’utilisation de l’eau (Wi), un caractère complexe défini comme le rapport entre l’assimilation nette de CO2 (A) et la conductance stomatique pour la vapeur d’eau (g s ).

  • • Douze génotypes présentant des valeurs phénotypiques extrêmes de Δ13C ont été sélectionnés dans cette famille pour (i) évaluer la stabilité des différences génotypiques dans des environnements contrastés et pour différents estimateurs de l’efficience d’utilisation de l’eau ; (ii) quantifier la relation entre Δ13C et W i dans cette famille ; (iii) identifier quels caractères foliaires sont impliqués dans la diversité de W i observée dans cette famille.

  • • La variabilité génétique de Δ13C et W i était largement indépendante des différentes échelles d’intégration temporelles et leur corrélation était forte dans cette famille (R 2 = 88 % lorsque Δ13C était mesuré dans les sucres foliaires).

  • • Les faibles corrélations entre W i (ou Δ13C) et des estimateurs de la capacité photosynthétique suggèrent un rôle mineur de celle-ci dans la diversité de W i.

  • • Par contre, la corrélation étroite entre g s et Δ13C ainsi que W i et la variation génétique de la densité stomatique, suggèrent que la diversité génétique de W i dans cette famille de chêne pédonculé est liée à des différences de conductance stomatique g s .

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Abbreviations

Δ13C:

13C isotope discrimination (‰)

Δ13Csu :

Δ13C of extracted leaf sugars

Δ13Cst :

Δ13C of extracted leaf starch

Δ13Cb :

Δ13C of bulk leaf material

δ13C:

carbon isotope composition (‰)

δ13Cair :

δ13C of atmospheric CO2 in the greenhouse

ci :

CO2 mole fraction in intercellular air spaces (μmol mol−1)

ca :

atmospheric CO2 mole fraction (μmol mol−1)

Wi :

intrinsic water use efficiency (μmol mol−1)

A:

net CO2 assimilation rate (μmol m−2 s−1)

Asat :

light saturated A at ambient CO2concentration

gs :

stomatal conductance for water vapour (mol m−2 s−1)

Vcmax :

apparent maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco (μmol m−2 s−1)

Nmass :

nitrogen content on a mass basis (mg g−1)

Narea :

nitrogen content on an area basis (g m−2)

Chl:

chlorophyll content (g m−2)

SD:

stomatal density (mm−2)

SL:

stomatal length (μm)

SA:

stomatal area (μm2)

SAI:

stomatal area index (mm−1)

LMA:

leaf mass-to-area ratio (g m−2)

TLT:

total leaf thickness (μm)

UET:

upper epidermis thickness (μm)

LET:

lower epidermis thickness (μm)

PMT:

palisade mesophyll thickness (μm)

SMT:

spongy mesophyll thickness (μm)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR1137 INRA - Nancy-Université “Écologie et Écophysiologie Forestières”, INRA, IFR 110, 54280, Champenoux, France

    Magali Roussel, Didier Le Thiec, Pierre Montpied, Nathalie Ningre, Jean-Marc Guehl & Oliver Brendel

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  1. Magali Roussel
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  2. Didier Le Thiec
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  3. Pierre Montpied
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  6. Oliver Brendel
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Correspondence to Oliver Brendel.

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Roussel, M., Le Thiec, D., Montpied, P. et al. Diversity of water use efficiency among Quercus robur genotypes: contribution of related leaf traits. Ann. For. Sci. 66, 408 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2009010

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2009010

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