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Spatial and seasonal variations in stem CO2 efflux of Pinus canariensis at their upper distribution limit

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Abstract

We calculated stem CO2 efflux (E S) of Pinus canariensis at a timberline site in Tenerife, Canary Islands, from March 7, 2008 and February 9, 2009. E S varied markedly throughout the year. Although E S generally followed the seasonal trends in temperature, we observed seasonal adjustment of E S in both E S normalized to temperature (E S10) and the temperature sensitivity (Q 10) resulting in lower E S10 values during the warm and dry season as compared during the cold and wet season; the latter corresponding with the period of stem growth. The Q 10 by contrast, was higher during the warm and dry summer than during the cold and wet season, an observation suggesting that climate extremes such as summer drought in the Mediterranean may override the observation that Q 10 declines with increasing temperature. As concurrent measurements estimating the potential impact of sap flow on E S revealed no interaction in P. canariensis, the Q 10 values were used along with E S10 and stem temperature records to predict annual total E S and for partitioning total E S into its maintenance (E m) and a growth (E g) component.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to the Spanish Government (Project CGL2006-10210/BOS Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia) and University of La Laguna (MGC/08/14; and 2009) both co-financed by FEDER. The authors also thank to the National Park’s Network (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino) for permission to work in the Teide National Park.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology (Plant Physiology), University of La Laguna, C/Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38207, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

    Patricia Brito, Domingo Morales & María Soledad Jiménez

  2. Division of Alpine Timberline Ecophysiology, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape, Rennweg 1, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Gerhard Wieser

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  1. Patricia Brito
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  2. Domingo Morales
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  3. Gerhard Wieser
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  4. María Soledad Jiménez
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Correspondence to Patricia Brito.

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Communicated by H. Pfanz.

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Brito, P., Morales, D., Wieser, G. et al. Spatial and seasonal variations in stem CO2 efflux of Pinus canariensis at their upper distribution limit. Trees 24, 523–531 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-010-0423-z

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