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Tolerance and acclimation of photosynthesis of nine urban tree species to warmer growing conditions

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Tolerance and acclimation of photosynthesis to warmer growing conditions among nine urban tree species was species-specific indicating that individual screening is needed to prepare urban greenspace for a warmer future.

Abstract

To prepare and manage urban greenspace for a warmer future, we must select trees that can tolerate or acclimate to warmer growing conditions. Here, we compared tolerance and acclimation of photosynthesis to warmer growing conditions among urban trees species in Japan. Two paired experiments were installed where saplings of nine species were grown outside at two locations (warm- and cool-temperate climates) and in a greenhouse with and without passive warming. We compared the temperature where quantum yield declined to 50% of maximum value (T50) due to excess heat (50–60 °C) and the thermal optimum for photosynthesis (Topt) among species. For two deciduous and three evergreen species, T50 was higher for saplings grown in warm- than cool-temperate climate. T50 was also higher under passive warming for three species, of which two evergreen species (Morella rubra, Quercus myrsinifolia) showed marked increases (5–7 °C). Topt was higher under passive warming in three of six species examined, but the acclimation response of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance to warming was highly species-specific. We inferred that M. rubra and Q. myrsinifolia, which acclimated consistently to warmer growing conditions in both experiments, are heat-hardy species. Our results also suggest warm-temperate evergreen species are not necessarily more tolerant of warmer growing conditions than cool-temperate deciduous species. For example, despite its warm-temperate origin, Machilus thumbergii showed no acclimation response and photosynthetic rates were lower under passive warming. Our results indicate species need to be screened individually to assess their physiological tolerance and acclimation potential to warmer climate.

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Availability of data and material (data transparency)

Data will be made available in a database at Kobe University.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Ms. H. Ishii, Ms. M. Hioki, Dr. K. Ohshiman and the staff of Sumitomo Forestry Co. Ltd. for assistance with the experiments, and K. Kuroda, W. Azuma and members of the Laboratory of Forest Resources, Kobe Univ. for guidance and advice during research.

Funding

This research was funded by a grant from Sumitomo Forestry Inc. to Kobe University.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Chinatsu Hara, Sumihiro Inoue, and H. Roaki Ishii share first authorship.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan

    Chinatsu Hara, H. Roaki Ishii, Momoko Okabe & Masaya Nakagaki

  2. Tsukuba Research Institute, Sumitomo Forestry Co. Ltd, Tsukuba, 300-2646, Japan

    Sumihiro Inoue

  3. Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, Nagano, 399-4598, Japan

    Hajime Kobayashi

Authors
  1. Chinatsu Hara
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  2. Sumihiro Inoue
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  4. Momoko Okabe
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  5. Masaya Nakagaki
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  6. Hajime Kobayashi
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Contributions

HI and SI conceived and designed the study. SI prepared the plant material and CH, SI, and HI made the measurements with assistance from MN and HK. MO helped with statistical analyses. HI wrote the paper and all co-authors have approved of the draft.

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Correspondence to H. Roaki Ishii.

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Communicated by Buckeridge.

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Hara, C., Inoue, S., Ishii, H.R. et al. Tolerance and acclimation of photosynthesis of nine urban tree species to warmer growing conditions. Trees 35, 1793–1806 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-021-02119-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-021-02119-6

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