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Morphological and physiological acclimation of Quercus coccifera L. seedlings to water availability and growing medium

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Abstract

One of the main constraints of reforestation in the Mediterranean region is low summer water availability during the first years after out planting. Plant water availability depends on the precipitation regime, but also on the physical properties of the soil. Higher survival rates result when seedlings are soil acclimated. Our main goal was to describe the morpho-physiological responses of 6-, 10- and 18-month-old Quercus coccifera seedlings growing in a natural soil (terra rossa) or a standard nursery growing medium, and to assess in the nursery if seedlings growing in natural soil were more resistant to deficit irrigation. The high growth rate achieved after 10–18 months by terra rossa-grown seedlings in contrast with those grown in the nursery substrate suggests that the former were acclimated to the soil. Higher photosynthetic rate (A), transpiration (E) and stomatal conductance (gs) were observed in terra rossa seedlings, mainly during the first months. The higher carbon availability may account for the higher root nitrogen concentration in terra rossa-grown seedlings, which could favor their later field growth. Low-watered seedlings showed a certain degree of hardening, since after 18 months, they showed higher A, E, gs and lower photoinhibition than well-watered seedlings, likely attributable to the sharp leaf-to-root biomass ratio reduction. Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) values were similar to those of well-watered plants and indicated a non-stomatal component as the main factor controlling photosynthesis in these leaves. Eighteen-month-old low irrigated seedlings had the highest mortality. Overall, results suggest that nursery terra rossa-acclimated Q. coccifera seedlings with improved physiological status and hydraulic soil-root continuity would have a higher survival rate in the field.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by funds from the Direccion General de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnica. Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia. SPAIN (AGL2002-02136 AGR-FOR) and from the Generalitat de Catalunya 2005 SGR00070. We thank, Ms. Nuri Niell, Mr. Eduard Juliol for technical assistance and Dra. G. Pascual for her help with sampling and carbohydrate analysis. We also thank to Professor G. Pardini for his help in soil analysis. We gratefully acknowledge Mr. Miquel Barceló and Mr. Joan Parera from the Bioriza nursery (Cornella de Terri—Girona) for facilities and support. Joaquim Vilagran was the recipient of a doctoral grant from the University of Girona.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Àrea de Fisiologia Vegetal, Departament de Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Girona, Campus de Montilivi sn, 17071, Girona, Catalunya, Spain

    Dolors Verdaguer & Joaquim Vilagran

  2. Unitat de Fisiologia Vegetal, Departament de Biologia Vegetal, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Sara Lloansi & Isabel Fleck

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  1. Dolors Verdaguer
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  2. Joaquim Vilagran
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  3. Sara Lloansi
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  4. Isabel Fleck
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Correspondence to Dolors Verdaguer.

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Verdaguer, D., Vilagran, J., Lloansi, S. et al. Morphological and physiological acclimation of Quercus coccifera L. seedlings to water availability and growing medium. New Forests 42, 363–381 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-011-9257-9

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