Growth, carbon-isotope discrimination, and drought-associated mortality across a <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> elevational transect Export

@article{citeulike:5975429, abstract = {Drought- and insect-associated tree mortality at low-elevation ecotones is a widespread phenomenon but the underlying mechanisms are uncertain. Enhanced growth sensitivity to climate is widely observed among trees that die, indicating that a predisposing physiological mechanism(s) underlies tree mortality. We tested three, linked hypotheses regarding mortality using a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) elevation transect that experienced low-elevation mortality following prolonged drought. The hypotheses were: (1) mortality was associated with greater growth sensitivity to climate, (2) mortality was associated with greater sensitivity of gas exchange to climate, and (3) growth and gas exchange were correlated. Support for all three hypotheses would indicate that mortality results at least in part from gas exchange constraints. We assessed growth using basal area increment normalized by tree basal area [basal area increment (BAI)/basal area (BA)] to account for differences in tree size. Whole-crown gas exchange was indexed via estimates of the CO2 partial pressure difference between leaf and atmosphere (pa2212pc) derived from tree ring carbon isotope ratios (03B413C), corrected for temporal trends in atmospheric CO2 and 03B413C and elevation trends in pressure. Trees that survived the drought exhibited strong correlations among and between BAI, BAI/BA, pa2212pc, and climate. In contrast, trees that died exhibited greater growth sensitivity to climate than trees that survived, no sensitivity of pa2212pc to climate, and a steep relationship between pa2212pc and BAI/BA. The pa2212pc results are consistent with predictions from a theoretical hydraulic model, suggesting trees that died had a limited buffer between mean water availability during their lifespan and water availability during drought 2013 i.e., chronic water stress. It appears that chronic water stress predisposed low-elevation trees to mortality during drought via constrained gas exchange. Continued intensification of drought in mid-latitude regions may drive increased mortality and ecotone shifts in temperate forests and woodlands.}, address = {Earth and Environmental Sciences, MS J495, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA; U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Jemez Mountains Field Station, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA; University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources, 325 Biosciences East, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA}, author = {McDOWELL, Nate G. and Allen, Craig D. and Laura Marshal, L.}, citeulike-article-id = {5975429}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.01994.x}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/122462740/ABSTRACT}, doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.01994.x}, issn = {1365-2486}, journal = {Global Change Biology}, keywords = {climate-change, species-response}, number = {9999}, posted-at = {2009-10-20 17:27:29}, priority = {2}, title = {Growth, carbon-isotope discrimination, and drought-associated mortality across a <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> elevational transect}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.01994.x}, volume = {9999}, year = {2009} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:5975429 L3 - citeulike-article-id:5975429 N2 - Drought- and insect-associated tree mortality at low-elevation ecotones is a widespread phenomenon but the underlying mechanisms are uncertain. Enhanced growth sensitivity to climate is widely observed among trees that die, indicating that a predisposing physiological mechanism(s) underlies tree mortality. We tested three, linked hypotheses regarding mortality using a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) elevation transect that experienced low-elevation mortality following prolonged drought. The hypotheses were: (1) mortality was associated with greater growth sensitivity to climate, (2) mortality was associated with greater sensitivity of gas exchange to climate, and (3) growth and gas exchange were correlated. Support for all three hypotheses would indicate that mortality results at least in part from gas exchange constraints. We assessed growth using basal area increment normalized by tree basal area [basal area increment (BAI)/basal area (BA)] to account for differences in tree size. Whole-crown gas exchange was indexed via estimates of the CO2 partial pressure difference between leaf and atmosphere (pa2212pc) derived from tree ring carbon isotope ratios (03B413C), corrected for temporal trends in atmospheric CO2 and 03B413C and elevation trends in pressure. Trees that survived the drought exhibited strong correlations among and between BAI, BAI/BA, pa2212pc, and climate. In contrast, trees that died exhibited greater growth sensitivity to climate than trees that survived, no sensitivity of pa2212pc to climate, and a steep relationship between pa2212pc and BAI/BA. The pa2212pc results are consistent with predictions from a theoretical hydraulic model, suggesting trees that died had a limited buffer between mean water availability during their lifespan and water availability during drought 2013 i.e., chronic water stress. It appears that chronic water stress predisposed low-elevation trees to mortality during drought via constrained gas exchange. Continued intensification of drought in mid-latitude regions may drive increased mortality and ecotone shifts in temperate forests and woodlands. IS - 9999 JF - Global Change Biology SN - 1365-2486 AD - Earth and Environmental Sciences, MS J495, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA; U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Jemez Mountains Field Station, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA; University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources, 325 Biosciences East, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA TI - Growth, carbon-isotope discrimination, and drought-associated mortality across a <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> elevational transect VL - 9999 KW - climate-change KW - species-response AU - McDOWELL, Nate AU - Allen, Craig AU - Laura Marshal, L PY - 2009/// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.01994.x ER -