Eurasian journal of forest research;Vol.22

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Integrated effect of environmental changes on forest ecosystems in Lithuania: Strategies for adaptation to and mitigation of the main threats of global climate change

AUGUSTAITIS, Algirdas;AUGUSTAITIENE, Ingrida;SIDABRIENE, Diana;KOIKE, Takayoshi;MAROZAS, Vitas

Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/84964
JaLCDOI : 10.14943/EJFR.22.45
KEYWORDS : stem increment;sapflow intensity;meteorology;PAR;ozone flux

Abstract

Field-measured forest productivity and its time series are crucial to understanding the impact of climate change on the main tree species increment and stand productivity in general. In this study, the causative relationships between environmental factors, such as O3 fluxes and tree ring width formation, including stem sap flow intensity, in the prevalent Lithuanian tree species (Picea abies (L.) Karst, Pinus sylvestris L., Betula pendula, and Betula pubescens ) growing under different nutritional and moisture conditions in northeastern Lithuania were examined. We hope that this information will help us assess a trees capacity to adapt to and mitigate recent global clima te changes. Continuous monitoring of the tree stem increment from annual to hourly scales was crucial for this study. The obtained data revealed that Norway spruce trees are appropriately adapted to current climatic conditions in temperate forests. Even du ring a drought episode, spruce stem increment exceeded the increment of the rest of the studied tree species; therefore, they had the highest water use efficiency compared to the rest of the tree species in the study. O3 fluxed through the stomata at an ho urly scale, stimulating the stem shrinking process more intensively than inhibiting the swelling process, but only for pine and birch trees. Spruce trees demonstrated the highest sensitivity to O3 because O3 significantly affected the stem swelling process. Pine trees were less sensitive to O3 damage, and birch trees were the least affected. Reduced tree growth intensity and the weak relationship between birch tree radial increment and the main meteorological parameters indicate that birch trees have the lo west adaptive capacity to recent environmental changes of the tree species in this study.

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