AI Article Synopsis
- Extreme weather like late frosts and droughts is happening more often because of climate change.
- Scientists studied how beech trees cope with these weather problems and found that trees use special sugars and starch to survive tough conditions.
- The research showed that while late frost hurt tree growth a lot, the trees managed to deal with summer drought by using stored sugars, showing that beech trees are tough and can handle extreme weather.
Article Abstract
Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity due to global climate change. We hypothesized that tree carbon reserves are crucial for resilience of beech, buffering the source-sink imbalance due to late frosts and summer droughts, and that different components of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) play specific roles in coping with stressful situations. To assess the compound effects on mature trees of two extreme weather events, first a late frost in spring 2016 and then a drought in summer 2017, we monitored the phenology, radial growth and the dynamics of starch and soluble sugars in a Mediterranean beech forest. A growth reduction of 85% was observed after the spring late frost, yet not after the drought event. We observed a strong impact of late frost on starch, which also affected its dynamic at the beginning of the subsequent vegetative season. In 2017, the increase of soluble sugars, associated with starch hydrolysis, played a crucial role in coping with the severe summer drought. Non-structural carbohydrates helped to counteract the negative effects of both events, supporting plant survival and buffering source-sink imbalances under stressful conditions. Our findings indicate a strong trade-off between growth and NSC storage in trees. Overall, our results highlight the key role of NSCs on beech trees, response to extreme weather events, confirming the resilience of this species to highly stressful events. These insights are useful for assessing how forests may respond to the potential impacts of climate change on ecosystem processes in the Mediterranean area.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpab044 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Impact of absolute values and changes in meteorological and air quality conditions on community-acquired pneumonia in Germany.
Int J Biometeorol
December 2024
Institute for Lung Research, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Centre, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major global health concern as it is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality and economic burden to the health care systems. In Germany, more than 15,000 people die every year from CAP. Climate change is altering weather patterns, and it may influence the probability and severity of CAP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman driven climate change increased the likelihood of the 2023 record area burned in Canada.
NPJ Clim Atmos Sci
December 2024
Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC Canada.
In 2023, wildfires burned 15 million hectares in Canada, more than doubling the previous record. These wildfires caused a record number of evacuations, unprecedented air quality impacts across Canada and the northeastern United States, and substantial strain on fire management resources. Using climate models, we show that human-induced climate change significantly increased the likelihood of area burned at least as large as in 2023 across most of Canada, with more than two-fold increases in the east and southwest.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA Critical Perspective on Photothermal De-Icing.
Adv Mater
December 2024
Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
To tackle the formidable challenges posed by extreme cold weather events, significant advancements have been made in developing functional surfaces capable of efficiently removing accreted ice. Nevertheless, many of these surfaces still require external energy input, such as electrical power, which raises concerns regarding their alignment with global sustainability goals. Over the past decade, increasing attention has been directed toward photothermal surface designs that harness solar energy-a resource available on Earth in quantities exceeding the total reserves of coal and oil combined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Effect of Climate Change on Allergen and Irritant Exposure.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract
December 2024
Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE. Electronic address:
As the effects of anthropogenic climate change have become more apparent, the influences of climate and extreme weather events on health have continued to gain attention. The fact Earth has warmed over the past century is indisputable and the rate of warming is more alarming. As a result of anthropogenic climate change an alteration in the air mixture has occurred over time.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssociation between ambient temperatures and cardiovascular disease: A time series analysis using emergency ambulance dispatches in Chongqing, China, 2019-2021.
Health Place
December 2024
School of Public Health, Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Research Center for Public Health Security, Chongqing Medical University, No.61 Middle University Town Road, Shapingba District, Chongqing, 400016, China. Electronic address:
Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death globally. Yet, further research is required into the relationship between CVD and extreme environmental temperatures. This study aims to explore the association between the incidence of CVD and extreme temperatures, and also to identify susceptible subgroups within the population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!