Carbon reservoirs in shade-tolerant morphotype of Paubrasilia echinata are more susceptible to humidity and temperature changes than sun-tolerant morphotype

Abstract

Given the eminent climate changes and the importance of carbon dynamics in the growth and survival of plants, we investigated how the non-structural carbohydrates – NSC – and cell wall polymers – CWP (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) – from sun-tolerant and shade-tolerant plants will respond to changes in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and temperature (temp.) of atmosphere predicted for the southeast region of Brazil for the next decades. We used plants of two morphotypes of Paubrasilia echinata as a biological model. This species presents intraspecific variations from each other in leaf morphology and growth concerning luminosity in the initial phase of growth. The small morphotype is shade-tolerant and the medium morphotype is tolerant to full sun. The work was carried out in greenhouses adjusted with the combination of the higher and lower VPD and temp., constituting 4 enviroments: 1) 0.4 KPa – 19.8 °C, 2) 0.5 KPa – 23.8 °C, 3) 2.0 KPa – 25.1 °C, and 4) 1.1 KPa – 14.9 °C. On day 125 after the start of the experiment, we determined the concentrations of NSC and CWP in the root, stem, and leaves. The shade-tolerant morphotype showed an increase in sugar concentration in the environment where the plants grew the most (2.0 KPa – 25.1 °C). In this same environment, the NSC concentrations of the shoot organs increased in the sun-tolerant morphotype. The 0.4 KPa – 19.8 °C reduced the cellulose and lignin concentrations of the shade-tolerant morphotype and promoted the hemicelluloses of the sun-tolerant morphotype. The NSC and CWP allocation proved to be more influenced by VPD and temp. variations in the shade-tolerant than the sun-tolerant morphotype. We conclude that warming and lower atmospheric humidity could inhibit the axial stem growth of sun-tolerant juvenile plants. Warming, regardless of atmospheric humidity variations, will not affect the cellulose and lignin levels of stem, and consequently, the wood quality of shade- and sun-tolerant plants. However, hemicelluloses concentrations of sun-tolerant plants may decline in a warmer and less humid atmosphere.