Climate change and Mediterranean ecosystems: plant and soil responses to UV radiation and water availability before and after a perturbation

Abstract

Taking into account the expected changes in solar UV levels, precipitation and fire regime in the Mediterranean basin, the main goal of this thesis was to evaluate the effects of UV radiation (UV-A and UV-B) and diminished water availability on the biochemical, morphological, physiological and growth traits of common Mediterranean resprouter species (Arbutus unedo and Quercus suber), as well as on C and N pools of a Mediterranean shrubland, before and after a perturbation. As main results, responses of A. unedo plants to enhanced UV-B were mainly addressed to the reinforcement of the antioxidant machinery, while Q. suber augmented UV-screening capacity to face UV-B enhancement. At ecosystem level, UV-A and UV-B had opposite effects on soil processes related to C and N cycles, and these effects were often emphasized under reduced precipitation. In addition, the responses observed in plants and soil were different before and after the perturbation.