Abstract

BackgroundExperiencing an adequate amount of cold temperatures over winter is necessary for many temperate tree species to break dormancy and flower in spring. Thus, changes in winter and spring temperatures associated with climate change may influence when trees break dormancy and flower in the future. There have been several experimental studies that have quantified the effectiveness of cold temperatures for chilling requirements for vegetative budburst of temperate trees; however, there are few experimental studies addressing the chilling requirements for reproductive budburst of trees, as it is difficult to place reproductively mature trees in temperature-controlled environments.MethodsTo identify how changing temperatures associated with climate change may impact reproductive phenology, we completed a temperature-controlled growth chamber experiment using cuttings of reproductive branches of red alder (Alnus rubra), one of the most widespread hardwood tree species of the Pacific Northwest, USA. The purpose of this study was to examine how colder (4 °C) and warmer (9 °C) winter temperature regimes influenced the timing of reproductive budburst of red alder cuttings in spring. We also compared the date of budburst of cuttings to that of branches from intact trees.ResultsWe found that cuttings flowered earlier after pretreatment with a 4 °C winter temperature regime than after a 9 °C winter temperature regime. We found no significant differences between the timing of male budburst of cuttings exposed to ambient conditions compared to male budburst of branches from intact trees. We used our experimental data to estimate a “possibility-line” that shows the accumulated chilling and forcing temperatures necessary prior to reproductive budburst of red alder.DiscussionThis study provides a preliminary indication that warmer winters with climate change may not be as effective as colder winters for satisfying chilling temperature requirements of a Northwest hardwood tree species.

Highlights

  • Tree phenology is strongly controlled by temperature, and as climate change alters seasonal temperatures, tree phenology may shift in unexpected ways (Luedeling, Zhang & Girvetz, How to cite this article Prevéy and Harrington (2018), Effectiveness of winter temperatures for satisfying chilling requirements for reproductive budburst of red alder (Alnus rubra)

  • While we did not alter photoperiod in this study, our results indicate that the influence of temperature alone can accelerate reproductive budburst much earlier than has happened historically, indicating that photoperiod may not constrain the advancement of early-season phenology of trees in the Pacific Northwest

  • Future research using reproductive cuttings should include treatment combinations that alter both photoperiod and temperature, as there may be interactive effects between temperature and photoperiod (Heide, 1993; Basler & Körner, 2012) that may influence phenological responses to climate change (Laube et al, 2014; Way & Montgomery, 2015). This experiment provides evidence that warmer winters with climate change may not be as effective as current conditions for satisfying chilling requirements of reproductive budburst of red alder

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Tree phenology is strongly controlled by temperature, and as climate change alters seasonal temperatures, tree phenology may shift in unexpected ways (Luedeling, Zhang & Girvetz, How to cite this article Prevéy and Harrington (2018), Effectiveness of winter temperatures for satisfying chilling requirements for reproductive budburst of red alder (Alnus rubra). To identify how changing temperatures associated with climate change may impact reproductive phenology, we completed a temperature-controlled growth chamber experiment using cuttings of reproductive branches of red alder (Alnus rubra), one of the most widespread hardwood tree species of the Pacific Northwest, USA. This study provides a preliminary indication that warmer winters with climate change may not be as effective as colder winters for satisfying chilling temperature requirements of a Northwest hardwood tree species

Objectives
Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.