Effects of Open-field Artificial Warming and Precipitation Manipulation on Physiological Characteristics and Growth of Pinus densiflora Seedlings

Abstract

Climate change affects plant responses on physiological characteristics and growth, and Pinus densiflora, one of the major tree species in Korea, are expected to be particularly vulnerable to rising temperature and increased precipitation. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of an open-field warming and precipitation manipulation on physiological characteristics and growth of P. densiflora seedlings. Seedlings of 2-year-old P. densiflora were planted in April, 2013, in open-field nursery located at Korea University. The air temperature of warmed plots had been set to be 3℃ higher than the control plots using infrared lamps. Precipitation was manipulated to be 30% lower or higher than the control, using transparent panels and drip irrigation. Net photosynthetic rate, total chlorophyll content, seedling height, root collar diameter and biomass were measured from April, 2014 to April, 2015. The increase in new shoot biomass from warming was statistically significant, with the biomass in warmed plots about 2-fold higher than in the control plots in 2014 and 2015. This result might be related to advanced bud burst and increased occurrence of abnormal new shoots in warmed plots. Meanwhile, the results of net photosynthetic rate, total chlorophyll content, seedling height, root collar diameter and total biomass from warming and precipitation manipulation were not statistically significant, but tendencies of lower net photosynthetic rate and higher seedling height and biomass in warmed plots compared to the control were shown. Such might be speculated as results of the extended growth period. When root to shoot (R/S) ratio was calculated from the biomass data obtained in April 2014 and April 2015, increased R/S ratio was observed regardless of the treatments applied. Drought tolerance of P. densiflora and particularly low annual precipitation observed in 2014 were suggested as the possible reasons.