Morphological Response of Jack Pine to the Interactive Effects of Carbon Dioxide, Soil Temperature and Photoperiod

Md Shah Newaz,Rongzhou Man,Qing-Lai Dang

doi:10.4236/ajps.2016.76083

Abstract

Responding to the predicted shift in climate envelope jack pine, (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) might migrate 10° northward between 2071 and 2100 and will be exposed to a different photoperiod regime. Successful migration of the species might depend on the initial acclimating capability to the conditions of new location. The impacts of elevated carbon dioxide concentration [CO2], soil temperature and photoperiod on the phenological traits, growth and biomass responses in jack pine seedlings were investigated. Seedlings were grown in greenhouses under two [CO2] (400 and 950 μmol•mol-1), two soil temperatures (ambient soil temperature at seed origin and 5°C warmer) and three photoperiod regimes (photoperiods at seed origin, 5° north of the seed origin and 10° north of the seed origin). Budburst and bud setting time were recorded and the seedling height (Ht), root collar diameter (RCD), root biomass, stem biomass and leaf biomass were measured after six months of treatment. It was observed that under elevated [CO2], ambient Tsoil and photoperiods associated with 10° northward migrations budburstis advanced by 10 days. Photoperiods toward north significantly prolonged the bud setting time. However, tri-factor interactive effect on bud set was not statistically significant. Elevated [CO2] significantly (P 2] significantly increased the projected leaf area, it had no significant effect on specific leaf area. Elevated [CO2] significantly reduced the shoot to root ratio, which indicated higher biomass allocation in roots under elevated [CO2]. However, all these growth and biomass responses were statistically insignificant under tri-factor interactive effects. The results suggest that climate change induced northward migration will not affect the growth of jack pine. However, a long distance migration (e.g. 10° north) will expose the species to late-spring frost damage.

Highlights

Phenological sensitivity reflects the ability of a species to track climate change and indicates whether the species will persist or decline in response to climate changes [1]
Plants responded to changes in growing conditions and altered availability of resources induced by climate change by making phenotypic and physiological adjustments, or by migrating to a new area having similar environmental conditions that they are adapted to, or by combinations of the above responses and eventually by genetically adapting to the new conditions [3]
The overall objective of this study was to assess the interactive effects of photoperiod, soil temperature and CO2 elevation on the morphological traits of jack pine in the context of northward migration

Summary

Introduction

Phenological sensitivity reflects the ability of a species to track climate change and indicates whether the species will persist or decline in response to climate changes [1]. Phenological events are observable and most sensitive traits to climate change [2]. Plants responded to changes in growing conditions and altered availability of resources induced by climate change by making phenotypic and physiological adjustments, or by migrating to a new area having similar environmental conditions that they are adapted to, or by combinations of the above responses and eventually by genetically adapting to the new conditions [3]. Plastic changes have a large influence on the immediate fate of the migrating plants via their effects on survival and reproduction [5]

Objectives

Methods

Results