Authors: Steven C Grossnickle Shihe Fan John H Russell
Publish Date: 2004/10/07
Volume: 19, Issue: 1, Pages: 32-42
Abstract
Western redcedar Thuja plicata Donn populations were planted out on a reforestation site and measured during the summer to define their gas exchange processes in relation to evaporative demand under nonlimiting light and edaphic conditions These populations came from various locations across a longitudinal transect representing various biogeoclimatic subzones differing in annual and summer precipitation in British Columbia Canada The study was designed to determine whether there was population variation in gas exchange patterns and if this variation was adaptive to environmental conditions of the source geographic region ie descriptors of population seedorigin Both instantaneous gas exchange and carbon isotope composition were measured All western redcedar populations had a decrease in foliage conductance gwv and net photosynthesis Pn as vapor pressure deficit VPD increased There was evidence of genetic variation in both gwv and Pn responses to VPD with the two Vancouver Island populations having greater gwv and Pn levels than most other populations across the full range of VPD conditions For all populations intrinsic water use efficiency WUEI was fairly stable across the full range of VPD conditions There was a relationship between foliage carbon isotope discrimination Δ and both the ratio of internal to ambient CO2 concentration CI/Ca and WUEI measured during the summer growing season There was a stronger relationship between gwv and Δ than between Pn and Δ There was population variation in Δ with trees from two submaritime locations having the lowest Δ levels and the highest WUEI across all field site VPD conditions In contrast the two Vancouver Island populations as well as trees from a very dry interior location had the lowest seasonal WUEI and the highest Δ levels Measured gas exchange response and longterm water use efficiency WUE patterns did not consistently correspond to environmental conditions of the source geographic region
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