edoc

European deciduous trees exhibit similar safety margins against damage by spring freeze events along elevational gradients

Lenz, A. and Hoch, G. and Vitasse, Y. and Körner, C.. (2013) European deciduous trees exhibit similar safety margins against damage by spring freeze events along elevational gradients. New phytologist, Vol. 200, H. 4. pp. 1166-1175.

Full text not available from this repository.

Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A6194516

Downloads: Statistics Overview

Abstract

Minimum temperature is assumed to be an important driver of tree species range limits. We investigated during which period of the year trees are most vulnerable to freezing damage and whether the pressure of freezing events increases with increasing elevation. We assessed the course of freezing resistance of buds and leaves from winter to summer at the upper elevational limits of eight deciduous tree species in the Swiss Alps. By reconstructing the spring phenology of these species over the last eight decades using a thermal time model, we linked freezing resistance with long-term minimum temperature data along elevational gradients. Counter-intuitively, the pressure of freeze events does not increase with elevation, but deciduous temperate tree species exhibit a constant safety margin (5–8.5 K) against damage by spring freeze events along elevational gradients, as a result of the later flushing at higher elevation. Absolute minimum temperatures in winter and summer are unlikely to critically injure trees. Our study shows that freezing temperatures in spring are the main selective pressure controlling the timing of flushing, leading to a shorter growing season at higher elevation and potentially driving species distribution limits. Such mechanistic knowledge is important to improve predictions of tree species range limits.
Faculties and Departments:05 Faculty of Science > Departement Umweltwissenschaften > Ehemalige Einheiten Umweltwissenschaften > Pflanzenökologie (Körner)
UniBasel Contributors:Körner, Christian and Hoch, Günter and Vitasse, Yann and Lenz, Armando
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Blackwell Science
ISSN:0028-646X
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
Related URLs:
Identification Number:
Last Modified:06 Dec 2013 09:35
Deposited On:06 Dec 2013 09:35

Repository Staff Only: item control page