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Contributed Talk

Session: : Climate Change: Plants 7

COS 143-5 - Comparisons of Morphological and Physiochemical Responses among Four Subalpine Species under Drought and Warming Treatments

Wednesday, August 9, 2023
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM PDT
Location: B118
Abstract: Accelerated drought stress along with global warming is considered to be the main cause of the death of subalpine coniferous species in Korea, including endangered Abies koreana, and various studies have been conducted to conserve endangered coniferous species. However, the studies on vegetation changes in Korean subalpine forests, especially with the consideration of replacement by coexisting alternative species, were rarely conducted. Here we established an experimental site simulating future drought and warming in Seoul National University’s Pyeongchang Campus in April 2022 to compare the different morphological and physiochemical responses of four tree species, A. koreana, Fraxinus mandshurica, Pinus koraiensis, and Quercus mongolica, distributed in the subalpine region of Mt. Jiri. Partially-blocked roof was used for drought treatment - control (CT; 100% precipitation(P)), light drought (LD; 33% reduction of P), and severe drought (SD; 67% reduction of P) – and far-infrared warmers were used for warming treatment. The mortality rate, height, root collar diameter were analyzed as morphological characteristics. In addition to gas exchange parameters, leaf water potential, chlorophyll, and nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) were analyzed as physiochemical characteristics. The mortality rate was the highest in A. koreana, and, especially, under SD. The root collar diameter decreased significantly under SD in A. koreana. The photosynthetic rate of F. mandshurica increased under SD in October. Water potential differed among tree species, especially in July, when the water stress was high. Water potential did not fall below a certain value in conifers regardless of drought treatment, which shows their isohydric characteristic. Chlorophyll content showed a significant increase under SD in most species, except for A. koreana in October. NSC significantly decreased in most of the species under drought stress and increased under warming stress in broadleaved species in October. In conclusion, this study suggests that tree species distributed in subalpine region of Korea show a stronger response to drought than warming, and this will help us understand and predict future ecosystem changes in Korean subalpine forests.