Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1994. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-91). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Abiotic and biotic stresses affect tree growth and play a major role in determining the geographic distribution of species. The objective of this study is to elucidate the following questions: (1) are GABA aminoacid and stomatal control good indicators of tolerance to water stress in Eucalyptus clones? In addition, what are the anatomical differences between drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive clones of Eucalyptus? (2) Are there differences of xylem vulnerability to cavitation in Pinus flexilis families susceptible and resistant to white pine blister rust (WPBR) and with different origins (high and low altitudes)? Two studies were carried out to elucidate the issues above. On chapters 1, eight Eucalyptus clones from different geographical and climatological conditions, three drought-sensitive (CNB, FIB and JAR), three drought-tolerant (GG, SUZ and VM), and two plastics (VER and COP), were studied in normal water supply (control treatment) and in water stress conditions (stress treatment). The first chapter concluded that GABA is an aminoacid very sensitive to water stress, but there was no relation between GABA concentration and tolerance to water stress of the clones. In addition, all clones decreased stomatal conductance with increasing vapor pressure deficit, and plastics and drought-tolerant clones (except GG) presented lower stomatal sensitivity to vapor pressure deficit under stress conditions than drought-sensitive clones. Besides, all clones showed differences on the anatomical parameters between, and only COP (plastic) and SUZ (drought-tolerant) showed homogeneous mesophyll and amphi-hipostomatic leaves. All clones increased the number of stomata and reduced leaf thickness of the leaves formed after water stress period. On the chapter 2, we studied 12 families of Pinus flexilis originating from high and lower altitudes, in which six families previously shown to contain the dominant C4 allele (resistant to WPBR) and six families without C4 allele (susceptible to WPBR). This study showed that the mean cavitation pressure (MCP) of Pinus flexilis varying between 3.63 a -4.84 Mpa, although there was a significant difference in vulnerability to cavitation comparing all families, this variable was not related to WPBR and origin region. These studies highlight that the physiological responses of plants under water stress conditions are important tools that can be used to complement the strategies of genotype selection in forest breeding programs. / Estresses abióticos e bióticos podem afetar o crescimento das árvores e desempenham um papel importante na determinação da distribuição geográfica das espécies. O objetivo deste estudo, foi elucidar as seguintes questões: (1) o aminoácido GABA e o controle estomático são bons indicadores da tolerância ao estresse hídrico em clones de Eucalyptus? E quais são as diferenças anatômicas entre clones de Eucalyptus tolerantes e sensíveis ao estresse hídrico? (2) existem diferenças de vulnerabilidade a cavitação do xilema entre famílias de Pinus flexilis suscetíveis e resistentes à ferrugem do pinho branco (WPBR) e com diferentes procedências (elevada e baixa altitudes)? Dois estudos foram desenvolvidos para elucidar as questões acima descritas. No capítulo 1, oito clones de Eucalyptus de diferentes procedências e condições climáticas, sendo três clones sensíveis ao estresse hídrico (CNB, FIB e JAR), três clones tolerantes ao estresse hídrico (GG, SUZ e VM) e dois clones plásticos (VER e COP), foram estudados sob duas condições distintas: sob adequado suprimento de água (tratamento controle) e sob condições de estresse hídrico (tratamento estresse). Do primeiro capítulo concluiu-se que o GABA é um aminoácido que possui alta sensibilidade ao estresse hídrico, no entanto, não houve relação entre a concentração de GABA e os níveis de tolerância ao estresse hídrico dos clones. Além disso, todos os clones reduziram a condutância estomática em relação ao aumento do déficit de pressão de vapor (DPV), sendo que, sob condições de estresse hídrico, os clones plásticos e tolerantes à seca (exceto o clone GG) apresentaram menor sensibilidade estomática ao DPV do que os clones sensíveis ao estresse hídrico. Além disso, todos os clones apresentaram diferenças anatômicas, sendo que, diferentemente dos demais, os clones COP (plástico) e SUZ (tolerante) apresentaram mesofilo homogêneo e folhas anfi-hipoestomáticas. Todos os clones aumentaram a quantidade de estômatos e reduziram a espessura foliar das folhas formadas após períodos de estresse hídrico. No segundo capítulo foram avaliadas 12 famílias de Pinus flexilis procedentes de regiões de baixa e alta altitudes, sendo seis famílias contendo um alelo dominante C4 (resistente à WPBR) e seis famílias sem o alelo C4 (suscetíveis à WPBR). Este estudo apresentou uma variação da pressão média da cavitação (MCP) para Pinus flexilis de -3,63 a -4,84 Mpa, e embora tenha havido uma diferença significativa da susceptibilidade a cavitação entre todas as famílias estudadas, esta variável não relacionou-se com a susceptibilidade a doença WPBR e com a região de procedência das famílias. Estes estudos comprovam que a avaliação das respostas fisiológicas das plantas sob condições de estresse hídrico são importantes ferramentas que podem ser utilizadas para complementar as estratégias da seleção de genótipos em programas de melhoramento florestal.

<p>Plants respond to changes in their local environment and, at the same time, influence the environment at a global scale. The molecular and physiological mechanisms regulating this interaction are not completely understood and this limits our capacity to predict the response of vegetation to future environmental changes. This dissertation combined tools from genomics, physiology, and ecology to examine the response of plants to environmental change. Specifically, it focused on processes affecting carbon and water exchange in forest trees because (1) trees are long-lived species that might face repeated environmental challenges; (2) relatively little information exists about the genes and the molecular mechanisms regulating structural and physiological traits in adult, long-lived woody plants; and (3) forest trees exchange a significant amount of carbon and water with the atmosphere and are therefore major players in the global carbon and water cycles. </p><p>Water flux through forests depends both on environmental conditions (e.g., soil moisture) and on the hydraulic architecture of individual trees. Resistance to xylem cavitation is an important hydraulic trait that is often associated with drought tolerance but potentially at the cost of reduced carbon uptake. The second chapter of this dissertation evaluated the variation in resistance to xylem cavitation, hydraulic conductivity, wood anatomy traits, and leaf gas exchange across 14 co-occurring temperate tree species including both angiosperms and gymnosperms. The relationship between vulnerability to cavitation (ψ₅₀) and hydraulic conductivity within specific organs (i.e. stems and roots) was not significant when considering the phylogenetic association between species. However, even after phylogenetic correction, photosynthetic carbon uptake (A) was positively correlated with both stem and root ψ₅₀, and stomatal conductance (g_s) was strongly correlated with root ψ₅₀ . These results suggest that there is a trade-off between vulnerability to cavitation and water transport capacity at the whole-plant level, and that this functional relationship reflects an adaptive response to the environment. </p><p>Forests are an important component of the global carbon cycle that can be directly impacted by a rise in atmospheric CO₂ concentration.. The third chapter of this dissertation investigated the effects of long-term exposure to elevated CO2 on the gene expression of mature, field-grown loblolly pine trees. Using cDNA microarrays, I compared the expression of 1784 pine transcripts in trees growing under ambient and those under elevated CO₂ at monthly intervals throughout a growing season. Overall, more genes were upregulated than downregulated by elevated CO₂, although the total number of genes differentially expressed varied throughout the season. The pattern of increasing number of differentially expressed genes until the peak of the growing season (July and August) followed by a decrease in that number, matched the seasonal trend of tree growth and photosynthetic response to elevated CO₂ in this species. The seasonal trend also reflected the interaction among multiple abiotic factors intrinsic to field conditions and emphasized the relevance of evaluating the role of genes in their natural environment. Genes consistently upregulated by elevated CO₂ were functionally associated with environmental sensing, cellular signaling, and carbon metabolism, in particular the degradation of carbohydrates through respiration. An increase in carbohydrates degradation is particularly relevant in the context of carbon balance of forest trees because of the potential for enhanced leaf and tree respiration leading to a reduced sink capacity for CO₂. </p><p>Loblolly pine produces several flushes of needles throughout the year each with an average lifespan of 19 months. Each year, two age classes of needles contribute to the annual carbon sequestration of the loblolly pine forest. To address the impact of leaf age on the effects of elevated CO₂ in carbon metabolism regulation, I compared the gene expression profiles from trees under ambient and elevated CO₂ conditions in two needle cohorts: one-year-old and current-year. Differential expression under elevated CO₂ was seven times more frequent in current-year than in one-year-old needles. Despite differences in magnitude, many of the patterns within specific groups of genes were similar across age classes. For instance, there was a trend for downregulation of genes involved in the light-reactions of photosynthesis and those in photorespiration in both age classes, while genes associated with dark respiration were largely upregulated by elevated CO₂ in both cases. The difference between the two cohorts was particularly evident in the group of genes related to energy production (ATP synthesis) and the group associated with carbon partitioning (sucrose and starch metabolism). Because sucrose and starch metabolism categories included many genes known to be important regulators of gene expression and plant physiological processes, this suggests that this stage of carbon metabolism might be an important control point in age-dependent foliar responses to elevated CO₂.</p><p>This dissertation examined both structural and physiological components of plant water and carbon relations (Chapter 2) across different biological scales of organization (whole-plant level in Chapter 2; gene-level response to ecosystem-level changes in Chapters 3 and 4) and reflecting adjustments at distinct temporal scales (life-span of the organism vs. evolutionary selection of traits). An integrative approach was used to advance our understanding of how plants acclimate and adapt to their environment, and to provide a mechanistic framework for predictive models of plant response to environmental change. </p> / Dissertation

Abiotic and biotic stresses affect tree growth and play a major role in determining the geographic distribution of species. The objective of this study is to elucidate the following questions: (1) are GABA aminoacid and stomatal control good indicators of tolerance to water stress in Eucalyptus clones? In addition, what are the anatomical differences between drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive clones of Eucalyptus? (2) Are there differences of xylem vulnerability to cavitation in Pinus flexilis families susceptible and resistant to white pine blister rust (WPBR) and with different origins (high and low altitudes)? Two studies were carried out to elucidate the issues above. On chapters 1, eight Eucalyptus clones from different geographical and climatological conditions, three drought-sensitive (CNB, FIB and JAR), three drought-tolerant (GG, SUZ and VM), and two plastics (VER and COP), were studied in normal water supply (control treatment) and in water stress conditions (stress treatment). The first chapter concluded that GABA is an aminoacid very sensitive to water stress, but there was no relation between GABA concentration and tolerance to water stress of the clones. In addition, all clones decreased stomatal conductance with increasing vapor pressure deficit, and plastics and drought-tolerant clones (except GG) presented lower stomatal sensitivity to vapor pressure deficit under stress conditions than drought-sensitive clones. Besides, all clones showed differences on the anatomical parameters between, and only COP (plastic) and SUZ (drought-tolerant) showed homogeneous mesophyll and amphi-hipostomatic leaves. All clones increased the number of stomata and reduced leaf thickness of the leaves formed after water stress period. On the chapter 2, we studied 12 families of Pinus flexilis originating from high and lower altitudes, in which six families previously shown to contain the dominant C4 allele (resistant to WPBR) and six families without C4 allele (susceptible to WPBR). This study showed that the mean cavitation pressure (MCP) of Pinus flexilis varying between 3.63 a -4.84 Mpa, although there was a significant difference in vulnerability to cavitation comparing all families, this variable was not related to WPBR and origin region. These studies highlight that the physiological responses of plants under water stress conditions are important tools that can be used to complement the strategies of genotype selection in forest breeding programs. / Estresses abióticos e bióticos podem afetar o crescimento das árvores e desempenham um papel importante na determinação da distribuição geográfica das espécies. O objetivo deste estudo, foi elucidar as seguintes questões: (1) o aminoácido GABA e o controle estomático são bons indicadores da tolerância ao estresse hídrico em clones de Eucalyptus? E quais são as diferenças anatômicas entre clones de Eucalyptus tolerantes e sensíveis ao estresse hídrico? (2) existem diferenças de vulnerabilidade a cavitação do xilema entre famílias de Pinus flexilis suscetíveis e resistentes à ferrugem do pinho branco (WPBR) e com diferentes procedências (elevada e baixa altitudes)? Dois estudos foram desenvolvidos para elucidar as questões acima descritas. No capítulo 1, oito clones de Eucalyptus de diferentes procedências e condições climáticas, sendo três clones sensíveis ao estresse hídrico (CNB, FIB e JAR), três clones tolerantes ao estresse hídrico (GG, SUZ e VM) e dois clones plásticos (VER e COP), foram estudados sob duas condições distintas: sob adequado suprimento de água (tratamento controle) e sob condições de estresse hídrico (tratamento estresse). Do primeiro capítulo concluiu-se que o GABA é um aminoácido que possui alta sensibilidade ao estresse hídrico, no entanto, não houve relação entre a concentração de GABA e os níveis de tolerância ao estresse hídrico dos clones. Além disso, todos os clones reduziram a condutância estomática em relação ao aumento do déficit de pressão de vapor (DPV), sendo que, sob condições de estresse hídrico, os clones plásticos e tolerantes à seca (exceto o clone GG) apresentaram menor sensibilidade estomática ao DPV do que os clones sensíveis ao estresse hídrico. Além disso, todos os clones apresentaram diferenças anatômicas, sendo que, diferentemente dos demais, os clones COP (plástico) e SUZ (tolerante) apresentaram mesofilo homogêneo e folhas anfi-hipoestomáticas. Todos os clones aumentaram a quantidade de estômatos e reduziram a espessura foliar das folhas formadas após períodos de estresse hídrico. No segundo capítulo foram avaliadas 12 famílias de Pinus flexilis procedentes de regiões de baixa e alta altitudes, sendo seis famílias contendo um alelo dominante C4 (resistente à WPBR) e seis famílias sem o alelo C4 (suscetíveis à WPBR). Este estudo apresentou uma variação da pressão média da cavitação (MCP) para Pinus flexilis de -3,63 a -4,84 Mpa, e embora tenha havido uma diferença significativa da susceptibilidade a cavitação entre todas as famílias estudadas, esta variável não relacionou-se com a susceptibilidade a doença WPBR e com a região de procedência das famílias. Estes estudos comprovam que a avaliação das respostas fisiológicas das plantas sob condições de estresse hídrico são importantes ferramentas que podem ser utilizadas para complementar as estratégias da seleção de genótipos em programas de melhoramento florestal.