Interaction of drought- and pathogen-induced mortality in Norway spruce and scots pine

Pathogenic diseases frequently occur in drought-stressed trees. However, their contribution to the process of drought-induced mortality is poorly understood. We combined drought and stem inoculation treatments to study the physiological processes leading to drought-induced mortality in Norway spruce...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gómez‐Gallego, Mireia, Galiano, Lucia, Martínez-Vilalta, Jordi, Stenlid, Jan, Capador-Barreto, Hernan D., Elfstrand, Malin, Camarero Martínez, Jesús Julio, Oliva Palau, Jonàs
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10459.1/83499
Acceso en línea:https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.14360
http://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/83499
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Carbon starvation
Conifer
Drought-induced tree death
Hydraulic failure
Necrotrophic pathogen
Sapwood
Circuits hidràulics
Coníferes
Carboni
Microorganismes patògens
Descripción
Sumario:Pathogenic diseases frequently occur in drought-stressed trees. However, their contribution to the process of drought-induced mortality is poorly understood. We combined drought and stem inoculation treatments to study the physiological processes leading to drought-induced mortality in Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) saplings infected with Heterobasidion annosum s.s. We analysed the saplings' water status, gas exchange, nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) and defence responses, and how they related to mortality. Saplings were followed for two growing seasons, including an artificially induced 3-month dormancy period. The combined drought and pathogen treatment significantly increased spruce mortality; however, no interaction between these stressors was observed in pine, although individually each stressor caused mortality. Our results suggest that pathogen infection decreased carbon reserves in spruce, reducing the capacity of saplings to cope with drought, resulting in increased mortality rates. Defoliation, relative water content and the starch concentration of needles were predictors of mortality in both species under drought and pathogen infection. Infection and drought stress create conflicting needs for carbon to compartmentalize the pathogen and to avoid turgor loss, respectively. Heterobasidion annosum reduces the functional sapwood area and shifts NSC allocation patterns, reducing the capacity of trees to cope with drought.