International Scientific Journal on Reforestation, Afforestation and Tree Reproduction
Sign in
Issue image

More articles from Issue 12, 2021

Forests in Women’s Hands - brief information

Two studies of the potential of drought preconditioning to enhance deep root production in seedlings of western larch (Larix occidentalis)

The first report of Ochrospora ariae and Septoria sorbi on whitebeam (Sorbus aria) seedlings in Montenegro

Early pine root anatomy and primary and lateral root formation are affected by container size: implications in dry-summer climates

Restoration of degraded forest reserves in Ghana

Citations

Crossref Logo

1

Crossref Logo

Anna C. Ross, Jeremiah R. Pinto, Justin S. Crotteau, Alex Goke, Cara R. Nelson, David L. R. Affleck, Andrew J. Larson

(2025)

Morphological and physiological response of conifer seedlings to drought conditioning

New Forests, 56(6)

10.1007/s11056-025-10121-w

Two studies of the potential of drought preconditioning to enhance deep root production in seedlings of western larch (Larix occidentalis)

Ashleigh Vale ,
Ashleigh Vale
View authors publications

Search this author on:

PubMed | Google Scholar
Ehren Moler Orcid logo ,
Ehren Moler
View authors publications

Search this author on:

PubMed | Google Scholar
Andrew Nelson Orcid logo
Andrew Nelson
View authors publications

Search this author on:

PubMed | Google Scholar

Published: 01.12.2020.

Volume 0, Issue 12 (2021)

pp. 3-12;

https://doi.org/10.21750/refor.12.02.94

Abstract

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of drought in the western USA. Evidence suggests that drought preconditioning of plants may improve the survival of planted seedlings under dry conditions through enhanced water uptake by roots, but the mechanisms underlying enhanced survival under drought remain unknown. We tested whether the vertical distribution of roots in root plug cross-sections varied with drought preconditioning and seed source. We subjected western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) seedlings from eight different provenances to Low (50-65% gravimetric water content), Moderate (65-75%), and High (≥75%) watering regimes in a nursery. We then investigated dry root mass across four root-plug sections, including the taproot and three lateral root cross-sections (top 1/3rd, middle 1/3rd, and bottom 1/3rd of root plugs). We also tested for carry-over effect of drought preconditioning on the mass of egressed roots observed among cross-sections of potting soil in a 30-day potted study. Root plug mass varied significantly (P< 0.001) with watering regime, root plug cross-section, and an interaction between watering regime and cross-section. Overall, seedlings that received less water produced lateral root plug cross-sections of greater mass, which coincided with taproots of less mass. In contrast to findings from the root plug study, the distribution of egressed root mass among cross-sections of potting soil did not vary with drought preconditioning. This is the first study to assess seedling root growth in response to drought preconditioning in western larch with a focus on the distribution of root mass in root plugs and egressed root mass among soil cross-sections. We expect this work to facilitate future efforts to improve drought hardiness of western larch seedlings. Future improvement of western larch seedlings will require investigation into whether altered root plug mass distribution translates to improved seedling performance in outplanting trials.

References

Atzmon, N., Moshe, Y., & Schiller, G. (2004). Ecophysiological response to severe drought in Pinus halepensis Mill. trees of two provenances. Plant Ecology, 171(1–2), 15–22. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VEGE.0000029371.44518.38
Burdett, A. N. (1990). Physiological processes in plantation establishment and the development of specifications for forest planting stock. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 20(4), 415–427. https://doi.org/10.1139/x90-059
Carvalho, A., Pavia, I., Fernandes, C., Pires, J., Correia, C., Bacelar, E., Moutinho-Pereira, J., Gaspar, M. J., Bento, J., Silva, M. E., Lousada, J. L., & Lima-Brito, J. (2017). Differential physiological and genetic responses of five European Scots pine provenances to induced water stress. Journal of Plant Physiology, 215, 100–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2017.05.027
Clark, J. S., Iverson, L., Woodall, C. W., Allen, C. D., Bell, D. M., Bragg, D. C., D’Amato, A. W., Davis, F. W., Hersh, M. H., Ibanez, I., Jackson, S. T., Matthews, S., Pederson, N., Peters, M., Schwartz, M. W., Waring, K. M., & Zimmermann, N. E. (2016). The impacts of increasing drought on forest dynamics, structure, and biodiversity in the United States. Global Change Biology, 22(7), 2329–2352. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13160
Day, R. J., & MacGillivray, G. R. (1975a). Root Regeneration of Fall-Lifted White Spruce Nursery Stock in Relation to Soil Moisture Content. The Forestry Chronicle, 51(5), 196–199. https://doi.org/10.5558/tfc51196-5

Citation

Copyright

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Article metrics

Google scholar: See link

The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Most read articles