Poster
Riassunto: The carbon uptake through photosynthetic processes can buffer the increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, reducing the impact of these emissions on the global climate system. Short rotation forestry is one of the possible land uses to mitigate the greenhouse gas effect by enhancing carbon sequestration, while using biomass for bioenergy. In this sense, highly productive poplar clones are commonly tested worldwide. However, poplar plantations in Mediterranean countries may be jeopardized by recurrent drought events. Poplar clones show very varied tolerance to drought and water use efficiency, but the effects of water stress on stem growth patterns and tree ring characteristics are rarely taken into account. Regarding the wood anatomy, the most visible changes, such as the change in cell size, are regulated by the environment and genetic factors and mediated by plant growth regulators. Wood characteristics may vary under severe stress conditions during the growing season, such as shortage in water availability or drop in air temperature. The characteristics of wood anatomy and tree rings are determined by genetic factors and are connected to the response of tree growth and function to environmental conditions. We hypothesized that water deficit did not induce a reduction of the total amount of carbon fixed in the wood within one tree ring, among its different components. We analyzed the influence of water availability on carbon component in annual patterns (tree rings) of stems of two poplar clones growing in an experimental site at Casale Monferrato (Alessandria, Piemonte, Italy). We characterized clones I-214 and Dvina during three years, assessing total carbon amount, carbon isotope discrimination, lignin constituent content and wood anatomical organization. We investigated the relationship between stem growth patterns and wood properties of annual rings in these clones in order to include this information in breeding programmes.
Citazione: Cocozza C, Giovannelli A, Castro G, Cherubini P, Tognetti R (2009). Tree ring features in poplar clones subjected to different water availability. In: VII Congresso Nazionale SISEF “Sviluppo e adattamento, naturalità e conservazione: opportunità per un sistema forestale in transizione“ (Università degli Studi del Molise, Isernia - Pesche (IS), 29 Settembre - 3 Ottobre 2009), Abstract-book, Contributo #c07.7.21. - [online] URL: https://congressi.sisef.org/?action=paper&id=1204