engleski

Physiological responses of Croatian beech provenance seedlings to drought stress

European beech is the most widespread forest tree species in Croatia, covering about 47% of the total forested area. Considering the species sensitivity on climate changes, especially drought and heat, serious risks have been prognosticated for the cultivation of beech forests. Growing awareness of predicted drought events during the vegetation period increases the need for research dedicated to find strategies to enable conservation of this ecological and economical valuable tree species in Croatia. Main goals of this study were to characterize the physiological response of beech seedlings to experimentally applied summer drought and by this to identify provenances resistant to drought. The study included seedlings originating from 10 natural beech forest stands in Croatia differing in climatic conditions, soil type and properties and elevation. Beech seedlings were cultivated in a greenhouse in uniform soil and were arranged in a completely randomized design with two treatments (control and drought). First sampling of plant material was conducted at the beginning of the experiment, the second harvest took place after termination of the drought treatment. The physiological responses to drought were analysed in leaves and fine roots. The results suggest that mainly P and N in the soil of natural habitats control the response of beech seedlings to water shortage rather than climatic parameters. Additionally, results indicate that beech adaptability to drought is driven by natural selection in original habitats. Beech seedlings originating from dry habitats appear to be better adapted to drought than those originating from wet habitats. The present research approach is important to identify beech provenances adapted to drought in order to use it as a seed source for future reforestations.

adaptation, climate change, Fagus sylvatica, greenhouse experiment, phosphorus

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