Eleventh webinar: Are there any discrepancies between root and stem intra annual growth?

On a diel scale, trees are found to grow mainly at night, as growth ceases at high Vapour Pressure Deficit (VPD) levels, which occur during the daylight hours of summer months in temperate climates. Trees rehydrate during the night, creating the turgor pressure needed for cell division and expansion. Such VPD imposed diel growth restrictions can be released during the night and early morning. Diel and seasonal growth patterns are therefore strongly dependent on atmospheric and soil moisture conditions. The importance of temperature for root cambium reactivation and xylem production is well established in cold environments such as boreal and montane forests. In fact, a soil temperature below 6°C has been identified as the threshold for inhibiting root activity. However, much information is available on above-ground intra-annual growth, but data on coarse root growth are lacking. The study analysed the diel and seasonal growth patterns of two mature, even-aged stands of black spruce and balsam fir in the Quebec boreal forest. Both widespread species are located in the transition zone between temperate and boreal forests. The study aimed to assess the extent to which the observed growth patterns were species- and organ-consistent. Therefore, long term root and stem dendrometer data were used to respond;

1. How consistent are the long-term diel and seasonal growth patterns across species and organs (stem and coarse root)?
2. What are the above and belowground growth climatic drivers in a boreal ecosystem?
3. How important is the radiation energy on plant growth?

Please register via the link here.

Deadline: please sign-up via the registration link above before the webinar.

Contact:

• Presenter: Negar Rezaie negar.rezaeisangsaraki@cnr.it
• Webinar convenor: Andrei Popa popa.andrei.dorna@gmail.com
• Webinar convenor: Charlotte Angove charlotte.angove@luke.fi