Speaker
Description
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of droughts, leading to widespread tree mortality and growth reductions in forests. Yet, it remains unclear how different tree species regulate water loss under changing environmental conditions. Stomatal conductance (gs), which quantifies the ease with which gases diffuse through stomatal pores of leaves, plays a crucial role in mediating the balance between carbon assimilation and water loss. Understanding variation in stomatal control across species and how it relates to other tree traits is essential for characterising water-use strategies and relating them to drought tolerance or avoidance strategies.
In this study, we investigated stomatal regulation patterns of 38 temperate tree species at the research arboretum ARBOfun (Großpösna, Germany). We measured diurnal stomatal conductance in three tree individuals per species (27 angiosperms, 11 gymnosperms) under well-watered conditions in summer 2024. Based on these data, we modelled stomatal conductance as a function of air vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and derived physiological parameters for each species as proxies for stomatal sensitivity, including the VPD at maximum stomatal conductance and the VPD at the curve’s inflection point.
We are currently analysing how these physiological traits relate to more commonly measured leaf traits, and exploring the extent to which stomatal control reflects species-specific water-use strategies and drought-related growth performances.
The results of this study will help clarify how diverse tree species regulate water use under drought, supporting more accurate predictions of forest vulnerability and resilience in a changing climate.
| Status Group | Doctoral Researcher |
|---|---|
| Poster Presentation Option | Yes, I’m willing to present as a poster. |
