Adaptive plasticity in plant traits increases time to hydraulic failure under drought in a foundation tree

Abstract

O_LIThe viability of forest trees, in response to climate change-associated drought, will depend on their capacity to survive through genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in drought tolerance traits. Genotypes with enhanced plasticity for drought tolerance (adaptive plasticity) will have a greater ability to persist and delay the onset of hydraulic failure. C_LIO_LICorymbia calophylla populations from two contrasting climate-origins (warm-dry and cool-wet) were grown under well-watered and chronic soil water deficit treatments in large containers. Hydraulic and allometric traits were measured and then trees were dried-down to critical levels of drought stress. C_LIO_LISignificant plasticity was detected in the warm-dry population in response to water-deficit, with adjustments in drought tolerance traits that resulted in longer dry-down times from stomatal closure to 88% loss of stem hydraulic conductance (time to hydraulic failure, THF). Plasticity was limited in the cool-wet population, indicating a significant genotype-by-environment interaction in THF. C_LIO_LIOur findings contribute information on intraspecific variation in key drought tolerance traits and THF. It highlights the need to quantify adaptive capacity in populations of forest trees facing climate change-type drought to improve predictions of forest die-back. Corymbia calophylla may benefit from assisted gene migration by introducing adaptive warm-dry populations into vulnerable cool-wet population regions. C_LI