RT Journal Article
T1 Functional leaf and size traits determine the photosynthetic response of 10 dryland species to warming
A1 Valencia Gómez, Enrique
A1 Quero, José
A1 Maestre, Fernando
AB AimsRelatively few studies so far have assessed how ongoing global warming will affect the photosynthetic performance of dryland plant species. We evaluated the effects of warming on the photosynthetic rates of 10 species with contrasting functional attributes, and whether their functional traits modulated photosynthetic responses to warming.MethodsA common garden experiment was conducted over 2 years with distinct environmental conditions (drier vs. wetter year). The experiment was designed as a randomized block design with two treatments: warming (control vs. ~2.9°C temperature increase) and species (Agropyron cristatum, Festuca ovina, Lygeum spartum, Medicago sativa, Plantago lanceolata, Psoralea bituminosa, Sanguisorba minor, Hedysarum coronarium, Dorycnium pentaphyllum and Phlomis herba-venti). We linked functional traits measurements with temporal variations in photosynthetic responses to warming. Important FindingsIn the drier year, warming increased photosynthetic rates at the beginning of the growing season, suggesting a modification in the growing period (earlier spring). In the wetter year, functional traits modulated photosynthetic responses to warming. Larger species with shorter leaves (e.g. M. sativa) had higher photosynthetic rates under warming compared to smaller species with larger leaves (e.g. F. ovina). Our results highlight the importance of (i) studying photosynthetic responses along different years and (ii) considering functional traits when evaluating photosynthetic responses to climate change, particularly in stressful environments such as drylands.
PB Oxford University Press
SN 1752-9921
YR 2016
FD 2016
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/95226
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/95226
LA eng
NO Enrique Valencia, José L. Quero, Fernando T. Maestre, Functional leaf and size traits determine the photosynthetic response of 10 dryland species to warming, Journal of Plant Ecology, Volume 9, Issue 6, 1 December 2016, Pages 773–783, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtv081
NO FUNDINGThis research was supported by the European Research Council under the European Community’s Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC Grant agreement 242658 (BIOCOM). F.T.M. acknowledges support from the Salvador de Madariaga program of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (PRX14/00225) during the writing of the manuscript.
NO Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (España)
NO European Commission
DS Docta Complutense
RD 15 abr 2025