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Transpiration and growth responses by Eucalyptus species to progressive soil drying

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Abstract

The regulation of plant transpiration is a key factor affecting transpiration efficiency, growth and adaptation of Eucalyptus species to limited water availability in tropical and subtropical environments. However, few studies have related this trait to the performance of Eucalyptus seedlings and none have investigated the influence of vapor pressure deficit (VPD) on transpiration rates and growth. In this study, the transpiration and growth responses of seedlings of Eucalyptus urophylla (S.T. Blake) and Eucalyptus cloeziana (F. Muell.) to progressive soil water deficits were evaluated under semi-controlled conditions using the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) method. In addition, the influence of VPD on seedling transpiration, development and growth was also investigated. The FTSW threshold ranged from 0.40 to 0.99 for the transpiration rate and from 0.32 to 0.97 for the development and growth variables. Little or no changes in the FTSW threshold were detected in response to changes in atmospheric VPD. Both Eucalyptus species presented a conservation strategy under drought stress. In addition, water-conserving mechanisms during the seedling phase were related to rapid stomatal closure, reduced leaf area, and number of leaves.

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Abbreviations

FTSW:

Fraction of transpirable soil water

FTSWt:

Threshold fraction of transpirable soil water

TR:

Transpiration rate

NTR:

Normalized transpiration

NNL:

Normalized number of leaves

NLA:

Normalized leaf area

NH:

Normalized height

ND:

Normalized diameter

WW:

Well- watered

WD:

Water deficit

VPD:

Vapor pressure deficit

VPDh:

High vapor pressure deficit

VPDl:

Low vapor pressure deficit

Tavg :

Mean temperature

Tmax :

Maximum temperature

Tmin :

Minimum temperature

RH:

Relative humidity

esavg :

Average saturation water vapor pressure using Tmin and Tmax

esmin :

Saturation water vapor pressure using Tmin

esmax :

Saturation water vapor pressure using Tmax

eaavg :

Average actual water vapor pressure using Tmin and Tmax

eamin :

Actual water vapor pressure using Tmin

eamax :

Actual water vapor pressure using Tmax

E1:

Experiment 1

E2:

Experiment 2

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Acknowledgements

The first author thank the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes, process No. 1115820/1090909) for the scholarship granted and the fourth author thank the Minas Gerais Research Founding (FAPEMIG) for financially supporting the projects APQ-01392-13 and APQ 01258-17.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environment Science, Forest Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23890-000, Brazil

    Marcel Carvalho Abreu

  2. Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Monte Carmelo, Minas Gerais, 38405-302, Brazil

    Alvaro Augusto Vieira Soares

  3. “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil

    Cleverson Henrique de Freitas

  4. Natural Resources Institute, Federal University of Itajubá, Itajubá, Minas Gerais, 37500-903, Brazil

    Fabrina Bolzan Martins

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  1. Marcel Carvalho Abreu
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  2. Alvaro Augusto Vieira Soares
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  4. Fabrina Bolzan Martins
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Correspondence to Fabrina Bolzan Martins.

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Project funding: This study was supported by Minas Gerais Research Founding (FAPEMIG – projects APQ-01392–13 and APQ 01,258–17).

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Corresponding editor: Yanbo Hu.

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Abreu, M.C., Soares, A.A.V., de Freitas, C.H. et al. Transpiration and growth responses by Eucalyptus species to progressive soil drying. J. For. Res. 33, 1529–1543 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-021-01448-z

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