The handbook for standardized field and laboratory measurements in terrestrial climate change experiments and observational studies (ClimEx)

1. Climate change is a world‐wide threat to biodiversity and ecosystem structure, functioning and services. To understand the underlying drivers and mechanisms, and to predict the consequences for nature and people, we urgently need better understanding of the direction and magnitude of climate change impacts across the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum. An increasing number of climate change studies are creating new opportunities for meaningful and high‐quality generalizations and improved process understanding. However, significant challenges exist related to data availability and/or compatibility across studies, compromising opportunities for data re‐use, synthesis and upscaling. Many of these challenges relate to a lack of an established ‘best practice’ for measuring key impacts and responses. This restrains our current understanding of complex processes and mechanisms in terrestrial ecosystems related to climate change. 2. To overcome these challenges, we collected best‐practice methods emerging from major ecological research networks and experiments, as synthesized by 115 experts from across a wide range of scientific disciplines. Our handbook contains guidance on the selection of response variables for different purposes, protocols for standardized measurements of 66 such response variables and advice on data management. Specifically, we recommend a minimum subset of variables that should be collected in all climate change studies to allow data re‐use and synthesis, and give guidance on additional variables critical for different types of synthesis and upscaling. The goal of this community effort is to facilitate awareness of the importance and broader application of standardized methods to promote data re‐use, availability, compatibility and transparency. We envision improved research practices that will increase returns on investments in individual research projects, facilitate second‐order research outputs and create opportunities for collaboration across scientific communities. Ultimately, this should significantly improve the quality and impact of the science, which is required to fulfil society's needs in a changing world

Discutindo a educação ambiental no cotidiano escolar: desenvolvimento de projetos na escola formação inicial e continuada de professores

A presente pesquisa buscou discutir como a Educação Ambiental (EA) vem sendo trabalhada, no Ensino Fundamental e como os docentes desta escola compreendem e vem inserindo a EA no cotidiano escolar., em uma escola estadual do município de Tangará da Serra/MT, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas com os professores que fazem parte de um projeto interdisciplinar de EA na escola pesquisada. Verificou-se que o projeto da escola não vem conseguindo alcançar os objetivos propostos por: desconhecimento do mesmo, pelos professores; formação deficiente dos professores, não entendimento da EA como processo de ensino-aprendizagem, falta de recursos didáticos, planejamento inadequado das atividades. A partir dessa constatação, procurou-se debater a impossibilidade de tratar do tema fora do trabalho interdisciplinar, bem como, e principalmente, a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado de EA, vinculando teoria e prática, tanto na formação docente, como em projetos escolares, a fim de fugir do tradicional vínculo “EA e ecologia, lixo e horta”.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

conduits3

Conduit diameters for gymnosperm and Angiosperm species in Chile. For species and sampling details please refer to the manuscript

Data from: Revisiting the relative growth rate hypothesis for gymnosperm and angiosperm species co‐occurrence

Premise of the study: It is unclear to what extent the co-occurrence of angiosperm and gymnosperm species in some marginal ecosystems is explained by reduced growth in angiosperms due to carbon (C) limitation, and by high stress tolerance in gymnosperms associated with lack of vessels and resource conservation. Methods: We examined growth patterns and traits associated with C balance in four evergreen angiosperm species (including one vesselless species, Drimys winteri) and three gymnosperm tree species of a cold-temperate rainforest in southern Chile. We measured the mean basal area increment for the first 50 (BAI50) and the last 10 years (BAI10), wood density, leaf lifespan, and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations in different organs. Key results: BAI50 was 6-fold higher in angiosperms than in gymnosperms, and c. 4-fold higher in Drimys than in the fastest growing gymnosperm. BAI10 and aboveground NSC concentrations were significantly higher and leaf lifespan lower in angiosperms than in gymnosperms; these differences though were largely driven by the slow growth and low NSC concentrations of the Cupressaceae species (Pilgerodendron uviferum), while the two Podocarpaceae showed similar BAI10 and NSC concentrations to angiosperms. In angiosperms, NSC and starch concentrations were generally higher in species with lower BAI10, indicating no severe C limitation. Conclusions: The co-occurrence of angiosperms and gymnosperms in cold-temperate rainforests of southern Chile is not explained by growth disadvantages and C limitation in angiosperms. High leaf longevity, but not lack of vessels, appeared to favor resource conservation and C balance in some gymnosperms (Podocarpaceae). In compliance with data protection regulations, please contact the publication office if you would like to have your personal information removed from the database

NSC different organs

Concentrations of total non-structural carbohydrates, starch, and soluble sugars in fine and coarse roots, twigs, branches, stem sapwood, and leaves, in angiosperms and gymnosperm species of southern South América. For species details please refer to the manuscript

WD and stem NSC G vs A

Density and concentration of non-structural carbohydrates of heartwood and sapwood in angiosperms and gymnosperms species of southern South Améric

No role for xylem embolism or carbohydrate shortage in temperate trees during the severe 2015 drought

1. Temperate forests are predicted to experience an increased frequency and intensity of climate change-induced summer droughts and heat waves in the near future. Yet, while previous studies clearly showed a high drought sensitivity of different temperate tree species, the vulnerability of the physiological integrity of these trees remains unclear.2. Here, we assessed the sensitivity of six temperate tree species to severe water limitation during three consecutive growing seasons, including the exceptional 2015 central European summer drought and heat wave. Specifically, we assessed stem increment growth, sap flow, water potentials, hydraulic vulnerability, and nonstructural carbohydrate contents in leaves and branches to determine how mature temperate trees responded to this exceptional weather event and how the observed responses relate to variation in xylem embolism and carbohydrate economy.3. We found that the trees' predawn water potentials reached their minimum values during the 2015 summer drought and most species reduced their sap flow by up to 80%. Also, increment growth was strongly impaired with the onset of the drought in all species. Despite the strong responses in the trees' growth and water relations, all species exhibited minimum midday shoot water potentials well away from values associated with severe embolism (P-50). In addition, we detected no distinct decrease in nonstructural carbohydrate contents in leaves, bark, and stems throughout the drought event.4. Synthesis. This study shows that mature individuals of six common central European forest tree species strongly reacted to a severe summer drought by reducing their water consumption and stopping growth. We found, however, no indications for xylem embolism or carbohydrate depletion in these trees. This suggests, that xylem embolism formation and carbohydrate reserve depletion are not routine in temperate trees during seasonal strong drought and reveals a low vulnerability of the physiological integrity of temperate trees during drought events as we describe here

NSC values

In this file you find the NSC values in the different compartments of the different species during the summer of 2015. Absolute and relative values are given including standard deviation. The column “nsctype” states whether the values are total NSC, sugar (su) or starch (st)

Trunk radial growth, water and carbon relations of mature apple trees on two size-controlling rootstocks during severe summer drought

The use of size-controlling rootstocks is central to modern high-density fruit production systems. While biological mechanisms responsible for vigor control are not fully understood, differences in water relations and carbohydrate storage ability have been suggested as two potential factors. To better understand the processes that control growth vigor, we analyzed the trunk radial variation at seasonal and diurnal timescales and measured the midday leaf water potential (ΨMD), leaf gas exchange and concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in apple trees of variety ‘Jonagold’ grafted on two rootstocks of contrasting growth vigor (dwarfing J-TE-G vs invigorating J-TE-H). The measurements were conducted during an exceptionally hot and dry summer. We found that smaller annual trunk radial increments in dwarfed trees were primarily due to an earlier cessation of trunk secondary growth. The interdiurnal trunk circumference changes (ΔC) were slightly lower in dwarfed trees, and these trees also had fewer days with positive ΔC values, particularly during the driest summer months. The trunks of dwarfed trees shrank gradually during the drought, showed less pronounced diurnal variation of trunk circumference and the maximum trunk daily shrinkage was only weakly responsive to the vapor pressure deficit. These results indicated that lower turgidity in the cambial region may have limited the trunk radial expansion in dwarfed trees during the hot and dry days. Dwarfed trees also maintained lower ΨMD and leaf gas exchange rates during the summer drought. These parameters decreased in parallel for both rootstock combinations, suggesting their similar drought sensitivity. Similar concentrations and seasonal dynamics of NSC in both rootstock combinations, together with their similar spring growth rates, suggest that NSC reserves were not directly limiting for growth. Our results support the prominent role of water relations in rootstock-induced size-controlling mechanisms and highlight the complexity of this topic