Variación intraespecífica en resistencia a la sequía de Nothofagus antarctica (G. Forst.) Oerst. (Nothofagaceae)

Futuros escenarios climáticos limitarían el establecimiento de plántulas en bosques de los Andes del sur debido al estrés hídrico. Comparamos la resistencia a la sequía de plántulas de Nothofagus antarctica de dos límites arbóreos: Termas de Chillán (clima mediterráneo) y Antillanca (clima superhúmedo). También comparamos la resistencia a la sequía de plántulas de dos altitudes diferentes de Antillanca. No encontramos diferencias en resistencia a la sequía entre plántulas de los dos límites arbóreos. Las plántulas del límite arbóreo de Antillanca resultaron más resistentes que las de una menor elevación.Futuros escenarios climáticos limitarían el establecimiento de plántulas en bosques de los Andes del sur debido al estrés hídrico. Comparamos la resistencia a la sequía de plántulas de Nothofagus antarctica de dos límites arbóreos: Termas de Chillán (clima mediterráneo) y Antillanca (clima superhúmedo). También comparamos la resistencia a la sequía de plántulas de dos altitudes diferentes de Antillanca. No encontramos diferencias en resistencia a la sequía entre plántulas de los dos límites arbóreos. Las plántulas del límite arbóreo de Antillanca resultaron más resistentes que las de una menor elevación

Nutrient Use Efficiency of Southern South America Proteaceae Species. Are there General Patterns in the Proteaceae Family?

Plants from the Proteaceae family can thrive in old, impoverished soil with extremely low phosphorus (P) content, such as those typically found in South Western Australia (SWA) and South Africa. The South Western (SW) Australian Proteaceae species have developed strategies to deal with P scarcity, such as the high capacity to re-mobilize P from senescent to young leaves and the efficient use of P for carbon fixation. In Southern South America, six Proteaceae species grow in younger soils than those of SWA, with a wide variety of climatic and edaphic conditions. However, strategies in the nutrient use efficiency of Southern South (SS) American Proteaceae species growing in their natural ecosystems remain widely unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate nutrient resorption efficiency and the photosynthetic nutrients use efficiency by SS American Proteaceae species, naturally growing in different sites along a very extensive latitudinal gradient. Mature and senescent leaves of the six SS American Proteaceae species (Embothrium coccineum, Gevuina avellana, Orites myrtoidea Lomatia hirsuta, L. ferruginea, and L. dentata), as well as, soil samples were collected in nine sites from southern Chile and were subjected to chemical analyses. Nutrient resorption (P and nitrogen) efficiency in leaves was estimated in all species inhabiting the nine sites evaluated, whereas, the photosynthetic P use efficiency (PPUE) and photosynthetic nitrogen (N) use efficiency (PNUE) per leaf unit were determined in two sites with contrasting nutrient availability. Our study exhibit for the first time a data set related to nutrient use efficiency in the leaves of the six SS American Proteaceae, revealing that for all species and sites, P and N resorption efficiencies were on average 47.7 and 50.6%, respectively. No correlation was found between leaf nutrient (P and N) resorption efficiency and soil attributes. Further, different responses in PPUE and PNUE were found among species and, contrary to our expectations, a higher nutrient use efficiency in the nutrient poorest soil was not found. We conclude that SS American Proteaceae species did not show a general pattern in the nutrient use efficiency among them neither with others Proteaceae species reported in the literature

An unusual kind of diurnal streamflow variation

During hydrological research in a Chilean swamp forest, we noted a pattern of higher streamflows close to midday and lower ones close to midnight, the opposite of an evapotranspiration (Et)-driven cycle. We analyzed this diurnal streamflow signal (DSS), which appeared mid-spring (in the growing season). The end of this DSS coincided with a sustained rain event in autumn, which deeply affected stream and meteorological variables. A survey along the stream revealed that the DSS maximum and minimum values appeared 6 and 4 hours earlier, respectively, at headwaters located in the mountain forests/ plantations than at the control point in the swamp forest. Et in the swamp forest was higher in the morning and in the late afternoon, but this process could not influence the groundwater stage. Trees in the mountain headwaters reached their maximum Ets in the early morning and/or close to midday. Our results suggest that the DSS is a wave that moves from forests high in the mountains towards lowland areas, where Et is decoupled from the DSS. This signal delay seems to convert the link between streamflow and Et in an apparent, but spurious positive relationship. It also highlights the role of landscape heterogeneity in shaping hydrological processes

Phosphorus-mobilization ecosystem engineering: the roles of cluster roots and carboxylate exudation in young P-limited ecosystems

Carboxylate-releasing cluster roots of Proteaceae play a key role in acquiring phosphorus (P) from ancient nutrient-impoverished soils in Australia. However, cluster roots are also found in Proteaceae on young, P-rich soils in Chile where they allow P acquisition from soils that strongly sorb P. Unlike Proteaceae in Australia that tend to proficiently remobilize P from senescent leaves, Chilean Proteaceae produce leaf litter rich in P. Consequently, they may act as ecosystem engineers, providing P for plants without specialized roots to access sorbed P. We propose a similar ecosystem-engineering role for species that release large amounts of carboxylates in other relatively young, strongly P-sorbing substrates, e.g. young acidic volcanic deposits and calcareous dunes. Many of these species also fix atmospheric nitrogen and release nutrient-rich litter, but their role as ecosystem engineers is commonly ascribed only to their diazotrophic nature. We propose that the P-mobilizing capacity of Proteaceae on young soils, which contain an abundance of P, but where P is poorly available, in combination with inefficient nutrient remobilization from senescing leaves allows these species to function as ecosystem engineers. We suggest that diazotrophic species that colonize young soils with strong P-sorption potential should be considered for their positive effect on P availability, as well as their widely accepted role in nitrogen fixation. Their P-mobilizing activity possibly also enhances their nitrogen-fixing capacity. These diazotrophic species may therefore facilitate the establishment and growth of species with less-efficient P-uptake strategies on more-developed soils with low P availability through similar mechanisms. We argue that the significance of cluster roots and high carboxylate exudation in the development of young ecosystems is probably far more important than has been envisaged thus far

Responses of two températe evergreen Nothofagus species to sudden and gradual waterlogging: relationships with distribution patterns Respuestas de dos especies siempreverdes de Nothofagus al anegamiento gradual y repentino: relaciones con patrones de distribución

The effects of gradual waterlogging on trees have been little studied. The températe evergreens Nothofagus nítida and N. dombeyi are differentially distributed on soil moisture gradients, only the former being common on poorly-drained sites. We compared the relative height growth rate (RGR H) and foliage loss of seedlings subjected experimentally to normal drainage (soil at field capacity), sudden waterlogging and gradual waterlogging for two months to determine which waterlogging regime more accurately predicts interspecific differences in tolerance, as evident from natural distributions. RGR H was similar between species but differed between treatments (normal watering > gradual waterlogging = sudden waterlogging). Sudden waterlogging caused massive foliage loss in the two species, but gradual waterlogging caused much greater foliage loss in N. dombeyi than in N. nítida, indicating some degree of acclimation by the latter species. Linear regressions indicated that RGR H was negatively affected by foliage loss in both species, without differences between them. Since no difference in RGR H was found between species in the waterlogging treatments, but yet in foliage loss, other mechanisms may be in volved in the short term growth reduction of N. nítida. Effects of waterlogging on long-term performance in the field were evaluated by reciprocal transplants between a poorly-drained site naturally occupied by N. nítida, and a well drained site naturally occupied by N. dombeyi. After two growing seasons, N. dombeyi had significantly lower specific leaf área (SLA) and RGR H, at the poorly drained site than at its original site. At the poorly drained site N. nítida achieved 100 % survival, compared with 73.5 % in N. dombeyi. Reduced growth and survival of N. dombeyi associated with the negative effects on carbón gain of extensive foliage loss and reduced SLA may thus exelude it from the wetter sites. We conclude that tolerance may be better predicted from responses to gradual, rather than sudden waterlogging.Los efectos del anegamiento gradual sobre las especies arbóreas han sido poco estudiados. Nothofagus nítida y N. dombeyi son especies siempreverdes templadas diferencialmente distribuidas sobre gradientes de humedad del suelo; solo la primera es común en sitios de drenaje pobre. Comparamos la tasa de crecimiento relativo (RGR H) y la pérdida foliar de plántulas de dos a tres años sujetas experimentalmente durante dos meses a drenaje normal (humedad del suelo en capacidad de campo), anegamiento repentino y anegamiento gradual, para determinar qué régimen de anegamiento predice mejor diferencias interespecíficas en tolerancia, las cuales son sugeridas desde las distribuciones naturales. RGR H resultó similar entre las especies pero difirió entre tratamientos (controles > anegamiento gradual = anegamiento repentino). El anegamiento repentino causó una masiva pérdida foliar en ambas especies, pero el anegamiento gradual causó mayor pérdida en N. dombeyi que en N. nítida indicando cierto grado de aclimatación por parte de esta última. Regresiones lineares indicaron que RGR H fue negativamente afectado por la pérdida foliar en ambas especies pero más en N. dombeyi, sugiriendo que otro mecanismo causó el decrecimiento de RGR H en N. nítida. Para evaluar el efecto del anegamiento sobre el desempeño en el largo plazo, se realizaron trasplantes recíprocos en la cordillera de la Costa entre un sitio de drenaje limitado dominado por N. nítida y sin N. dombeyi, y un sitio sin limitaciones de drenaje dominado por N. dombeyi y sin N. nítida. Luego de dos temporadas de crecimiento, N. dombeyi presentó menores área foliar específica (SLA) y RGR H en el sitio de drenaje limitado que en su sitio original. La sobrevivencia en el sitio de drenaje pobre fue 100 % para N. nítida y 73,5 % para N. dombeyi. Reducidos crecimiento y sobrevivencia de N. dombeyi asociados a los efectos negativos de masiva pérdida foliar y reducida SLA podrían excluir a esta especie de sitios muy húmedos. Concluimos que la tolerancia puede predecirse mejor desde respuestas al anegamiento gradual, más que al anegamiento repentino

Table_2_Nutrient Use Efficiency of Southern South America Proteaceae Species. Are there General Patterns in the Proteaceae Family?.docx

<p>Plants from the Proteaceae family can thrive in old, impoverished soil with extremely low phosphorus (P) content, such as those typically found in South Western Australia (SWA) and South Africa. The South Western (SW) Australian Proteaceae species have developed strategies to deal with P scarcity, such as the high capacity to re-mobilize P from senescent to young leaves and the efficient use of P for carbon fixation. In Southern South America, six Proteaceae species grow in younger soils than those of SWA, with a wide variety of climatic and edaphic conditions. However, strategies in the nutrient use efficiency of Southern South (SS) American Proteaceae species growing in their natural ecosystems remain widely unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate nutrient resorption efficiency and the photosynthetic nutrients use efficiency by SS American Proteaceae species, naturally growing in different sites along a very extensive latitudinal gradient. Mature and senescent leaves of the six SS American Proteaceae species (Embothrium coccineum, Gevuina avellana, Orites myrtoidea Lomatia hirsuta, L. ferruginea, and L. dentata), as well as, soil samples were collected in nine sites from southern Chile and were subjected to chemical analyses. Nutrient resorption (P and nitrogen) efficiency in leaves was estimated in all species inhabiting the nine sites evaluated, whereas, the photosynthetic P use efficiency (PPUE) and photosynthetic nitrogen (N) use efficiency (PNUE) per leaf unit were determined in two sites with contrasting nutrient availability. Our study exhibit for the first time a data set related to nutrient use efficiency in the leaves of the six SS American Proteaceae, revealing that for all species and sites, P and N resorption efficiencies were on average 47.7 and 50.6%, respectively. No correlation was found between leaf nutrient (P and N) resorption efficiency and soil attributes. Further, different responses in PPUE and PNUE were found among species and, contrary to our expectations, a higher nutrient use efficiency in the nutrient poorest soil was not found. We conclude that SS American Proteaceae species did not show a general pattern in the nutrient use efficiency among them neither with others Proteaceae species reported in the literature.</p