The role of nutrients in drought‐induced tree mortality and recovery

Arthur Gessler; Marcus Schaub; Nate G. McDowell

doi:10.1111/nph.14340

journal article Nov 28, 2016

The role of nutrients in drought‐induced tree mortality and recovery

Arthur Gessler

Marcus Schaub

Nate G. McDowell

New Phytologist Vol. 214 No. 2 pp. 513-520 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/nph.14340

Abstract

SummaryGlobal forests are experiencing rising temperatures and more severe droughts, with consistently dire forecasts for negative future impacts. Current research on the physiological mechanisms underlying drought impacts is focused on the water‐ and carbon‐associated mechanisms. The role of nutrients is notably missing from this research agenda. Here, we investigate what role, if any, forest nutrition plays for survival and recovery of forests during and after drought. High nutrient availability may play a detrimental role in drought survival due to preferential biomass allocation aboveground that (1) predispose plants to hydraulic constraints limiting photosynthesis and promoting hydraulic failure, (2) increases carbon costs during periods of carbon starvation, and (3) promote biotic attack due to low tissue carbon: nitrogen (C : N). When nutrient uptake occurs during drought, high nutrient availability can increase water use efficiency thus minimizing negative feedbacks between carbon and nutrient balance. Nutrients are released after drought ceases, which might promote faster recovery but the temporal dynamics of microbial immobilization and nutrient leaching have a significant impact on nutrient availability. We provide a framework for understanding nutrient impacts on drought survival that allows a more complete analysis of forest ecosystem responses.

Contents

Summary
513

I.
Introduction
513

II.
Integrating nutrients into the hydraulic framework predicting mechanisms of drought survival, mortality, and recovery
514

III.
Integration
517

Acknowledgements
518

References
518

Topics

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Metrics

378

Citations

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References

Details

Published: Nov 28, 2016
Vol/Issue: 214(2)
Pages: 513-520
License: View

Authors

A

Arthur Gessler

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland

M

Marcus Schaub

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland

N

Nate G. McDowell

Earth and Environmental Sciences Division Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos NM 87545 USA

Funding

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung Award: 31003A_159866

U.S. Department of Energy

WSL fellowship

Cite This Article

Arthur Gessler, Marcus Schaub, Nate G. McDowell (2016). The role of nutrients in drought‐induced tree mortality and recovery. New Phytologist, 214(2), 513-520. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14340

The role of nutrients in drought‐induced tree mortality and recovery

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