Conveners
Shengnan Ouyang, Yue Yang, Ao Wang, Peng He, Honglang Duan, Liehua Tie
Guizhou University
China
Session Description
Severe droughts and heat waves/high temperature have occurred frequently over recent decades and are projected to occur even more often in the future, which may increase uncertainties and challenges for the prediction of forest survival and growth. Drought and high temperature induced impairment of plant functioning and subsequently mortality events have aroused widely attention and driven researchers to focus on plant physiological responses to these factors. Carbon starvation, hydraulic failure and their interactions are assumed to be the main causes of drought-induced tree mortality. Thus, carbon and water relations are important aspects in tree physiology. Meanwhile, C balance between sink and source organs, as well as water use strategies in isohydric and anisohydric trees are crucial aspects to reveal the mechanisms of drought responses of trees. Greater understanding of how drought and heat waves affect carbon and water relations, C source and sink relations and subsequently influencing tree survival under future climate scenarios will improve our projections of future forest dynamics and provide science-based guidelines for climate smart-forest management. This session aims to will gather world-wide expert and scholars to present and discuss their interesting results about morphological, anatomical and physiological responses of global forest trees to drought and heat waves.
Session Justification
To evaluate and project the sustainability and stability of forest ecosystem under future climate scenarios (i.e., drought and heat waves) is never so urgent under the increased intensity, frequency and severity of drought and heat waves. Meanwhile, to better understanding the underlying mechanisms of drought induced tree mortality, such like water and carbon relations, C resource and sink relations, requires multiple studies across the world on similar topics and indices. On the basis of 1st theme -Sensitivity, mechanisms, and adaptation of biodiversity to climate change- of OSM, we propose to organize a session to gather scientists, experts and scholars who expertise in tree ecophysiology, morphology and anatomy to share recent findings and to discuss the future methodologies and approaches in investigating forest ecosystem responses to environmental changes. The session will include approximate 10 speakers. And the 10 speakers have been already contacted and will be available during the meeting.
One Sentence Session Summary
Water and carbon relations are crucial physiological aspects of tree in responses to drought and heat waves. To have a comprehensive understanding of tree growth and survival under global climate change will provide scientific guidelines for forest management.
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