Dissertation Research: Spatial and Temporal Variation in the Physiology of a Riparian Tree

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

EVANS 9801287 The physiology of individual plants is influenced by climate and weather on multiple spatial and temporal scales. How widely distributed species respond to variation in climate throughout their range and to temporal variation over multiple time scales is not well understood. Lack of knowledge on this subject prevents agriculturists from understanding how crops respond to different growing conditions, resource managers from making correct use and conservation decisions and researchers from learning how ecosystems ultimately respond to climate change. The PIs research focuses on assessing physiological changes associated with interannual differences in weather, seasonal climatic shifts and spatial climatic trends throughout the range of Fremont cottonwood. This species is the primary component of forests which parallel valley rivers throughout the arid western U.S. The PIs chose this species because of its importance as the only tree species throughout much of the lowland western U.S. The PIs are employing a variety of methods including direct measurement of instantaneous physiological parameters such as water status and photosynthesis as well as long term, integrated measurements such as carbon isotope analysis. The PIs current data suggests a close correspondence between climate and physiology for our study species.