Tools for quantifying carbon assimilation and understanding plant adaptation to environmental stress and climate change

气候变化将对森林产生巨大影响，并将导致树木和其他物种面临更大的压力。因此，我们必须了解森林树木的反应和适应，以适应我们的树木育种和森林管理的战略。植物胁迫生理学的一个核心工具是测量光合作用期间的碳同化和水分损失，因为光合作用性能提供了植物适应的直接量度。因此，我们要求提供资金，用于购买气体交换分析仪（光合作用系统），以研究非生物和生物压力对森林树木和灌木的影响。该仪器测量CO2吸收和水分损失，能够控制室内的光线，温度和湿度。该仪器是便携式的，适合在温室和田间环境中进行高通量表型分析，并且与阔叶树和针叶树物种兼容。所要求的气体交换分析仪将用于由UVic森林生物学中心和合作实验室支持的研究，这些实验室具有不同的项目，旨在了解抗逆性机制或调查经济重要物种中这些性状的遗传变异。它还将用于研究北极灌木对急剧气候变暖的生理反应。该仪器将用于研究耐寒性和耐旱性、对病原体和食草昆虫的抗性、土壤水分和温度胁迫的相互作用以及植物化学物质和单宁对氧化胁迫耐受性的重要性。气体交换分析仪将由森林生物学中心的技术人员管理，他们还将监督培训并确保仪器的适当维护。

Climate change will impact forests dramatically and will lead to more stressful conditions for trees and other species. Thus it is imperative that we understand the responses and adaptations of forest trees, in order to adapt our strategies for tree breeding and forest management. A central tool in plant stress physiology is the measurement of carbon assimilation and water loss during photosynthesis, as photosynthetic performance provides a direct measure of plant adaptation. We are therefore requesting funding for purchase of a gas exchange analyzer (photosynthesis system) for studies of the impact of both abiotic and biotic stresses on forest trees and shrubs. This instrument measures CO2 uptake and water loss, with the ability to control the light, temperature and humidity in a chamber. The instrument is portable and suitable for high-throughput phenotyping in both greenhouse and field settings, and is compatible with both broad leaved and conifer species. The requested gas exchange analyzer will be used for research supported by UVic's Centre for Forest Biology and collaborating laboratories with diverse projects that aim to understand the mechanism of stress resistance or which investigate genetic variation in these traits in economically important species. It will also be used to investigate the physiological response of arctic shrubs to dramatic climate warming. The instrument will be used to study cold and drought tolerance, resistance to pathogens and insect herbivores, the interaction of soil moisture and temperature stress, and the importance of phytochemicals and tannins for oxidative stress tolerance. The gas exchange analyser will be managed by the Centre for Forest Biology's technical staff, who will also oversee training and ensure proper maintenance of the instrument.