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

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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.