FOR 5571: Using clonal oak phytometers to unravel acclimation and adaptation mechanisms of long-lived forest tree holobionts to ecological variations and climate change

气候变化和全球物种丧失是未来几十年对人类福祉的主要环境威胁。然而，尽管有200多年的有组织的林业和研究，一些基本的知识仍然缺乏（i）森林树木的表型可塑性，（ii）关于树木与其微生物共生体的相互作用，以及（iii）关于这些相互作用如何促进基于树木和/或其共生体的遗传变化的适应（调节变化）和适应（A&A）。因此，PhytOakmeter试图通过建立大量的实验资源来开发新的树木模型，从而获得这种模式和驯化和适应（A&A）的机制。在实践中，我们将建立（i）一个具有足够组学资源的树木模型系统，以便于从全生生物的角度研究森林树木的A&A模式，（ii）从完全环境和压力控制到部分自然环境的中围实验，（iii）将主要从树苗获得的实验结果与对成熟树木的观察相关联，及（iv）在广泛的自然条件下，包括在极端的地点，建立模式树木的监察制度。具体来说，我们将主要在三个实验平台上与克隆DF 159一起工作，以（i）在两个生态箱中进行对照实验，使全生物暴露于两次中度干旱（较长期为前一年和当年，较短期为春季和夏季）和地上和地下食草动物;（ii）将橡树无性系树苗暴露在成熟树木的树冠中，与地面上的常驻树冠树枝和树苗相比;以及（iii）评估在德国和欧洲各地释放的无性系橡树树苗，以分析在广泛的环境条件下的A&A机制。在子项目1 -克隆橡树对非生物和生物胁迫的表观遗传适应中-我们将研究三个实验平台与干旱和草食动物处理相关的甲基化变化和转座因子。

Climate change and global species loss are the major environmental threats to human well-being in the coming decades. However, despite more than 200 years of organized forestry and research, some fundamental knowledge is still missing about (i) the phenotypic plasticity of forest trees, (ii) about the interplay of trees with their microbial symbionts, and (iii) about how these interactions may facilitate acclimation (regulatory changes) and adaptation (A&A) based on genetic changes of trees and/or their symbionts. Therefore PhytOakmeter seeks to derive such patterns and mechanisms of acclimation and adaptation (A&A) of a holobiont tree model by setting up substantial experimental resources to develop a new tree model. In practice, we will establish (i) a tree model system with sufficient -omics resources to facilitate the investigation of A&A patterns from a holobiont perspective in forest trees, (ii) mesocosm experiments ranging from complete environmental and stress control to mesocosm experiments with partly natural environments, (iii) relate experimental findings mostly gained from saplings to observations on mature trees, and (iv) establish the monitoring of model trees under a broad range of natural conditions, including extreme sites. Specifically, we will mainly work on three experimental platforms with the clone DF159 to (i) perform controlled experiments in two Ecotrons that expose the holobiont to two moderate droughts (previous year and current year for longer-term, spring and summer for shorter term stress memory) and above- and below-ground herbivory, respectively; (ii) expose oak clonal saplings in the canopy of mature trees in comparison to resident canopy twigs and saplings at ground level; and (iii) assess clonal oak saplings released across Germany and Europe for analyzing A&A mechanisms under a wide range of environmental conditions. In Subproject 1 - Epigenetic acclimation to abiotic and biotic stress in clonal oaks - we will investigate methylation changes and Transposable Elements in relation to the drought and herbivory treatment of the three experimental Platforms.