How will Global Change Affect Function Of Future Trees and Forests

全球气候变化的后果是气温升高，降水模式改变，以及热浪和干旱等极端事件频率增加，改变了北方树木和森林的功能。它们对气候变化的反应已经影响到碳固存、生产力和生存，并可能对物种分布和全球碳循环产生巨大影响。然而，我们目前缺乏对未来气候如何影响北方树木和森林的生理和分子反应的详细了解。这些数据对于我们理解和潜在地减轻气候变化的影响至关重要。因此，拟议的研究计划旨在确定树木和森林对环境变化的敏感性，从分子到物种和生态系统层面。它将评估气候变化如何在不同尺度上影响加拿大树种的光合作用过程、碳代谢、水分关系和生产力。这包括使用实验生长室、田间操作和长期监测田间地点。通过该程序获得的独特数据将揭示树木功能是如何因应全球变化因素(如气温升高和干旱)而改变的。不同实验尺度的组合以及分子和生理方法的使用将允许跨尺度验证数据，估计生产力的变化，并将有助于评估树种对气候变化的适应性和可塑性。这些结果将被用来为选择或筛选树种或种群的策略提供信息，以进行改良计划，并用于林业管理、规划和保护。因此，这项研究计划将有助于在未来的气候中维持具有生态和经济重要性的树种，对环境和林业部门都有好处。

The consequences of global climate change, with elevated temperature, altered precipitation patterns, and the increased frequency of extreme events such as heat waves and drought alters the function of northern trees and forests. Their response to a changing climate already impacts carbon sequestration, productivity, and survival, with potentially large effects on species distribution and the global carbon cycle. However, we currently lack a detailed understanding of how future climate will affect the physiological and molecular responses of northern trees and forests. Such data are crucial to our understanding and potentially mitigating the effects of climate change. The proposed research program therefore aims to determine the sensitivity of trees and forests to environmental change, from the molecular through to the species and ecosystem levels. It will assess how climatic changes impact photosynthetic processes, carbon metabolism, water relations and productivity of Canadian tree species at various scales. This includes the use of experimental growth chambers, field manipulations, and long-term monitoring field sites. The unique data obtained through this program will reveal how tree function is modified in response to global change factors such as increased temperature, and drought. The combination of different experimental scales and the use of molecular and physiological approaches will allow for validation of data across scales, the estimation of changes in productivity, and will help to assess adaptability and plasticity of tree species to climatic change. These results will be used to inform selection or screening strategies for tree genotypes or populations for improvement programs, and for forestry management, planning, and conservation. This research program will therefore help to sustain ecologically and economically important tree species in a future climate with benefits to the environment and forestry sector.