Driving seedling morpho-physiology towards drought tolerance with drought conditions in the nursery

Abstract

Hot, dry climates are a menace to seedling establishment in naturally and artificially regenerated forests alike. These tough outplanting conditions are problematic because a seedling’s limited mass dictates reserves of energy (sugars or starch), water, and nutrients. Furthermore, in order to establish itself, risky investments in growth must precede any leap in a seedling’s ability to acquire new resources (i.e., increases in light interception for photosynthesis or soil exploration for water and nutrient uptake). With new climate normals indicating hotter and dryer growing seasons combined with more frequent stand replacing (and seedbank-incinerating) fires, as well as initiatives from governments across the world to plant more trees, it is critical to advance our understanding of how nursery interventions may prepare seedlings for dry environments. In two studies, we examine some of the ways that seedling morphophysiological characteristics may be modified by nursery culture to increase seedling survival under dry outplanting conditions.

Parent Publication

• Foundational concepts in silviculture with emphasis on reforestation and early stand improvement - 2022 National Silviculture Workshop

Citation

Godfrey, Jessie M.; Nelson, Andrew; Pinto, Jeremiah. 2022. Driving seedling morpho-physiology towards drought tolerance with drought conditions in the nursery. In: Jain, Theresa B.; Schuler, Thomas M. [comp.]. Foundational concepts in silviculture with emphasis on reforestation and early stand improvement - 2022 National Silviculture Workshop. Proc. RMRS-P-80. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 4 p.