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Living on next to nothing: tree seedlings can survive weeks with very low carbohydrate concentrations.

  • Weber R Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, Basel, 4056, Switzerland.
  • Schwendener A Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, Basel, 4056, Switzerland.
  • Schmid S Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, Basel, 4056, Switzerland.
  • Lambert S Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans Knöll Strasse 10, Jena, 07745, Germany.
  • Wiley E Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 442 Earth Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada.
  • Landhäusser SM Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 442 Earth Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada.
  • Hartmann H Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans Knöll Strasse 10, Jena, 07745, Germany.
  • Hoch G Department of Environmental Sciences - Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, Basel, 4056, Switzerland.
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  • 2018-02-10
Published in:
  • The New phytologist. - 2018
Acer pseudoplatanus
Picea abies
Pinus sylvestris
Quercus petraea
carbon starvation
nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs)
starch
sugar
Analysis of Variance
Biomass
Carbohydrates
Darkness
Molecular Weight
Seedlings
Starch
Time Factors
Trees
English The usage of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) to indicate carbon (C) limitation in trees requires knowledge of the minimum tissue NSC concentrations at lethal C starvation, and the NSC dynamics during and after severe C limitation. We completely darkened and subsequently released seedlings of two deciduous and two evergreen temperate tree species for varying periods. NSCs were measured in all major organs, allowing assessment of whole-seedling NSC balances. NSCs decreased fast in darkness, but seedlings survived species-specific whole-seedling starch concentrations as low as 0.4-0.8% per dry matter (DM), and sugar (sucrose, glucose and fructose) concentrations as low as 0.5-2.0% DM. After re-illumination, the refilling of NSC pools began within 3 wk, while the resumption of growth was delayed or restricted. All seedlings had died after 12 wk of darkness, and starch and sugar concentrations in most tissues were lower than 1% DM. We conclude that under the applied conditions, tree seedlings can survive several weeks with very low NSC reserves probably also using alternative C sources like lipids, proteins or hemicelluloses; lethal C starvation cannot be assumed, if NSC concentrations are higher than the minimum concentrations found in surviving seedlings; and NSC reformation after re-illumination occurs preferentially over growth.
Language
  • English
Open access status
bronze
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Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/2965
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