Trees最新文献

{"title":"Antagonistic interactions between cytokinin and gibberellin during initial stem growth and leaf structure of royal poinciana [Delonix regia (Bojer ex. Hook.) Raf.]","authors":"Bárbara Oliveira Medeiros,&nbsp;Lázara Aline Simões Silva,&nbsp;Suellen Nunes Sarmento,&nbsp;Diuly Alves Rosa,&nbsp;Lília Cristina de Souza Barbosa,&nbsp;Mariana Machado,&nbsp;Helena Gioppato,&nbsp;Marcelo Carnier Dornelas,&nbsp;Vinícius Coelho Kuster,&nbsp;Diego Ismael Rocha","doi":"10.1007/s00468-024-02562-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-024-02562-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Gibberellin (GA) and cytokinin (CK) signaling play antagonistic roles in leaf development and secondary plant growth. In the current study, we investigated the effects of changes in the balance of CKs and GAs on the development and leaf and stem morpho-anatomy of <i>Delonix regia</i> (Bojer ex. Hook.) Raf. seedlings. The balance of CKs and GAs was modified by the exogenous application of plant growth regulators (PGRs), individually or in combination. After 30 days of daily PGR applications, the growth and the morpho-anatomy of the leaf and stem were assessed. CKs and GAs have antagonistic effects on the development of <i>D. regia</i>. Seedlings treated with GA showed a significant increase in height, while the application of CK led to greater formation of axillary shoots, altering the architecture of the plants. GA inhibited almost all CK responses, although a negative reciprocal interaction was observed in some growth parameters. The treatments in which GA was applied showed an increase in leaf length. However, these plants presented a reduction in leaf tissue thickness and the stem cambial band. In contrast, plants treated with CK and paclobutrazol had thicker leaf blades and more prominent radial growth of the stem, with a higher proportion of secondary xylem. Our results suggest a mutual antagonistic interaction between GA and CK in <i>D. regia</i> and contribute to understanding how the balance between these two classes of phytohormones modulates the structure and development of plant lateral organs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"38 6","pages":"1415 - 1427"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extreme Poisson’s ratios recorded in the secondary phloem of Malvaceae: a highlight on the biomechanical function of bark","authors":"Tancrède Alméras,&nbsp;Stéphane Corn,&nbsp;Anne Baranger,&nbsp;Arnaud Regazzi,&nbsp;Jonathan Barés,&nbsp;Romain Lehnebach,&nbsp;Bruno Clair","doi":"10.1007/s00468-024-02558-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-024-02558-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In some angiosperm species, especially in the <i>Malvaceae</i> family, postural control and directional growth of the stem are enabled by the mechanical interaction between the growing cambium and the secondary phloem. A key feature of this motor mechanism is the ability to redirect the tangential stress induced in secondary phloem into a longitudinal stress enabling the control of stem orientation. Here we studied how the microstructure of the secondary phloem is optimized for this function. We measured the longitudinal-tangential Poisson’s ratio and the longitudinal modulus of elasticity of secondary phloem in 22 tree species including <i>Malvaceae</i> and other families. We modeled the microstructure of <i>Malvaceae</i> secondary phloem using finite elements. The Poisson’s ratio of secondary phloem from <i>Malvaceae</i> trees was found one to two orders of magnitude higher than for other species, reaching the highest values ever reported for a natural material. Mechanical modeling confirmed these results and showed that parameters of the microstructure of secondary phloem are set at value optimizing this Poisson’s ratio. This highlights that the specific microstructure of <i>Malvaceae</i> secondary phloem is designed to maximize the conversion of cambial growth pressure into a longitudinal mechanical stress enabling the directional growth.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"38 6","pages":"1379 - 1390"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beech poles do not produce flexure wood after mechanical stimulation: does shifting from stress avoidance to stress tolerance matter?","authors":"Jana Dlouhá,&nbsp;Leandro Martinez,&nbsp;Tancrède Alméras,&nbsp;Julien Ruelle,&nbsp;Thiéry Constant,&nbsp;François Ningre,&nbsp;Meriem Fournier","doi":"10.1007/s00468-024-02556-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-024-02556-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Key message</h3><p>Flexure wood formation is not systematically observed as a part of thigmomorphogenetic syndrome induced by wind. Its formation depends likely on the dose of mechanical signal perceived and the tree size-dependent strategy to resist wind loads.</p><h3>Abstract</h3><p>Formation of a specific wood tissue called flexure wood often accompanies the thigmomorphogenetic syndrome in mechanically stimulated trees. Flexure wood exhibits high microfibril angle allowing for increase in the stem flexibility and higher resistance to post-elastic damage during repeated loadings. In this study, we examine the microstructure and the properties of wood produced by beech poles submitted to increased mechanical stimulus. Contrary to previous results obtained on poplar saplings, aside a little decrease in density no changes in the microstructure or the post-elastic properties of wood were observed in beech poles. While in saplings wood properties explained 25% of the resistive moment increase and 50% of the maximal curvature decrease, their relative contribution was of 6% for the resistive moment and 5% for the maximal curvature decrease in beech poles. These apparent discrepancies between our results and previous studies were explained by a possible combination of three factors: (i) experienced level of mechanical stimulus, (ii) tree size-dependent shift in the strategy to resist wind loads and (iii) the species sensitivity to thigmomorphogenetic syndrome. We further suggest the use of juvenile transition as an indicator of the species strategy to cope with environmental signals adopting a broader view of the adaptive capacity of a given species.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"38 6","pages":"1367 - 1377"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Micro-structural responses of Pisonia grandis R. Br. (Nyctaginaceae) to growth regulators for in vitro regeneration: a study on an avenue tree in urban landscapes","authors":"M. Manokari,&nbsp;Mahesh Kumar Badhepuri,&nbsp;Mohammad Faisal,&nbsp;Abdulrahman A. Alatar,&nbsp;Mahipal S. Shekhawat","doi":"10.1007/s00468-024-02563-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-024-02563-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Pisonia grandis</i> R. Br. is a tree commonly found in urban coastal and tropical regions, valued for its ornamental beauty and utility in agroforestry and traditional medicine. To facilitate its propagation, particularly through in vitro techniques, this study aimed to refine a propagation system by inducing adventitious buds from node explants of mature tree. The study revealed that the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, supplemented with 30 g L⁻¹ sucrose and 2.0 mg L⁻¹ thidiazuron (TDZ), effectively stimulated bud break. Furthermore, a combination of 1.0 mg L⁻¹ TDZ and 0.5 mg L⁻¹ α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) yielded optimal shoot multiplication, resulting in an average of 16.0 shoots per explant with a length of 5.9 cm. In contrast, utilizing 1.0 mg L⁻¹ 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.5 mg L⁻¹ NAA led to producing 10.0 shoots with a height of 3.7 cm. Incorporating TDZ significantly enhanced shoot numbers, size, and overall health of the shootlets. Microscopic analysis revealed that leaves and petioles derived from the TDZ and NAA combination exhibited desirable features, such as a thick cuticle, well-differentiated epidermis, mesophyll, vascular tissues, stomata, and improved vein density compared to those derived from BAP and NAA. The maximum root percentage (87.5%) and adventitious root formation (averaging 8.0 roots with a length of 6.2 cm) were observed on half-strength media supplemented with 1.5 mg L⁻¹ indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Conversely, NAA fortification resulted in lower rooting percentages (77.8% response with an average of 4.7 roots measuring 4.0 cm in length). Subsequently, the rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatized using a mixture of soilrite®, cocopeat, and garden soil (1:1:1 v/v ratio), with a survival rate of 92.0% in the field. This study contributes valuable insights into the optimized use of growth regulators for the large-scale propagation of <i>P. grandis</i> and related species, ensuring the production of micro-morpho-structurally stable plantlets.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"38 6","pages":"1429 - 1441"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic diversity of Pyrus pyraster (L.) Burgsd. and P. spinosa Forssk.: evidence of introgression from cultivated into wild pear populations","authors":"Antonio Vidaković,&nbsp;Zlatko Šatović,&nbsp;Zlatko Liber,&nbsp;Mira Radunić,&nbsp;Martina Skendrović Babojelić,&nbsp;Igor Poljak","doi":"10.1007/s00468-024-02553-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-024-02553-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Southern Europe is home to two naturally occurring pear species: the European wild pear (<i>Pyrus pyraster</i> (L.) Burgsd.) and the almond-leaved pear (<i>P</i>. <i>spinosa</i> Forssk.). In addition to these two species, the cultivated pear (<i>P</i>. <i>communis</i> L.) is also grown throughout Europe. Since the cultivated pear is one of the most widespread fruits in Europe, gene flow between the cultivated species and their wild relatives is to be expected. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic diversity of natural populations and whether gene flow from the cultivated pear can alter the genetic composition of wild pear populations. We collected samples from 21 populations of <i>P</i>. <i>pyraster</i> and 22 populations of <i>P</i>. <i>spinosa</i> as well as 24 cultivars of <i>P</i>. <i>communis</i>. DNA fingerprinting based on nine microsatellite markers (SSR) was used to analyze the genetic diversity and structure of the wild pear populations and to assess the relationship between wild and cultivated pears. In general, we found a higher genetic diversity of <i>P</i>. <i>pyraster</i> compared to <i>P</i>. <i>spinosa</i>. In three Mediterranean <i>P</i>. <i>pyraster</i> populations, significant cultivated-to-wild gene flow was observed, whereas in <i>P</i>. <i>spinosa</i> it was rare and only observed in a few individuals. Furthermore, in regions where the ecological niches of the two wild pear species overlap, hybrids between them were also found. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic variability of these species and can significantly advance their use in sustainable forest management, conservation, and breeding programs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"38 5","pages":"1297 - 1314"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142225236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanisms of drought resistance in Populus deltoides and P. × canadensis clones to possible situations of water restriction in irrigated systems in drylands","authors":"Elisa A. Rovida Kojima,&nbsp;Carina V. González,&nbsp;Ignacio A. Mundo,&nbsp;Aranzazú Guevara,&nbsp;Carla V. Giordano","doi":"10.1007/s00468-024-02551-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-024-02551-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Key message</h3><p><b>We have identified poplar clones suitable for dryland forestry, which stand out for their resistance to cavitation, level of anisohydrism, adjustment of cellular water relations and high water use efficiency.</b></p><p>In drylands, such as the arid western region of Argentina, poplar afforestation depends on intermittent furrow irrigation, subjecting the plantations to variable water availability both in time and space. Our objective was to study stem biomass production and drought resistance responses of eight poplar clones, to explore whether there are more suitable varieties for forestry in drylands than those currently cultivated, i.e. the hybrid <i>Populus</i> × <i>canadensis</i> clones ‘Conti’ 12 and ‘Guardi’. We conducted a pot experiment with three levels of water availability (control, moderate stress and severe stress), studying four clones of <i>P.</i> × <i>canadensis</i>, ‘Conti 12’, ‘Guardi’, ‘I-214’ and ‘I45/51’, as well as four clones of the <i>Populus deltoides</i> species, ‘Stoneville 67’, ‘Catfish 2’, ‘Dvina’ and ‘Australiano 129/60’. We found that the clones that were more productive under water stress, ‘I-214’ and ‘I45/51’, were also the most resistant to cavitation. However, these clones were not very productive under high water availability. The ‘Guardi’ and ‘Australiano 129/60’ clones performed best in this situation, showing moderately high productivity under water stress. These clones exhibited the highest degree of anisohydrism, high water use efficiency and ‘Australiano 129/60’ stood out for its low water potential at the point of wilting due to osmotic adjustment. The currently most cultivated variety in Cuyo region, ‘Conti 12’, was less productive, did not make cellular adjustments and had low water use efficiency. These results suggest that other available clones may be more suitable for poplar forestry in drylands and should be evaluated in field trials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"38 5","pages":"1267 - 1281"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variation in vessel traits of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) provenances revealed high phenotypic plasticity to prevailing environmental conditions","authors":"Jonathan M. Kormann,&nbsp;Marieke van der Maaten-Theunissen,&nbsp;Lucrezia Unterholzner,&nbsp;Mirko Liesebach,&nbsp;Katharina J. Liepe,&nbsp;Ernst van der Maaten","doi":"10.1007/s00468-024-02557-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-024-02557-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Key message</h3><p><b>Red oak provenances responded with high plasticity and intra-annual variability in vessel traits to studied climatic conditions, indicating weak signals of local adaptation and providing opportunities for forest management.</b></p><p>The climate change-induced increase in frequency and severity of extreme events has revealed a high vulnerability of various major tree species in Europe, stressing the need for selecting climate-resilient species for forest management. In this context, adaptive strategies of northern red oak (<i>Quercus rubra</i> L.) were examined, using wood anatomical data derived from a provenance trial. We investigated the interannual variation in vessel traits of red oak provenances planted at three sites along a precipitation gradient in Germany. We compared the climate sensitivity of German provenances with those from North America to analyze plasticity and to identify signals of local adaptation in vessel traits. The results revealed variations in vessel traits between all sites, pointing to site-specific responses to prevailing environmental conditions. Differences between provenances were prevalent for vessel size-related traits, with site-specific higher values for German provenances at wet sites. Climate signals, which varied between traits, were strongest for vessel density and the relative conductive area. Vessel traits were found to depend both on previous-year conditions as and on spring climate conditions during the onset of vessel formation. The site-specific response in extreme years deviate significantly between drought and frost events. A trade-off between resistance to extremes and vessel diameter could not be demonstrated, and provenances with larger vessel diameters showed higher frost resistance. The observed high plasticity in vessel traits and the site-specific variation to climate influences point to an adjustment in vessel formation to the prevailing environmental conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"38 5","pages":"1283 - 1295"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00468-024-02557-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Simulated fire injury: effects of trunk girdling and partial defoliation on reproductive development of apple trees (Malus domestica)","authors":"Gerhard C. Rossouw,&nbsp;Oluyoye Idowu,&nbsp;Aphrika Gregson,&nbsp;Bruno P. Holzapfel","doi":"10.1007/s00468-024-02555-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-024-02555-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Fire damage can significantly impact fruit productivity in orchards. However, the effects of nonlethal fire injuries on the reproductive development of apple trees remain poorly understood. To investigate these effects, we implemented three treatments: trunk girdling to simulate fire injury to xylem, defoliation of a third of the canopy (simulated crown fire injury), and a combined treatment (simulated surface fire injury), alongside a control. The experiment was conducted during the 2021–22 growing season using a randomised block design with four biological replicate plots. Girdling was less effective than crown and surface fire treatments in influencing fruit composition during the current growing season, and flowering and fruiting in the following season. The crown and surface fire treatments induced localised detrimental effects on fruit sugar and titratable acidity while stimulating peel blush. Additionally, these treatments led to reduced starch reserves by harvest, which likely disrupted subsequent flowering and crop load near the previously defoliated sections of the canopy. When surface fires damage leaves near the base of the canopy in addition to the trunk, fruit production in the lower part of the canopy is more likely to be compromised in the following season. Crown fires, which cause leaf loss near the apex of the canopy, appear to be particularly detrimental to tree productivity, as the top defoliation treatment impaired carbohydrate reserves in shoot terminals and roots. In conclusion, fire-induced loss of leaf area during fruit growth alters fruit composition in the current growing season and may lead to lower yields in the subsequent season.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"38 5","pages":"1323 - 1342"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00468-024-02555-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142198647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Highly variable bark-wood density relationships across tree species reflect tradeoffs in evolved tolerances to environmental stressors","authors":"David W. MacFarlane","doi":"10.1007/s00468-024-02548-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-024-02548-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Key message</h3><p><b>Tree bark and wood density are highly variable and weakly positively correlated, with species having more or less dense bark than wood to adapt to different environmental stressors.</b></p><p>Tree bark is a complex, multifunctional structure and bark density varies widely across species. While wood density is recognized as a fundamental indicator of the functional ecology of trees, bark density has received much less attention as a key functional trait. Theoretically, bark and wood density should co-vary to some degree, but comprehensive examinations of this covariation are scarce. How do key functional traits of individual trees and species relate to bark and wood density variation/covariation? How does a tree’s life history and evolved tolerance to environmental stress shape variation/covariation in bark and wood density? This study draws from published literature and a large database of individual tree measurements of trees of diverse species and growing conditions, from forest ecosystems across the United States and Canada, to understand covariation between bark and wood density and its relationship to life-history traits and evolved tolerances to environmental stressors. The results of this study show a high tree-to-tree variation in both bark density and wood density, with inherited differences in tissue formation constraining the range of bark and wood densities. All analyses show that bark density was weakly, positively correlated with wood density. Mixed effects modeling showed a strong phylogenetic signal in variation in bark and wood density that was partially explained by the need for species to produce more or less -dense bark and wood to adapt to different environmental stressors (tolerance of drought, shade, frost, waterlogging and fire were all examined), with clearly different relationships for angiosperms versus gymnosperms.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"38 5","pages":"1223 - 1239"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141883238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptive potential of European beech in a provenance trial established in Serbia","authors":"Marija Jovanović,&nbsp;Jelena Milovanović,&nbsp;Ivona Kerkez Janković,&nbsp;Marina Nonić,&nbsp;Mirjana Šijačić-Nikolić","doi":"10.1007/s00468-024-02549-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-024-02549-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Key Message</h3><p><b>In a provenance trial conducted in Serbia, the provenance of the beech trees exhibited a stronger influence on leaf morphology than on survival rate.</b></p><h3>Abstract</h3><p>Provenance trials are crucial for understanding the genetic diversity within beech provenances and advising forestry management practices. In this study, by integrating leaf morphometric analyses and survival data from a 16-year-old provenance trial in Serbia, we aimed to uncover patterns and mechanisms that govern plant–environment interactions in beech (<i>Fagus sylvatica</i> L.) ecosystems. The provenance trial used in this study was established in 2007, as part of the broader European network, from seedlings of 22 provenances originating across Europe. In the fall of 2007 and 2010, and in the summer 2023, plant vitality was recorded within each provenance. For geometric morphometrics, leaves were collected in 2023. The analyses tested the effects of provenance, provenance geographical origin, and provenance survival trend on leaf size and shape. The results showed significant variation in leaf size and shape and revealed that while there was no clear pattern of correlation between survival percentage and leaf morphology, provenance origin did show significant influence on leaf size and shape. Additionally, source stands environmental factors exerted a stronger influence on leaf shape than on leaf size variation. The observed variability in beech leaf morphology on one side, and survival rates on the other side, serve as indicators of the species' resilience and ability to adjust to changing environmental conditions. </p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"38 5","pages":"1241 - 1253"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141883237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}