RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Dwarf mistletoe and drought contribute to growth decline, dieback and mortality of junipers
A1 Tamudo, Elisa
A1 Camarero, J. Julio
A1 Sangüesa Barreda, Gabriel
A1 Anadón, José Daniel
K1 Bosques y silvicultura
K1 Gestión forestal
K1 Dendroecology
K1 Juniperus communis
K1 Arceuthobium oxycedri
K1 Water deficit
K1 Dendroecología
K1 Déficit de agua
K1 3106 Ciencia Forestal
AB Rising temperatures and aridification, combined with the stressing effect of some hemiparasitic plants such as mistletoes, may contribute to reduce vigour and growth of trees and shrubs leading to dieback and increasing mortality. This has been rarely explored in pioneer shrubs such as junipers, which are assumed to be more drought tolerant than coexisting trees. To test these ideas, we reconstructed radial growth patterns of common junipers (Juniperus communis L.) with different crown cover and infestation degree by dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium oxycedri (DC.) M. Bieb.) in two sites with contrasting aspect and water availability located in north-eastern Spain. We used dendrochronology to study the response of junipers’ radial growth to climatic factors (temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture), an index of drought severity, and mistletoe infestation. Juniper growth was constrained by elevated temperatures and low precipitation leading to drought during the growing season. Infestation by dwarf mistletoe contributed to a short-term growth decline in junipers. The interaction between low summer precipitation and high dwarf mistletoe infestation constrained juniper growth, particularly in the north-oriented wetter site, where hosts presented higher growth rates during wet periods. The negative impact of low summer precipitation on juniper growth overrides the effects due to dwarf mistletoe infestation. Aridification and mistletoe infestation could trigger dieback and mortality of shrubs slowing down successional dynamics and delaying shrub encroachment into former croplands and grasslands.
PB MDPI
YR 2021
FD 2021
LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/59174
UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/59174
LA eng
NO Forests, 2021, vol. 12, n. 9, 1199
NO Producción Científica
DS UVaDOC
RD 29-may-2024