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Harvard Forest REU Symposium Abstract 2016
- Title: Characterizing Drought Resistance of New England Saplings by Species and Tissue Type
- Author: Katherine S Anstreicher (Yale University)
- Abstract:
Many scientists project that the New England forest system will adapt as climate change renders atmospheric conditions drier and warmer on average. To gain insight as to which species may fare best in future conditions, I conducted drought resistance research on saplings of four dominant hardwood species in the Harvard Forest, MA (Quercus rubra, Acer rubrum, Fraxinus americana, Fagus grandifolia). I tested the drought resistance of six distinct tissue types per sapling. Drought resistance was measured in lab using air-seeding pressure (ASP), which indicates the pressure value at which air effectively interrupts flow of water in a given tissue (thereby prohibiting photosynthesis and ultimately leading to plant death). ASP measurements were compared using ANOVA, TukeyHSD, Shapiro Wilk, and Kruskal Wallis statistical tests. Our results showed no significant difference in ASP value by tissue type; that is to say, no one tissue demonstrated significantly higher drought resistance than another. However, there were significant differences (p < 0.05) in ASP values when comparing species within a single tissue type. I found that A.rubrum has a significantly higher ASP value (and thus, resistance to drought) in leaf petioles than do all three other species. In addition, A.rubrum is more resilient than F.Americana across all tissue types. These results suggest that A.rubrum saplings will survive at a higher rate than F.Americana saplings in future New England forests. On a broader level, the species A.rubrum may perform better as a whole than F.Americana as droughts become more frequent and severe due to climate change.
- Research Category: Group Projects
