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Frost damage in Pinus sylvestris L. stems assessed by chlorophyll fluorescence in cortical bark chlorenchyma

Évaluation des dégâts du froid dans les troncs de Pinus sylvestris L. par la mesure de la fluorescence de la chlorophylle dans le chlorenchyme cortical de l’écorce

Abstract

  • • Several techniques were used to investigate the threshold minimum temperature inducing severe frost damage during winter in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles and stems from southern provenances in the Iberian Peninsula.

  • • Chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence, electrolyte leakage (EL), visual scoring (VS), and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were compared.

  • • Chl fluorescence, and in particular the maximum potential photosystem II (PSII) efficiency — estimated through the dark-acclimated FV/FM ratio-, was found to be a simple, non-destructive indicator of freezing tolerance in needles, as expected.

  • • Moreover, the existence of a Chl-containing tissue, the cortical bark chlorenchyma, allowed us the use of Chl fluorescence as a new non-destructive indicator of frost damage in live tissues of Pinus sylvestris L. stems.

  • • Freezing tolerance values of southern provenances are compared with those found by other authors in the northern distribution limit of the species.

Résumé

  • • Plusieurs techniques ont été utilisées pour rechercher les seuils minima de température qui occasionnent des dommages dans les aiguilles et les troncs de pin sylvestre (Pinus sylvestris L.) de provenances méridionales de la péninsule Ibérique.

  • • Les résultats obtenus à partir de la mesure de la fluorescence de chlorophylle (Chl), de la libération d’électrolytes (EL), d’une évaluation visuelle (VS) et d’un indice d’activité végétale normalisé (NDVI) ont été comparés.

  • • La fluorescence de chlorophylle, et en particulier l’efficience maximale du photosystème II (PSII) qui est estimée à partir du rapport FV/FM des échantillons acclimatés à l’obscurité, a été confirmée comme une méthode simple et non destructive pour estimer la tolérance au froid des aiguilles de pin, comme cela avait déjà mis en évidence par d’autres études.

  • • En outre, l’existence d’un tissu chlorophyllien dans la partie corticale de l’écorce du tronc a permis l’emploi avec succès de la mesure fluorescence de chlorophylle comme nouvel indicateur non destructif de la résistance au froid des tissus vivants des troncs de Pinus sylvestris L.

  • • Ces estimations de tolérance au froid, trouvées pour des provenances méridionales de Pinus sylvestris L., ont été comparées avec celles rapportées par d’autres auteurs pour des provenances plus septentrionales.

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Correspondence to Eustaquio Gil-Pelegrín.

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Peguero-Pina, J.J., Morales, F. & Gil-Pelegrín, E. Frost damage in Pinus sylvestris L. stems assessed by chlorophyll fluorescence in cortical bark chlorenchyma. Ann. For. Sci. 65, 813 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2008068

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