Project / Initiative
National projects
-
Inactive
PI ROIG
Ecological plasticity of Scots pine
Creaf leader
Participant
Participant
Ecological plasticity of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and possible changes in the distribution of this species as a result of climate change
The direct and indirect effects of climate change are likely to affect the distribution of species and, thus, the composition, structure and functioning of ecosystems. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L ) is one of the most widely distributed trees on Earth, and one of the main forest species in Spain.
The main aim of this project is to predict the effect that the likely increase in the occurrence of droughts and wildfires will have on the distribution of Scots pine in S Europe. Specifically, the objectives of the proposal are: (1) to characterize the plasticity of water-use and the ecophysiological response to drought of Scots pine along an aridity gradient, with the aim of better understanding the mechanisms that this species uses to cope with drought as well as their limits. (2) To study (a) the dynamics of several Scots pine populations at the plot level (local scale) along a latitudinal gradient in the Iberian Peninsula, and (b) the regeneration of Scots pine after fire in areas burned in different years. (3) To assess the current state of Scots pine forests in Eastern Spain at the regional scale, quantify the recent changes in their distribution taking into account the effect of wildfires, and develop a landscape dynamics model to predict future changes.
