© 1987 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Physiology and genetics of tree growth response to moisture and temperature stress: an examination of the characteristics
of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.)
R. O. Teskey (1), B. C. Bongarten (1), B. M. Cregg (1), P. M. Dougherty (1) and T. C. Hennessey (2)
1. School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA / 2. Department of Forestry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA /
Summary
Water stress and temperature impose fundamental limits to forest productivity. Stresses caused by fluctuating or extreme temperatures
or limited water availability vary both seasonally and from year to year. The role of these stresses should be considered
when investigating the causes of declines in forest productivity.
Forest growth, or carbon gain, can be related quantitatively to three components: leaf area, rate of net photosynthesis and
rate of respiration. This paper examines effects of temperature and water supply on these components with particular reference
to loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), a species of
economic importance in the southeastern United States where declines, of unknown cause, in forest productivity have been reported.
