Soil nitrogen drives inverse acclimation of xylem growth cessation to rising temperature in Northern Hemisphere conifers

Y Yaling Zhang (State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry) J Jian-Guo Huang (State Key Laboratory for Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction, Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University) M Minhuang Wang (National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences) W Wenjin Wang (State Key Laboratory for Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction, Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University) F Feiyu Yang (State Key Laboratory for Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction, Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University) A Annie Deslauriers (Laboratoire sur les écosystèmes terrestres boréaux, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi) P Patrick Fonti (Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research) E Eryuan Liang (State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences) H Harri Mäkinen (Natural Resources Institute Finland) W Walter Oberhuber (Department of Botany, Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck) C Cyrille B. K. Rathgeber (Université de Lorraine, AgroParisTech) R Roberto Tognetti (Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano) V Václav Treml (Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Charles University) B Bao Yang (School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University) L Lihong Zhai (State Key Laboratory for Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction, Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University) S Serena Antonucci (Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise) V Valentina Buttò (Forest Research Institute, Université du Quebec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue) J J. Julio Camarero (Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas) F Filipe Campelo (Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra) K Katarina Čufar (Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Wood Science and Technology, University of Ljubljana) M Martin De Luis (Department of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg University) M Marek Fajstavr (Department of Wood Science and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno) A Alessio Giovannelli (Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri) J Jožica Gričar (Slovenian Forestry Institute) A Andreas Gruber (Department of Botany, Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck) V Vladimír Gryc (Department of Wood Science and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno) A Aylin Güney (Izmir Katip Çelebi University, Faculty of Forestry) T Tuula Jyske (Natural Resources Institute Finland) J Jakub Kašpar (Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Charles University) G Gregory King (Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research) C Cornelia Krause (Laboratoire sur les écosystèmes terrestres boréaux, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi) A Audrey Lemay (Laboratoire sur les écosystèmes terrestres boréaux, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi) F Fabio Lombardi (AGRARIA Department, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria) E Edurne Martinez del Castillo (Department of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg University) H Hubert Morin (Laboratoire sur les écosystèmes terrestres boréaux, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi) C Cristina Nabais (Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra) P Pekka Nöjd (Natural Resources Institute Finland) R Richard L. Peters (School of Life Sciences Technische Universität München) P Peter Prislan (Slovenian Forestry Institute) A Antonio Saracino (Department of Agricultural Sciences University of Naples Federico II) V Vladimir V. Shishov (Institute of Economics and Trade, Siberian Federal University) H Hanuš Vavrčík (Department of Wood Science and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno) J Joana Vieira (Collaborative Laboratory for Integrated Forest and Fire Management) Q Qiao Zeng (Key Lab of Guangdong for Utilization of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Geospatial Information Technology and Application, Guangzhou Institute of Geography) S Sergio Rossi (Laboratoire sur les écosystèmes terrestres boréaux, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi)

Abstract

Controlled experiments suggest that the seasonal build-up of nitrogen (N) limitation constrains the responses of forest autumn phenology to elevated temperatures. Therefore, rising soil N is expected to increase the delaying effects of elevated temperature on the end of the season, i.e., leaf senescence. However, the interactive effects of temperature, soil N, and aridity on xylem autumn phenology remain unknown. We conducted a wide spatial analysis from 75 conifer sites in the Northern Hemisphere and found that rising soil N increases the delaying effects of elevated temperature on the end of xylem cell wall thickening but reduced the delaying effects on the cessation of cell enlargement, especially in humid regions. The contrasting effects of elevated soil N on cell enlargement versus cell wall thickening could affect xylem cell anatomy, thereby induce changes in wood density, and induce a decoupling of stem size growth from photosynthate production. These analyses extend previous findings on forest autumn phenology by systematically investigating the spatial variation in the interactive effects of temperature and soil N on xylem autumn phenology at the cellular scale.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 122, Issue 30
Published July 29, 2025
ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher National Academy of Sciences

Authors (45)

Y

Yaling Zhang

State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry

J

Jian-Guo Huang

State Key Laboratory for Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction, Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University

M

Minhuang Wang

National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences

W

Wenjin Wang

State Key Laboratory for Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction, Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University

F

Feiyu Yang

State Key Laboratory for Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction, Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University

A

Annie Deslauriers

Laboratoire sur les écosystèmes terrestres boréaux, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

P

Patrick Fonti

Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research

E

Eryuan Liang

State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences

H

Harri Mäkinen

Natural Resources Institute Finland

W

Walter Oberhuber

Department of Botany, Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck

C

Cyrille B. K. Rathgeber

Université de Lorraine, AgroParisTech

R

Roberto Tognetti

Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano

V

Václav Treml

Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Charles University

B

Bao Yang

School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University

L

Lihong Zhai

State Key Laboratory for Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction, Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University

S

Serena Antonucci

Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise

V

Valentina Buttò

Forest Research Institute, Université du Quebec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

J

J. Julio Camarero

Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

F

Filipe Campelo

Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra

K

Katarina Čufar

Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Wood Science and Technology, University of Ljubljana

M

Martin De Luis

Department of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg University

M

Marek Fajstavr

Department of Wood Science and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno

A

Alessio Giovannelli

Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri

J

Jožica Gričar

Slovenian Forestry Institute

A

Andreas Gruber

Department of Botany, Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck

V

Vladimír Gryc

Department of Wood Science and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno

A

Aylin Güney

Izmir Katip Çelebi University, Faculty of Forestry

T

Tuula Jyske

Natural Resources Institute Finland

J

Jakub Kašpar

Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Charles University

G

Gregory King

Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research

C

Cornelia Krause

Laboratoire sur les écosystèmes terrestres boréaux, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

A

Audrey Lemay

Laboratoire sur les écosystèmes terrestres boréaux, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

F

Fabio Lombardi

AGRARIA Department, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria

E

Edurne Martinez del Castillo

Department of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg University

H

Hubert Morin

Laboratoire sur les écosystèmes terrestres boréaux, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

C

Cristina Nabais

Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra

P

Pekka Nöjd

Natural Resources Institute Finland

R

Richard L. Peters

School of Life Sciences Technische Universität München

P

Peter Prislan

Slovenian Forestry Institute

A

Antonio Saracino

Department of Agricultural Sciences University of Naples Federico II

V

Vladimir V. Shishov

Institute of Economics and Trade, Siberian Federal University

H

Hanuš Vavrčík

Department of Wood Science and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno

J

Joana Vieira

Collaborative Laboratory for Integrated Forest and Fire Management

Q

Qiao Zeng

Key Lab of Guangdong for Utilization of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Geospatial Information Technology and Application, Guangzhou Institute of Geography

S

Sergio Rossi

Laboratoire sur les écosystèmes terrestres boréaux, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi