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Forests
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Stress Resistance and Genetic Improvement of Forest Trees
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Stress Resistance and Genetic Improvement of Forest Trees

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Genetics and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 8836

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiaojiao Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
Interests: abiotic stresses; physiological mechanism; molecular mechanism; plant functional traits; molecular breeding
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jing Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
Interests: abiotic stresses; poplar; bamboo; physiological mechanism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Global warming and extreme climatic events such as high temperature, drought, and floods have always been a hot topic, and have attracted the attention of scientific researchers. Climate change has had multiple negative effects on the environment. Furthermore, heavy metal (HM) pollution caused by anthropogenic activities such as mining, smelting and the application of fertilizers is increasing worldwide, and these activities lead to HMs leaching into groundwater or accumulating on the soil surface. The above-mentioned natural disasters from climate change and HM pollution have caused serious damage to the growth, development, and reproduction of perennial woody plants. How woody plants with long life cycles deal with adverse environments is a fundamental biological issue that needs to be better understood. In the long-term evolutionary process, woody plants have evolved a series of specific regulatory pathways and physiological and molecular mechanisms to deal with adverse environments.

The Special Issue “Abiotic Stress Resistance and Genetic Improvement of Forest Trees” will publish comprehensive reviews and original research articles that cover the latest novel discoveries on the interactions between woody plants and abiotic stresses such as drought, floods, salt, heavy metals, light and extreme temperatures.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

(1) Molecular and physiological mechanisms on tree abiotic stress tolerance;

(2) The integration of transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics in abiotic stress response;

(3) The genetic transformation of trees adapting to severe abiotic stresses;

(4) Breeding of tree varieties with strong stress resistance.

Dr. Xiaojiao Han
Dr. Jing Xu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • global changes
  • abiotic stresses
  • integrated multi-omics analysis
  • enhance tolerance
  • genetic transformation
  • breeding of tree varieties

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4058 KiB  
Article
Physiological, Photosynthetic and Stomatal Ultrastructural Responses of Quercus acutissima Seedlings to Drought Stress and Rewatering
by Dan Liu, Haili Guo, Li-Ping Yan, Lei Gao, Shasha Zhai and Yan Xu
Forests 2024, 15(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010071 - 29 Dec 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1691
Abstract
The physiological mechanisms of drought-stress response in Quercus acutissima were explored with the aim to develop potentially valuable drought-resistant species that are adapted to arid regions and barren mountains. Potting experiments of Q. acutissima that simulated drought-stress conditions, and morphological, physiological, photosynthetic, and [...] Read more.
The physiological mechanisms of drought-stress response in Quercus acutissima were explored with the aim to develop potentially valuable drought-resistant species that are adapted to arid regions and barren mountains. Potting experiments of Q. acutissima that simulated drought-stress conditions, and morphological, physiological, photosynthetic, and ultrastructural changes were investigated at different stages of drought stress, including after rehydration and recovery. During drought stress and rewatering, the leaves exhibited yellowing and abscission, followed by the sprouting of new leaf buds. The relative water content (RWC) changed under the drought-rewatering treatment, with a decreasing and then increasing trend, while the relative electrical conductivity (REC) had a more gradual increasing and then decreasing trend. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), and the proline (Pro) and soluble sugar (SS) contents increased and then decreased. The change in soluble protein (SP) content showed an N-shaped trend of increasing, decreasing, and then increasing again. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased and then slowly increased. From the drought to recovery phase of the experiment, the net photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) decreased gradually at first, and then the Pn increased significantly, while the Gs and Tr increased slowly. During this period, the internal CO2 concentration (Ci) did not decrease significantly until the last stage of the drought treatment, and then it increased slowly thereafter. The open stomata count in the Q. acutissima leaves was reduced significantly as drought stress increased, but after rewatering, the stomata recovered rapidly, with their opening size increasing. The number of leaf epidermal trichomes gradually declined to a low count in response to drought stress, but it rapidly recovered and increased within a short period of time after rehydration. Q. acutissima was found to have a strong drought tolerance and recovery ability after exposure to drought stress, and it may be an effective pioneer species for reforestation in barren lands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Resistance and Genetic Improvement of Forest Trees)
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15 pages, 3160 KiB  
Article
Desiccation Sensitivity Characteristics and Low-Temperature Storage of Recalcitrant Quercus variabilis Seed
by Ming-Jia Zhang, Yong-Zheng Wang, Yang Xian, Cheng-Cheng Cui, Xiao-Man Xie, Bo-Qiang Tong and Biao Han
Forests 2023, 14(9), 1837; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091837 - 9 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1644
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the desiccation sensitivity characteristics and the critical moisture content of the recalcitrant Quercus variabilis seed. Additionally, cryopreservation of the recalcitrant seeds were studied. Wild-collected Q. variabilis seeds were used in this research. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was employed [...] Read more.
This study aims to investigate the desiccation sensitivity characteristics and the critical moisture content of the recalcitrant Quercus variabilis seed. Additionally, cryopreservation of the recalcitrant seeds were studied. Wild-collected Q. variabilis seeds were used in this research. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was employed to evaluate the critical moisture content and germination indices at different moisture contents were measured. The initial moisture content of the seeds and embryonic axes decreased from 33.1% and 40.9%, respectively, to 10.0%, accompanied by a germination rate decrease of 95.6% and 90.0% to 6.3% and 60.0%, respectively. The theoretical critical moisture content of the embryonic axis was calculated to be 11.55%. As dehydration progressed, drastic changes were observed in the antioxidant enzyme system. Initially, the levels of PRO and SOD in the seeds increased and then decreased, while the levels of POD and MDA consistently increased. The cryopreservation of the embryonic axis was achieved using vitrification. The embryonic axis with a moisture content of 10% had a 15% survival rate when pretreated with PVS2 for 60 min prior to cryopreservation. The results demonstrated that the cryopreservation of the Q. variabilis embryonic axis is possible, but the method needs adjustment to increase the recovery survival rate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Resistance and Genetic Improvement of Forest Trees)
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13 pages, 4188 KiB  
Article
Physiological Responses of Chionanthus retusus Seedlings to Drought and Waterlogging Stresses
by Muge Niu, Tianran Zhao, Dong Xu, Cuishuang Liu, Yuan Liu, Maotong Sun, Huicheng Xie and Jihong Li
Forests 2023, 14(2), 429; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020429 - 19 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2321
Abstract
Understanding the adaptability of Chionanthus retusus Lindl. et Paxt. to extreme water conditions will help in exploring the potential application of this species in barren mountains. Three-year-old Chionanthus retusus seedlings were used in a greenhouse pot experiment that analyzed the effect of different [...] Read more.
Understanding the adaptability of Chionanthus retusus Lindl. et Paxt. to extreme water conditions will help in exploring the potential application of this species in barren mountains. Three-year-old Chionanthus retusus seedlings were used in a greenhouse pot experiment that analyzed the effect of different moisture gradients on growth, photosynthetic and fluorescence characteristics, protective enzyme system, osmotic substance regulation and cell membrane damage. The results indicated that C. retusus can effectively grow at a relative soil water content of 44.6% and above and can maintain growth for 20 days under flooded conditions. Under drought stress, net photosynthesis rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), and intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci) all showed a trend of gradual decrease. The trend of change was similar under waterlogging conditions. The maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm), actual photochemical efficiency of PSII (ΦPSII), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), and electron transport rate (ETR) all decreased as drought deepened. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased first and then increased. However, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity content, peroxidase (POD) activity content, and proline (Pro) activity content showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing. C. retusus had good adaptability in the slight drought treatment group and flooded treatment group but showed intolerance in the high drought group, which could still last for approximately 21 days. C. retusus was found to have a strong adaptability to water stress and can be used as an afforestation tree in barren mountains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Resistance and Genetic Improvement of Forest Trees)
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14 pages, 29869 KiB  
Article
Drought Resistance Evaluation of Casuarina equisetifolia Half-Sib Families at the Seedling Stage and the Response of Five NAC Genes to Drought Stress
by Huichang Xu, Jinlin Yu, Longhui You, Shengwu Xiao, Sen Nie, Tuhe Li, Gongfu Ye and Dichu Lin
Forests 2022, 13(12), 2037; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13122037 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2386
Abstract
Casuarina equisetifolia (L.) is an indispensable tree species in the construction of the backbone of the shelterbelt system in subtropical coastal regions, as it can resist wind, sand, drought, and salt. Under global warming and water shortage, it is important to clarify the [...] Read more.
Casuarina equisetifolia (L.) is an indispensable tree species in the construction of the backbone of the shelterbelt system in subtropical coastal regions, as it can resist wind, sand, drought, and salt. Under global warming and water shortage, it is important to clarify the mechanisms through which C. equisetifolia adapts to drought stress and to breed drought-resistant varieties in order to enhance the ecological protection provided by coastal shelterbelts. Here, we aimed to explore the response characteristics of C. equisetifolia to drought stress and investigate the associations of NAC genes with drought resistance. Seedlings of 16 half-sib C. equisetifolia families were subjected to drought treatment. Seedling growth, morphology, physiological and biochemical indices, and drought resistance were comprehensively evaluated. The drought-resistant families designated 4-383, 3-80, 3-265, 3-224, and 1-195 were selected using multiple indices and methods. Correlation and structural equation model analyses revealed that CCG007578 might regulate growth and osmoprotection in C. equisetifolia while CCG028838 and CCG004029 may scavenge reactive oxygen species. The correlation and structural equation model analyses of seedling height growth (ΔH), survival rate (S), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and CCG007578 expression were used to identify drought resistance in C. equisetifolia. The aforementioned drought-resistant families provide basic materials for future research on genes encoding drought-resistance proteins and the molecular breeding of drought-resistant C. equisetifolia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Resistance and Genetic Improvement of Forest Trees)
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