Physiological Responses of Trees to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses

Dear Colleagues,

In many habitats, environmental stresses such as widely fluctuating temperatures, water shortage, or insect and pathogen infestations occur on a regular basis and often interact with each other. In adaptation to these recurring challenges, complex perception, signaling, and response pathways have evolved, allowing trees to cope with environmental constraints. The potential impact of environmental stresses on tree vitality was neatly captured in Manion’s famous decline spiral, illustrating how the interplay between biotic and abiotic drivers may amplify each other’s effect. The ability of trees to withstand adverse environmental conditions largely relies on physiological mechanisms governing stress acclimation and associated improvements in stress tolerance. The timing, intensity, and duration of single or co-occurring stressors certainly matter, and unfavorable combinations may push trees toward tipping points. Therefore, climate and land-use change often exacerbate stress levels, making trees weaker and more vulnerable to biotic attack. Climate-driven range shifts expose tree species to new environments with a different suite of stressors. At the same time, range expansions of biotic agents allow the colonization of new host tree species, often with deleterious effects on tree health.

Understanding stress physiology mechanisms and the boundaries within which the underlying processes operate is vitally important for assessing tree responses in a rapidly changing world. This Special Issue therefore calls for research or review articles contributing to this increasingly important topic.

Dr. Martin Bader
Guest Editor

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