Climate change significantly reduces photosynthetic activity and bioproductive potential of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Abstract

European beech is one of the most important tree species in Europe, in terms of ecosystem services such as hydrological services, carbon storage, wood production, biodiversity provisioning. Climate induced changes of forest biomass gain, species composition and shift of distribution areal have been determined recently all over the globe during a relatively short time scales. This article presents results of 4-year study (2011-2014) which showed that climate change and climate variability had significant disturbing influence on bioproduction and physiology of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). During just 4 years, beech forests in protected areas in Serbia (Balkan, Eastern Europe), were exposed to the highest and lowest amplitudes of temperature and precipitation recorded in the modern time, with unstable distribution patterns. Unusual variability of climate parameters seems to significantly reduce photosynthetic activity and bioproduction potential of beech forests. This physiological disbalance is determined in both seasonal and daily dynamics of CO2 assimilation. Time series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from MODIS spectral measurements (2000-2016th) confirm that vegetation season of beech trees became significantly longer. Long term consequences for genotype composition and physiology of beech forests are assessed and discussed. Future increase of temperature and disbalance of precipitation is predicted to significantly reduce the abundance of biomass growth, carbon storage capacity and further determine specific changes in beech forest species composition and geographic distribution.