The title of the journal I am discussing for this blog post is: “Physiological, biochemical, and anatomical responses of Araucaria araucana seedlings to controlled water restriction”.
Araucaria Araucana, also known as Monkey Puzzle tree, Monkey Tail tree or Chilean Pine, is an evergreen tree that is native to central, southern Chile and western Argentina. This tree is the national tree of Chile and resembles many tree species of ancient times; thus, is sometimes referred to as a fossil. Researchers wanted to study the physiological responses of Araucaria Araucana stems and leaves when under water restriction. They wanted to compare responses gathered to their control experiment where the Araucaria Araucana stems and leaves are under well-watered conditions. It is predicted that when under stress (dehydration), damage to the plants can occur (but it varies depending on the species and how much stress they are put under). By placing the plants under stress, it would stimulate the real-life environmental conditions of climate change. Results from the study show that severe stress placed upon the tree reduced water content in the leaves while also accumulating large amounts of free proline. The concentration of phenolic compounds was not affected but epicuticular wax extrusions did increase in the apical leaf stomata. Plants that were put under water stress had an increased stem wood density and decreased photosynthetic pigments in the leaf. The leaves of the Araucaria Araucana are usually thick and tough. Physically, they look scale-like and triangular with sharp edges and tips. On average, the leaves have a lifespan of up to 24 years. A surprising result showed that Araucaria Araucana have seedlings that activate physiological mechanisms that allow the plant to withstand short periods of droughts but not necessarily longer or more severe ones.
References:
Papú, S., Berli, F., Piccoli, P., Patón, D., Rodriguez, D. R. O., & Roig, F. A. (2021, May 12). Physiological, biochemical, and anatomical responses of Araucaria araucana seedlings to controlled water restriction. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry. Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0981942821002503
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 