Innovative tree breeding focusing on plasticity of photosynthetic traits

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14944
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Ishii Hiroaki 神戸大学, 農学研究科, 准教授 (50346251)
• Research Collaborator: Enoki Tsutomu ; Ugawa Shin ; Miyazaki Yuko
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 気候変動 / 温暖化適応 / 順化能力

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to sustain forests and forest production, we must focus not only on conventional traits, but also on trait variation, i.e., plasticity. The objective of this study was to investigate trait within-tree variation in natural and plantation forest to select species and varieties with high trait plasticity to infer which species could endure future climate change.
We found that in Fagus crenata, populations near the northern and altitudinal distribution limits had high plasticity, while those in western Japan had low plasticity. Populations in western Japan are isolated and risk extinction if existing individuals are not able to acclimate to climate change. In Cryptomeria japonica, we found that varieties with high plasticity grew faster.
These results suggest that selecting for specie and varieties with high trait plasticity may result in sustainable forest diversity and production.

Free Research Field

樹木生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

樹木は作物などの1年生植物と異なり長寿であることから、長い生育期間中の環境変化に対して可塑的に対応できる系統こそが「優良品種」であると言える。本研究の成果から、人工林では可塑性の高い品種を選抜し、天然林では可塑性の低い集団を保護することが、森林管理における温暖化適応策につながると考えられる。