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Decreased phenolic defence in dwarf birch (Betula nana) after warming in subarctic tundra

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Abstract

Dwarf birch (Betula nana L.), a dominant deciduous dwarf shrub in many tundra ecosystems, is predicted to increase substantially in abundance due to climate warming. Potential warming-induced changes in the concentrations of phenolic compounds in B. nana leaves could influence the susceptibility of B. nana to environmental stresses; however, only a few studies have investigated the effects of climate warming on the phenolic defence in B. nana. We analysed the responses of phenolic concentrations and amounts in B. nana leaves to factorial treatments of warming and fertilization for 2 years in a subarctic tundra heath. Warming induced a strong decrease in total phenolics, including both flavonols (i.e. quercetin and myricetin derivatives, important defence compounds against oxidative stress) and hydrolysable tannins (HTs, important defence compounds against herbivory). Fertilization exerted weaker effects on phenolic concentrations while significantly increasing the leaf area. Our data indicate that climate warming may decrease the level of phenolic defence in B. nana leaves. Given the important role of these compounds in the plant defence, this phenomenon could potentially increase the susceptibility of B. nana to biotic stresses such as herbivory.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Aarno Niva and Sirkka Aakkonen for helping with field manipulations and Minna Männistö and Lars Ganzert for helping with leaf sampling. We are also grateful to Elina Kaarlejärvi, Sarita Keski-Saari, and three anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on the manuscript. This investigation was funded by Academy of Finland (decision number 218121).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, P.O. Box 122, 96101, Rovaniemi, Finland

    S. Stark, M. Väisänen & H. Ylänne

  2. Department of Biology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90570, Oulu, Finland

    H. Ylänne

  3. Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101, Joensuu, Finland

    R. Julkunen-Tiitto

  4. Natural Resources Institute Finland, Rovaniemi Research Unit, P.O. Box 16, 96301, Rovaniemi, Finland

    F. Martz

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  1. S. Stark
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Correspondence to S. Stark.

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Stark, S., Väisänen, M., Ylänne, H. et al. Decreased phenolic defence in dwarf birch (Betula nana) after warming in subarctic tundra. Polar Biol 38, 1993–2005 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-015-1758-0

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