European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is a widely distributed, ecologically and economically important deciduous tree species in European forests, but is increasingly threatened by drought stress. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are ubiquitous plant metabolites that may serve as non-invasive biomarkers of drought stress, yet they have rarely been studied in European beech. In this study, we examined VOC responses of European beech to experimental drought across diverse genetic backgrounds in a common garden. The 72 four-year-old beech saplings represented three genetic clusters, seven provenances (geographic seed sources), and 12 maternal seed families. Half of the saplings were assigned to the drought treatment and received no water for 14 days, while the remaining saplings were assigned to the control treatment and received water as required. VOC profiles (peak heights of mass spectral features) of all 72 individuals were measured three times during pre-drought, drought, and rewatering periods. We found that pre-drought VOC profiles, in particular monoterpenes, varied significantly among genetic backgrounds. Experimental drought significantly altered VOC profiles, characterized by increased green leaf volatiles and decreased monoterpenes, oxidized terpenoid derivatives, and other fatty acid derivatives. Reductions in monoterpenes persisted after rewatering, indicating a drought legacy effect. Only three VOC mass spectral features showed significant seed family-specific drought responses; and drought responses did not differ across genetic backgrounds (no significant treatment times genetic background interactions). Our findings suggest that VOC profiles are genetically structured yet highly plastic under drought and highlight their potential as non-invasive biomarkers for monitoring drought stress in European beech under climate change.
Tang, T., Guerra, T., Coq--Etchegaray, D., Schmid, B., Reichert, L., Wiesenberg, G. L. B., Schuman, M. C., Moorsel, S. v.
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