Fulbright Osaka Seminar 2 (hybrid)
DATE and TIME: Wednesday, October 15, 18:15-19:45
PLACE: Knowledge Salon (https://kc-i.jp/en/access/guide-04/) Grand Front Osaka, North Building, Take N3 Elevator to the 7th Floor
TOPIC PROVIDER: Dr. Hiroaki Ishii, Professor of Forest Resources, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University
Ph.D. College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, Fulbright Scholar (1995~2000)
TOPIC: Plasticity and acclimation: How can trees cope with climate change?
SUMMARY:
Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of individual organisms to produce variable traits from the same genotype. Trees, being sessile, long-lived organisms, must cope with variable environmental conditions during their lifetime, and have evolved retaining large phenotypic plasticity. One way phenotypic plasticity is manifested is the variation in leaf traits from upper to lower canopy within a single tree crown. We found that this variation differs among regional populations of Japanese beech, suggesting that populations in the southern, trailing end of the geographic distribution range may have lower phenotypic plasticity, suggesting they may not be able to cope with future climate change. On the other hand, coast redwood, the tallest tree species on Earth, exhibits tremendous leaf trait variation. This species has been in existence since the Tertiary Period (60 million years ago), enduring large fluctuations in climate. In plant breeding, phenotypic plasticity has been considered noise, i.e., unwanted variation. However, in the face of uncertainty regarding future climate, we should be breeding for plasticity, especially in long-term investments such as forestry.
RSVP by Sunday, October 12th to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11iWkYuY2WGXJBgwxHoS6nR0-NikSrJSvwLUiJugyNeE/edit