Beech Genotypic Phenotypic Traits (Teilprojekt)

During the summer of 2022, an acute drought once more afflicted central and southern Europe. This marked the third episode (after 2015 and 2018) of severe aridity in large parts of Germany within the last decade, leading to increased soil water depletion. In northern Bavaria, many deciduous trees showed signs of severe drought stress, including premature leaf discoloration, wilting, and early senescence. In response to that recurrent drought stress, European beech (Fagus sylvatica) exhibited a rapid growth decline, with considerable differences among neighbouring trees. This raised important questions about the underlying causes and suggest the potential existence of drought-tolerant genotypes and phenotypes. This project aims to investigate the genetic basis for these variations, focusing on the relationship between the genotype and key phenotypic traits. Genotypic traits will be linked with internal (growth patterns and wood anatomical traits = dendrophenotype) and external (crown condition and morphology = crown phenotype) using advanced association methods. We aim to identify drought-tolerant beech trees, offering valuable insights for forest management in the face of climate change.