WP3
Combined stress induction in controlled environments to simulate a 2050 scenario
Well defined climatic scenarios for urban and rural environments set at 2050 as inferred from measuring and modelling exercises (temperature, relative humidity, ozone, soil water availability, CO2, nitrogen deposition) will be realised under controlled environmental conditions. The objective is to manipulate, in a combined way, key environmental factors to simulate realistic future scenarios in ad-hoc facilities (including Open-Top Chambers). This will allow to investigate the role of tree species for urban greening and the knowledge of the impact of environmental stresses on the functionality of plant ecosystems in urban environments.
The following tasks are involved:
T3a: Setting of facilities for environmental simulations (RU-PI, RU-FI, RU-CNR-FI, RU-UNICATT);
T3b: Molecular analyses: functional genomics, molecular bases of resistance and adaptation mechanisms in trees (RU-FI, UR-CNRFI) and lichens (RU-TS, RU-PI);
T3c: Biochemical analyses: primary and secondary metabolism (e.g. antioxidants, phenylpropanoid and isoprenoid metabolism, photosynthetic pigments, signalling and priming molecules) in trees and lichens (RU-FI, RU-CNRFI, RU-PI, RU-TS);
T3d: Ecophysiological analyses: photosynthetic gas exchange, exchange of trace gases, chlorophyll-a fluorescence and other in vivo markers of primary and secondary metabolism of trees (RU-FI, RU-CNRFI, RU-PI, RU-ROMA, RU-UNICATT) and lichens (RU-PI, RU-TS);
T3e: Histopathology (optical microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, SEM, TEM): selected samples from the experimental sites will be processed in order to characterise the cellular damage at structural and ultrastructural level (RU-FI, RU-CNRFI, RU-TS, RU-TUS). Expected results include the knowledge of the bases for planning the most suitable urban trees in connection to future environmental scenarios.
