increase in our understanding of the factors limiting the distribution of a species to explore how the interaction of biotic and abiotic factors is likely to significantly alter its range edge behaviour beyond our current predictive capacity. In this paper, we review the rapid recent. These alterations are often most apparent at species range edges, where changes to conditions previously limiting the species distribution can result in range shifts.

View projectД¬hanges in climate are affecting the distribution and status of species on a global scale, through alteration of factors including their phenology, growth and ecological interactions.

Specific objectives are to compare:ДЎ) the performance of Iberian pines along a natural gradient of increasing summer aridity and decreasing winter temperature,Дў) the water potential threshold at which pine seedling mortality occurs, 3) the water use efficiency, desiccation tolerance, and sensibility of stomata closure to reduction of soil and air water content,Д¤) xylem vulnerability to embolism caused by water stress and frost,ДҐ) root growth dynamics and structure in response to soil water availability,Д¦) foliage and root cold acclimation rate through the fall and how tissue nitrogen (N) concentration affects cold acclimation and root hydraulic conductance,Д§) shoot elongation resumption in Spring and root growth dynamics in relation to seedling N concentration, andДЁ) how pines use stored N and carbon to support The general hypothesis is that Iberian pines have different tolerance and functional strategies to face abiotic stresses, which correlate with the distribution of their native populations.

Finer focus