Abstract EN:

Several dendroecological studies (inter-annual variations of the tree-rings width according to the climate) of the sessile oak (ring porous species) and of the beech (diffuse porous species) put into evidence their interrelationships with the climatic signal of the year and differed effects of the climate or the growth. These differed effects are often more obvious and older on oaks. Our objectives are to verify if the anatomies and/or the contrasted phenology (setting up of leaves, resuming of wood growth) of these two species entail a different management of carbohydrate reserves, and of specific carbon allocation pattern, at intra- and in inter-annual scales. To reach these objectives, we have developed a pluridisciplinary approach associating dendrochronology, ecophysiology, dendrometry and modeling of water and carbon functioning of oaks and beeches stands. The analysis of the inter-annual variations of radial growth of the oak and of the beech was based on the last 30 years measurements on 900 varied trees in terms of fertility and age in the Fontainebleau forest. Dendroclimatic study puts into evidence a strong dependence of the beeches stands productivity on the soil water availability during the season of vegetation of the year and the previous year. For oaks stands, the productivity is correlated to the soil water availability during the season of vegetation and to the growth of the previous year. The biochemical analysis of carbohydrate reserves (starch, sucrose, glucose and fructose), made on two pure stands of oaks and beeches of 35 years old in Lorraine, reveals a seasonal dynamics of reserves more obvious as well as an higher concentration for the oak. These differences of reserve management correspond to the important needs in growth of the oak during the phase of carbon heterotrophy. Analyzing the reserves quantities and yearly growth in biomass of the population on several years required preliminary works to describe intra- and inter-trees variability and then to up-scale the studied tree to the stand. Knowledge acquired on the seasonal dynamics of carbohydrate reserves quantities, as well as on the growth phenology of the oak and the beech, have been integrated in a model of stand carbon balance (CASTANEA, E. Dufrêne). The possible changes of carbon allocation to the growth between years can be tested thanks to the model, through hypotheses of interactions between dynamics appropriate in reserves and growth. These modifications have been tested on the Fontainebleau site. . .