Adaptation and acclimation both influence photosynthetic and respiratory temperature responses in Corymbia calophylla

Short-term acclimation and long-term adaptation represent two ways in which forest trees can respond to changes in temperature. Yet, the relative contribution of thermal acclimation and adaptation to tree physiological responses to temperature remains poorly understood. Here, we grew two cool-origin and two warm-origin populations of a widespread broad-leaved evergreen tree species (Corymbia calophylla (Lindl.) K.D.Hill & L.A.S.Johnson) from a Mediterranean climate in southwestern Australia under two growth temperatures representative of the cool- and warm-edge of the species distribution. The populations selected from each thermal environment represented both high and low precipitation sites. We measured the short-term temperature response of leaf photosynthesis (A) and dark respiration (R), and attributed observed variation to acclimation, adaptation or the combination of both. We observed limited variation in the temperature optimum (Topt) of A between temperature treatments or among populations, suggesting little plasticity or genetic differentiation in the Topt of A. Yet, other aspects of the temperature response of A and R were dependent upon population and growth temperature. Under cooler growth temperatures, the population from the coolest, wettest environment had the lowest A (at 25 °C) among all four populations, but exhibited the highest A (at 25 °C) under warmer growth temperatures. Populations varied in R (at 20 °C) and the temperature sensitivity of R (i.e., Q10 or activation energy) under cool, but not warm growth temperatures. However, populations showed similar yet lower R (at 20 °C) and no differences in the temperature sensitivity of R under warmer growth temperatures. We conclude that C. calophylla populations from contrasting climates vary in physiological acclimation to temperature, which might influence how this ecologically important tree species and the forests of southwestern Australia respond to climate change.