Increased risk of freeze damage in woody perennials VIS-À-VIS climate change: Importance of deacclimation and dormancy response

Abstract

Winter survial during an annual cycle of temperate- and boreal-zone woody perennials is a multi-component response. Two of these components are: (1) the timing, rate, and extent of cold acclimation (CA; Box 1), and (2) plants' ability to sufficiently maintain its freezing tolerance (FT) until the danger of killing frosts is passed which is determined by, among other factors, plants' ability to resist any premature/unseasonal deacclimation (DA; Box 1), which, under a predictable seasonal pattern, typically occurs during spring-warming.