1. The leaf area-to-sapwood area ratio (LA:SA) is a key plant trait that links photosynthesis to transpiration. The pipe model theory states that the sapwood cross-sectional area of a stem or branch at any point should scale isometrically with the area of leaves distal to that point. Optimization theory further suggests that LA:SA should decrease toward drier climates. Although acclimation of LA:SA to climate has been reported within species, much less is known about the...

Pinus halepensis is a relevant conifer species for studying adaptive responses to drought and fire regimes in the Mediterranean region. Deciphering the molecular basis of Aleppo pine to the Mediterranean environment is therefore needed. In this study we performed Illumina next-generation sequencing of two phenotypically divergent Pinus halepensis accessions with the aims of i) characterizing the transcriptome through Illumina RNA-Seq of two accessions, phenotypically divergent for adaptive traits link to fire adaptation and drought, ii)...