New Insights into Hydraulic Anatomy and Function of Trees

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecophysiology and Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2023) | Viewed by 2372

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51005 Tartu, Estonia
Interests: hydraulics; plant physiology; hydraulic conductivity; water supply; water balance; climate change; plant abiotic stress; forest plasticity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant water relations (i.e., “plant hydraulics”) play an integral role in studying plant functioning. For plants, the structure of the water transport system places a physical limit on plant functioning, as the efficiency of water transport through their organs determines their photosynthetic capacity and growth rate. Thus, plant hydraulic properties are fundamental determinants of plant fitness and survival. On a global scale, water availability is an important limiting factor for plants, determining the productivity of crops and forests. Thus, understanding the controls over plant water relations makes it possible to manipulate and optimize the entire plant performance, affording direct benefits for humankind by increasing the productivity of agriculture, horticulture, and forestry as well as prediction of forest plasticity to future water regimes.

Different aspects of plant hydraulics have been widely investigated, including the regulation of water movement through both the vascular (xylem structure) and extravascular (aquaporin function) pathways, as well as coordination with stomatal conductance and carbon metabolism. Yet, the effect of global climate change, which creates considerable geographical variability in a climate with increasing incidence of extremes, on plant hydraulic functioning needs to be scrutinized now more than ever.

With this Special Issue of Forests, we aim to provide new insights into the structurefunction relationships of plant water relations, with specific emphasis on trees and forests. We call for manuscripts in the form of original research or review papers that address novel aspects of tree hydraulics at the molecular, whole-tree and ecosystem level, especially in the context of global climate change.

Dr. Eele Õunapuu-Pikas
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • plant hydraulic architecture
  • tree water relations
  • xylem
  • vascular pathway
  • extra-vascular pathway
  • aquaporins
  • climate change
  • forest plasticity

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 6455 KiB  
Article
Relationships between Xylem Transport, Anatomical, and Mechanical Traits at Organ Level of Two Cupressaceae Species
by Jiang-Bo Xie, Bo-Na Zhang and Zhong-Yuan Wang
Forests 2022, 13(10), 1564; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13101564 - 25 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1814
Abstract
Compared to arid regions, forests in humid regions can be more vulnerable to drought as they are not used to, and thus not adapted to, water stress. Therefore, it is vital to understand the drought responses of woodland species in humid areas. Xylem [...] Read more.
Compared to arid regions, forests in humid regions can be more vulnerable to drought as they are not used to, and thus not adapted to, water stress. Therefore, it is vital to understand the drought responses of woodland species in humid areas. Xylem structures and functions of species growing in the humid regions are the key to their drought responses. Two Cupressaceae species (including three taxa: Sequoia sempervirens, Taxodium distichum and its variety Taxodium distichum var. imbricatum) grown in a mesic common garden were targeted, and their xylem hydraulic function (hydraulic conductivity, Ks; cavitation resistance, P50), anatomical structure (tracheid and pit structure), and mechanical support (wood density, WD; tracheid thickness-to-span ratio, Ttob) were measured. Likewise, we analyzed the differences in hydraulic function and anatomical structure of xylem in branches and roots, and the quantitative relationship between xylem water transport, anatomical structure, and mechanical support. Our results showed that roots had a higher hydraulic conductivity and a weaker cavitation resistance than branches. There was no safety–efficiency trade-off in the branches and roots within species. Tracheid mechanical support had a trade-off relationship with Ks or P50 (negative correlation appeared in branch Ks ~ WD and root Ks ~ Ttob of S. sempervirens, root P50 ~ Ttob of T. distichum var. imbricatum, and branch P50 ~ WD). There was no trade-off in anatomical structure, which led to no safety–efficiency trade-off in xylem function. Our results suggest that the two species exhibit both low efficiency and low safety in xylem, and that there is no safety–efficiency trade-off in branches and roots. The reason behind this is that the structural demand for high safety and high efficiency differs (i.e., the root Ks of S. sempervirens was strongly controlled by Dh; in contrast, the root P50 of S. sempervirens was strongly determined by tracheid density, N). Namely, the structural basis for a safety–efficiency trade-off does not exist and therefore trade-offs cannot be achieved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Hydraulic Anatomy and Function of Trees)
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