Evidence for xylem embolism as a primary factor in dehydration-induced declines in leaf hydraulic conductance

Assessing inter-intraspecific variability of leaf vulnerability to embolism for 10 alpine Rhododendron species growing in Southwestern China

Alpine Rhododendron species are prominent constituents and renowned ornamental plants in alpine ecosystems. Consequently, evaluating the genetic variation in embolism resistance within the genus Rhododendron and predicting their adaptability to future climate change is important. Nevertheless, the assessment of embolism resistance in Rhododendron species remains limited. This investigation aimed to examine leaf vulnerability to embolism across ten alpine Rhododendron species, which are frequently employed as ornamental species in Rhododendron forests in Southwest China. The study analyzed the correlation between embolism resistance and various morphological traits, while also conducting water control experiments to evaluate the relationship between embolism resistance and drought resistance. The outcomes indicated pronounced variations in leaf vulnerability to embolism among species, as reflected by the water potential at 50% of embolized pixels (P50 ). Furthermore, the leaf P50 exhibited a significant positive correlation with vessel diameter (D) (R2  = 0.44, P = 0.03) and vessel wall span (b) (R2  = 0.64, P = 0.005), while displaying a significant negative correlation with vessel reinforcement ((t/b)2 ) (R2  = 0.67, P = 0.004). These findings underscore the reliability of selecting species based on embolism vulnerability to preserve the diversity of alpine ecosystems and foster resilience to climate change.

Deadly acceleration in dehydration of Eucalyptus viminalis leaves coincides with high-order vein cavitation

Xylem cavitation during drought is proposed as a major driver of canopy collapse, but the mechanistic link between hydraulic failure and leaf damage in trees is still uncertain. Here, we used the tree species manna gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) to explore the connection between xylem dysfunction and lethal desiccation in leaves. Cavitation damage to leaf xylem could theoretically trigger lethal desiccation of tissues by severing water supply under scenarios such as runaway xylem cavitation, or the local failure of terminal parts of the leaf vein network. To investigate the role of xylem failure in leaf death, we compared the timing of damage to the photosynthetic machinery (Fv/Fm decline) with changes in plant hydration and xylem cavitation during imposed water stress. The water potential at which Fv/Fm was observed to decline corresponded to the water potential marking a transition from slow to very rapid tissue dehydration. Both events also occurred simultaneously with the initiation of cavitation in leaf high-order veins (HOV, veins from the third order above) and the analytically derived point of leaf runaway hydraulic failure. The close synchrony between xylem dysfunction and the photosynthetic damage strongly points to water supply disruption as the trigger for desiccation of leaves in this hardy evergreen tree. These results indicate that runaway cavitation, possibly triggered by HOV network failure, is the tipping agent determining the vulnerability of E. viminalis leaves to damage during drought and suggest that HOV cavitation and runaway hydraulic failure may play a general role in determining canopy damage in plants.

Drought acclimation of Quercus ilex leaves improves tolerance to moderate drought but not resistance to severe water stress

Increasing temperature and drought can result in leaf dehydration and defoliation even in drought-adapted tree species such as the Mediterranean evergreen Quercus ilex L. The stomatal regulation of leaf water potential plays a central role in avoiding this phenomenon and is constrained by a suite of leaf traits including hydraulic conductance and vulnerability, hydraulic capacitance, minimum conductance to water vapour, osmotic potential and cell wall elasticity. We investigated whether the plasticity in these traits may improve leaf tolerance to drought in two long-term rainfall exclusion experiments in Mediterranean forests. Osmotic adjustment was observed to lower the water potential at turgor loss in the rainfall-exclusion treatments, thus suggesting a stomatal closure at more negative water potentials and a more anisohydric behaviour in drier conditions. Conversely, leaf hydraulic conductance and vulnerability did not exhibit any plasticity between treatments so the hydraulic safety margins were narrower in the rainfall-exclusion treatments. The sequence of leaf responses to seasonal drought and dehydration was conserved among treatments and sites but trees were more likely to suffer losses of turgor and hydraulic functioning in the rainfall-exclusion treatments. We conclude that leaf plasticity might help the trees to tolerate moderate drought but not to resist severe water stress.

Quantitative monitoring of paramagnetic contrast agents and their allocation in plant tissues via DCE-MRI

BACKGROUND

Studying dynamic processes in living organisms with MRI is one of the most promising research areas. The use of paramagnetic compounds as contrast agents (CA), has proven key to such studies, but so far, the lack of appropriate techniques limits the application of CA-technologies in experimental plant biology. The presented proof-of-principle aims to support method and knowledge transfer from medical research to plant science.

RESULTS

In this study, we designed and tested a new approach for plant Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (pDCE-MRI). The new approach has been applied in situ to a cereal crop (Hordeum vulgare). The pDCE-MRI allows non-invasive investigation of CA allocation within plant tissues. In our experiments, gadolinium-DTPA, the most commonly used contrast agent in medical MRI, was employed. By acquiring dynamic T₁-maps, a new approach visualizes an alteration of a tissue-specific MRI parameter T₁ (longitudinal relaxation time) in response to the CA. Both, the measurement of local CA concentration and the monitoring of translocation in low velocity ranges (cm/h) was possible using this CA-enhanced method.

CONCLUSIONS

A novel pDCE-MRI method is presented for non-invasive investigation of paramagnetic CA allocation in living plants. The temporal resolution of the T₁-mapping has been significantly improved to enable the dynamic in vivo analysis of transport processes at low-velocity ranges, which are common in plants. The newly developed procedure allows to identify vascular regions and to estimate their involvement in CA allocation. Therefore, the presented technique opens a perspective for further development of CA-aided MRI experiments in plant biology.

Investigating Soil-Root Interactions with the Numerical Model R-SWMS

In this chapter, we present the Root and Soil Water Movement and Solute transport model R-SWMS, which can be used to simulate flow and transport in the soil-plant system. The equations describing water flow in soil-root systems are presented and numerical solutions are provided. An application of R-SWMS is then briefly discussed, in which we combine in vivo and in silico experiments in order to decrypt water flow in the soil-root domain. More precisely, light transmission imaging experiments were conducted to generate data that can serve as input for the R-SWMS model. These data include the root system architecture, the soil hydraulic properties and the environmental conditions (initial soil water content and boundary conditions, BC). Root hydraulic properties were not acquired experimentally, but set to theoretical values found in the literature. In order to validate the results obtained by the model, the simulated and experimental water content distributions were compared. The model was then used to estimate variables that were not experimentally accessible, such as the actual root water uptake distribution and xylem water potential.

Too dry to survive: Leaf hydraulic failure in two Salvia species can be predicted on the basis of water content

Global warming is exposing plants to increased risks of drought-driven mortality. Recent advances suggest that hydraulic failure is a key process leading to plant death, and the identification of simple and reliable proxies of species-specific risk of irreversible hydraulic damage is urgently required. We assessed the predictive power of leaf water content and shrinkage for monitoring leaf hydraulic failure in two Mediterranean native species, Salvia ceratophylloides (Sc) and S. officinalis (So). The study species showed significant differences in relative water content (RWC) thresholds inducing loss of rehydration capacity, as well as leaf hydraulic conductance (K_L) impairment. Sc turned out to be more resistant to drought than So. However, Sc and So showed different leaf saturated water content values, so that different RWC values actually corresponded to similar absolute leaf water content. Our findings suggest that absolute leaf water content and leaf water potential, but not RWC, are reliable parameters for predicting the risk of leaf hydraulic impairment of two Salvia species, and their potential risk of irreversible damage under severe drought. Moreover, the lack of any K_L decline until the turgor loss point in Sc, coupled to consistent leaf shrinkage, rejects the hypothesis to use leaf shrinkage as a proxy to predict K_L vulnerability, at least in species with high leaf capacitance. Robust linear correlations between K_L decline and electrolyte leakage measurements suggested a role of membrane damage in driving leaf hydraulic collapse.

The extra-vascular water pathway regulates dynamic leaf hydraulic decline and recovery in Populus nigra

Leaf hydraulic conductance (K_leaf ) is highly dynamic and typically responds to changes in water status and irradiance. However, the relative contribution of vascular (K_x ) and extra-vascular (K_ox ) water pathways to K_leaf changes in response to water potential decline and recovery in function of light conditions remains poorly investigated. We investigated the dynamic responses of leaf hydraulics in Populus nigra L. by measuring K_leaf , K_x , and K_ox changes under drought and upon recovery. Measurements were done at both low and high irradiance (LI and HI, respectively). K_leaf increased and became more vulnerable to dehydration under HI conditions than LI, due to marked changes of K_ox . After re-watering, K_leaf recovered in parallel with K_ox recovery, but K_leaf response to irradiance remained inhibited. Strong correlations between K_leaf and drought-induced membrane damage demonstrated the relevance of the cell-to-cell water pathway in driving the dynamic responses of K_leaf under drought and recovery. Our findings highlight the importance of coordination between water and light availability in modulating the overall K_leaf response to environmental conditions.

Coordinated decline of leaf hydraulic and stomatal conductances under drought is not linked to leaf xylem embolism for different grapevine cultivars

Drought decreases water transport capacity of leaves and limits gas exchange, which involves reduced leaf leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) in both the xylem and outside-xylem pathways. Some literature suggests that grapevines are hyper-susceptible to drought-induced xylem embolism. We combined Kleaf and gas exchange measurements, micro-computed tomography of intact leaves, and spatially explicit modeling of the outside-xylem pathways to evaluate the role of vein embolism and Kleaf in the responses of two different grapevine cultivars to drought. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay exhibited similar vulnerabilities of Kleaf and gs to dehydration, decreasing substantially prior to leaf xylem embolism. Kleaf and gs decreased by 80% for both cultivars by Ψ leaf approximately -0.7 MPa and -1.2 MPa, respectively, while leaf xylem embolism initiated around Ψ leaf = -1.25 MPa in the midribs and little to no embolism was detected in minor veins even under severe dehydration for both cultivars. Modeling results indicated that reduced membrane permeability associated with a Casparian-like band in the leaf vein bundle sheath would explain declines in Kleaf of both cultivars. We conclude that during moderate water stress, changes in the outside-xylem pathways, rather than xylem embolism, are responsible for reduced Kleaf and gs. Understanding this mechanism could help to ensure adequate carbon capture and crop performance under drought.

Justicia adhatoda reveals two morphotypes with possible functional significance

Justicia adhatoda L. (Acanthaceae), an Old-World species of Justicia, is found in almost all geographical regions of India. Indian botanists have persistently used two accepted synonyms of J. adhatoda, namely, Adhatoda vasica and Adhatoda zeylanica, treating them as names of separate species, but without considering or making any reference to variation of forms in the species. Here, different aspects of variation-phenotypic, genotypic, and distributional-in Indian populations of J. adhatoda were studied to determine whether the two names might have been used to designate distinguishable forms of the species. We conducted field studies in different regions of India, laboratory studies of diverse phenotypic traits in experimental plots (anatomical, biochemical, reproductive, and morphometric), and a preliminary study of genetic variation using homologous cytochrome P450 gene fragments. We assessed herbarium samples from across India and the taxonomic literature for pointers indicating the presence of distinguishable forms. Population-level phenotypic and genetic variation pointed to the presence of two distinct morphotypes of the species, which separately tend to occur in dry and wet regions. Each form retains its original phenotype, either when the two forms are transplanted and cultivated together, or when found growing in regions (presumed introduced) outside its normal distributional range. Morphological studies and metabolic profiling (leaf and seed fatty acids, wax load and wax composition in leaf) suggest functional adaptation of the two forms, one to drier and the other to wetter regions. We could distinguish these forms in herbarium specimens dating back to 1821, but neither herbarium specimens nor the taxonomic literature reveal any reference to two forms. We propose that the forms be recognized as two distinct morphotypes of Justicia adhatoda.

The Vulnerability of Qilian Juniper to Extreme Drought Events

Identifying which trees are more vulnerable to extreme climatic events is a challenging problem in our understanding of forest and even ecosystem dynamics under climate change scenarios. As one of the most widely distributed tree species across the arid and semi-arid northeastern Tibetan Plateau, Qilian juniper (Juniperus przewalskii Kom.), is the main component of the local forest ecosystem, providing critical insurance for the ecological security of the surrounding areas. However, this species's ability to cope with climate extremes (especially drought) has not been adequately assessed. Here, we apply a dendroecological approach that considers indices of resistance and resilience to quantify the vulnerability of Qilian junipers to the extreme drought events of 1957, 1966, 1979, and 1995. A total of 532 Qilian juniper trees from different age stages (100-1,100 years) and altitudes [3,500-4,000 m above sea level (a.s.l.)] were studied to assess their response characteristics during these four drought extremes. We conclude that drought extremes have a significant negative impact on the growth of Qilian juniper. The oldest Qilian junipers at the lower altitudes constituted the most vulnerable populations across the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and were characterized by the lowest resistance values, the narrowest annual rings, and the highest proportion of missing rings during the four drought years. Tree resilience after droughts was strongly related to the intensity of the drought event and did not change with tree age or elevation. A threshold of tree tolerance to drought may exist, with the more vulnerable tree individuals (e.g., the oldest Qilian junipers from lower altitudes) being exposed to the highest mortality risk when drought intensity exceeds the threshold value. Such a threshold needs further consideration, through the study of trees that have died (or are about to die) due to extreme droughts.

Effects of phloem on canopy dieback, tested with manipulations and a canker pathogen in the Corylus avellana/Anisogramma anomala host/pathogen system

Canker pathogens cause necrosis of the phloem, but in many host/pathogen systems, they also cause canopy dieback, which implicates xylem, not phloem dysfunction. We hypothesize that this dieback distal to the canker is caused by water stress resulting from the lack of a phloem-to-xylem connection, which in a healthy plant would allow delivery of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) and water inward to aid in xylem embolism refilling. We tested several components of this hypothesis in the host/pathogen system Corylus avellana L./Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Müll (Eastern filbert blight). Cankers were non-girdling and usually ≥0.1 m long. As expected, healthy controls had higher specific conductivity (Ks) than diseased stems, but unexpectedly, had similar moisture content (m.c.), showing that the lower Ks did not result from more embolisms in the diseased stems. Moreover, manipulations that removed cambium and phloem to simulate a canker, or that shaded stems to lower NSCs, did not result in lower Ks or m.c. than controls. The outer millimeter of xylem adjacent to a canker had infrequent tyloses and/or fungal hyphae in many but not all samples, and dye studies showed little xylem water transport in that region, but the incidence of these blockages was insufficient to cause the observed 19% decrease in Ks. Healthy stems had higher m.c. than diseased stems above the canker (or analogous) location and were longer for the same leaf weight, suggestive of water stress in the upper portion of diseased stems. These results suggest that dieback distal to cankers in this system results from the bottleneck in water transport in the region adjacent to a canker, but did not find evidence to support the requirement of a phloem-to-xylem connection for continued water transport.

Greater focus on water pools may improve our ability to understand and anticipate drought-induced mortality in plants

Drought-induced tree mortality has major impacts on ecosystem carbon and water cycles, and is expected to increase in forests across the globe with climate change. A large body of research in the past decade has advanced our understanding of plant water and carbon relations under drought. However, despite intense research, we still lack generalizable, cross-scale indicators of mortality risk. In this Viewpoint, we propose that a more explicit consideration of water pools could improve our ability to monitor and anticipate mortality risk. Specifically, we focus on the relative water content (RWC), a classic metric in plant water relations, as a potential indicator of mortality risk that is physiologically relevant and integrates different aspects related to hydraulics, stomatal responses and carbon economy under drought. Measures of plant water content are likely to have a strong mechanistic link with mortality and to be integrative, threshold-prone and relatively easy to measure and monitor at large spatial scales, and may complement current mortality metrics based on water potential, loss of hydraulic conductivity and nonstructural carbohydrates. We discuss some of the potential advantages and limitations of these metrics to improve our capacity to monitor and predict drought-induced tree mortality.

Acclimation of branch and leaf hydraulics in adult Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies in a forest through-fall exclusion experiment

Decreasing water availability due to climate change poses the question of whether and to what extent tree species are able to hydraulically acclimate and how hydraulic traits of stems and leaves are coordinated under drought. In a through-fall exclusion experiment, hydraulic acclimation was analyzed in a mixed forest stand of Fagus sylvatica L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst. In drought-stressed (TE, through-fall exclusion over 2 years) and control (CO) trees, hydraulic vulnerability was studied in branches as well as in leaves (F. sylvatica) and end-twigs (P. abies, entirely formed during the drought period) sampled at the same height in sun-exposed portions of the tree crown. In addition, relevant xylem anatomical traits and leaf pressure-volume relations were analyzed. The TE trees reached pre-dawn water potentials down to -1.6 MPa. In both species, water potentials at 50% loss of xylem hydraulic conductivity were ~0.4 MPa more negative in TE than in CO branches. Foliage hydraulic vulnerability (expressed as water potential at 50% loss of leaf/end-twig hydraulic conductance) and water potential at turgor loss point were also, respectively, 0.4 and 0.5 MPa lower in TE trees. Minor differences were observed in conduit mean hydraulic diameter and cell wall reinforcement. Our findings indicate significant and fast hydraulic acclimation under relatively mild drought in both tree species. Acclimation was well coordinated between branches and foliage, which might be essential for survival and productivity of mature trees under future drought periods.

The causes and consequences of leaf hydraulic decline with dehydration

Resolving the drivers of hydraulic decline during drought is crucial for understanding drought tolerance in crops and natural ecosystems. In the past 15 years, studies of the decline of leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) have supported a major role in controlling plant drought responses. We analyzed the variation in Kleaf decline with dehydration in a global database of 310 species, providing novel insights into its underlying mechanisms, its co-ordination with stem hydraulics, its influence on gas exchange and drought tolerance, and its linkage with species ecological distributions. Kleaf vulnerability varied strongly within and across lineages, growth forms, and biomes. A critical literature review indicates that changes in hydraulic conductance outside the xylem with dehydration drive the overall decline of Kleaf. We demonstrate a significant leaf hydraulic safety-efficiency trade-off across angiosperm species and discuss the importance of the large variation around this trend. Leaves tend to be more vulnerable than stems, with their vulnerabilities co-ordinated across species, and importantly linked with adaptation across biomes. We hypothesize a novel framework to explain diversity across species in the co-ordination of Kleaf and gas exchange during dehydration. These findings reflect considerable recent progress, yet new tools for measurement, visualization, and modeling will result in ongoing discoveries important across fields in plant biology.

Grapevine petioles are more sensitive to drought induced embolism than stems: evidence from in vivo MRI and microcomputed tomography observations of hydraulic vulnerability segmentation

The 'hydraulic vulnerability segmentation' hypothesis predicts that expendable distal organs are more susceptible to water stress-induced embolism than the main stem of the plant. In the current work, we present the first in vivo visualization of this phenomenon. In two separate experiments, using magnetic resonance imaging or synchrotron-based microcomputed tomography, grapevines (Vitis vinifera) were dehydrated while simultaneously scanning the main stems and petioles for the occurrence of emboli at different xylem pressures (Ψx ). Magnetic resonance imaging revealed that 50% of the conductive xylem area of the petioles was embolized at a Ψx of -1.54 MPa, whereas the stems did not reach similar losses until -1.9 MPa. Microcomputed tomography confirmed these findings, showing that approximately half the vessels in the petioles were embolized at a Ψx of -1.6 MPa, whereas only few were embolized in the stems. Petioles were shown to be more resistant to water stress-induced embolism than previously measured with invasive hydraulic methods. The results provide the first direct evidence for the hydraulic vulnerability segmentation hypothesis and highlight its importance in grapevine responses to severe water stress. Additionally, these data suggest that air entry through the petiole into the stem is unlikely in grapevines during drought.

I Can See Clearly Now - Embolism in Leaves

Deciphering how air enters the plant hydraulic transport tissues represents a major challenge to understanding plant drought responses. Using a non-invasive and cheap visualization technique applied to leaves, the spread of embolism is found to initiate in the midrib, increase with vein order, and is seemingly influenced by vein topology.

Experimental evidence for heat plume-induced cavitation and xylem deformation as a mechanism of rapid post-fire tree mortality

Recent work suggests that hydraulic mechanisms, rather than cambium necrosis, may account for rapid post-fire tree mortality. We experimentally tested for xylem cavitation, as a result of exposure to high-vapour-deficit (D) heat plumes, and permanent xylem deformation, as a result of thermal softening of lignin, in two tree species differing in fire tolerance. We measured percentage loss of conductance (PLC) in distal branches that had been exposed to high-D heat plumes or immersed in hot water baths (high temperature, but not D). Results were compared with predictions from a parameterized hydraulic model. Physical damage to the xylem was examined microscopically. Both species suffered c. 80% PLC when exposed to a 100°C plume. However, at 70°C, the fire-sensitive Kiggelaria africana suffered lower PLC (49%) than the fire-resistant Eucalytpus cladocalyx (80%). Model simulations suggested that differences in PLC between species were a result of greater hydraulic segmentation in E. cladocalyx. Kiggelaria africana suffered considerable PLC (59%), as a result of heat-induced xylem deformation, in the water bath treatments, but E. cladocalyx did not. We suggest that a suite of 'pyrohydraulic' traits, including hydraulic segmentation and heat sensitivity of the xylem, may help to explain why some tree species experience rapid post-fire mortality after low-intensity fires and others do not.

A safety vs efficiency trade-off identified in the hydraulic pathway of grass leaves is decoupled from photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and precipitation

A common theme in plant physiological research is the trade-off between stress tolerance and growth; an example of this trade-off at the tissue level is the safety vs efficiency hypothesis, which suggests that plants with the greatest resistance to hydraulic failure should have low maximum hydraulic conductance. Here, we quantified the leaf-level drought tolerance of nine C4 grasses as the leaf water potential at which plants lost 50% (P50 × RR ) of maximum leaf hydraulic conductance (Ksat ), and compared this trait with other leaf-level and whole-plant functions. We found a clear trade-off between Ksat and P50 × RR when Ksat was normalized by leaf area and mass (P = 0.05 and 0.01, respectively). However, no trade-off existed between P50 × RR and gas-exchange rates; rather, there was a positive relationship between P50 × RR and photosynthesis (P = 0.08). P50 × RR was not correlated with species distributions based on precipitation (P = 0.70), but was correlated with temperature during the wettest quarter of the year (P < 0.01). These results suggest a trade-off between safety and efficiency in the hydraulic system of grass leaves, which can be decoupled from other leaf-level functions. The unique physiology of C4 plants and adaptations to pulse-driven systems may provide mechanisms that could decouple hydraulic conductance from other plant functions.

Stem and leaf hydraulic properties are finely coordinated in three tropical rain forest tree species

Coordination of stem and leaf hydraulic traits allows terrestrial plants to maintain safe water status under limited water supply. Tropical rain forests, one of the world's most productive biomes, are vulnerable to drought and potentially threatened by increased aridity due to global climate change. However, the relationship of stem and leaf traits within the plant hydraulic continuum remains understudied, particularly in tropical species. We studied within-plant hydraulic coordination between stems and leaves in three tropical lowland rain forest tree species by analyses of hydraulic vulnerability [hydraulic methods and ultrasonic emission (UE) analysis], pressure-volume relations and in situ pre-dawn and midday water potentials (Ψ). We found finely coordinated stem and leaf hydraulic features, with a strategy of sacrificing leaves in favour of stems. Fifty percent of hydraulic conductivity (P50 ) was lost at -2.1 to -3.1 MPa in stems and at -1.7 to -2.2 MPa in leaves. UE analysis corresponded to hydraulic measurements. Safety margins (leaf P50 - stem P50 ) were very narrow at -0.4 to -1.4 MPa. Pressure-volume analysis and in situ Ψ indicated safe water status in stems but risk of hydraulic failure in leaves. Our study shows that stem and leaf hydraulics were finely tuned to avoid embolism formation in the xylem.

Xylem cavitation resistance can be estimated based on time-dependent rate of acoustic emissions

Acoustic emission (AE) analysis allows nondestructive monitoring of embolism formation in plant xylem, but signal interpretation and agreement of acoustically measured hydraulic vulnerability with reference hydraulic techniques remain under debate. We compared the hydraulic vulnerability of 16 species and three crop tree cultivars using hydraulic flow measurements and acoustic emission monitoring, proposing the use of time-dependent AE rates as a novel parameter for AE analysis. There was a linear correlation between the water potential (Ψ) at 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity (P50 ) and the Ψ at maximum AE activity (Pmaxrate ), where species with lower P50 also had lower Pmaxrate (P < 0.001, R(2)  = 0.76). Using AE rates instead of cumulative counts for AE analysis allows more efficient estimation of P50 , while excluding problematic AE at late stages of dehydration.

A comparison of hydraulic architecture in three similarly sized woody species differing in their maximum potential height

The physiological mechanisms underlying the short maximum height of shrubs are not understood. One possible explanation is that differences in the hydraulic architecture of shrubs compared with co-occurring taller trees prevent the shrubs from growing taller. To explore this hypothesis, we examined various hydraulic parameters, including vessel lumen diameter, hydraulic conductivity and vulnerability to drought-induced embolism, of three co-occurring species that differed in their maximum potential height. We examined one species of shrub, one short-statured tree and one taller tree. We worked with individuals that were approximately the same age and height, which was near the maximum for the shrub species. A number of variables correlated with the maximum potential height of the species. For example, vessel diameter and vulnerability to embolism both increased while wood density declined with maximum potential height. The difference between the pressure causing 50% reduction in hydraulic conductance in the leaves and the midday leaf water potential (the leaf's hydraulic safety margin) was much larger in the shrub than the other two species. In general, trends were consistent with understory shrubs having a more conservative life history strategy than co-occurring taller species.

Photosynthesis in reproductive structures: costs and benefits

The role of photosynthesis by reproductive structures during grain-filling has important implications for cereal breeding, but the methods for assessing the contribution by reproductive structures to grain-filling are invasive and prone to compensatory changes elsewhere in the plant. A technique analysing the natural abundance of stable carbon isotopes in soluble carbohydrates has significant promise. However, it depends crucially on there being no more than two sources of organic carbon (leaf and ear/awn), with significantly different (13)C:(12)C ratios and no secondary fractionation during grain-filling. The role of additional peduncle carbohydrate reserves represents a potential means for N remobilization, as well as for hydraulic continuity during grain-filling. The natural abundance of the stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen are also useful for exploring the influence of reproduction on whole plant carbon and water relations and have been used to examine the resource costs of reproduction in females and males of dioecious plants. Photosynthesis in reproductive structures is widespread among oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, including many clades of algae and embryophytes of different levels of complexity. The possible evolutionary benefits of photosynthesis in reproductive structures include decreasing the carbon cost of reproduction and 'use' of transpiratory loss of water to deliver phloem-immobile calcium Ca(2+) and silicon [Si(OH)4] via the xylem. The possible costs of photosynthesis in reproductive structures are increasing damage to DNA from photosynthetically active, and hence UV-B, radiation and the production of reactive oxygen species.

Variable hydraulic resistances and their impact on plant drought response modelling

Plant drought responses are still not fully understood. Improved knowledge on drought responses is, however, crucial to better predict their impact on individual plant and ecosystem functioning. Mechanistic models in combination with plant measurements are promising for obtaining information on plant water status and can assist us in understanding the effect of limiting soil water availability and drought stress. While existing models are reliable under sufficient soil water availability, they generally fail under dry conditions as not all appropriate mechanisms seem yet to have been implemented. We therefore aimed at identifying mechanisms underlying plant drought responses, and in particular investigated the behaviour of hydraulic resistances encountered in the soil and xylem for grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) and oak (Quercus robur L.). A variable hydraulic soil-to-stem resistance was necessary to describe plant drought responses. In addition, implementation of a variable soil-to-stem hydraulic resistance enabled us to generate an in situ soil-to-stem vulnerability curve, which might be an alternative to the conventionally used vulnerability curves. Furthermore, a daily recalibration of the model revealed a drought-induced increase in radial hydraulic resistance between xylem and elastic living tissues. Accurate information on plant hydraulic resistances and simulation of plant drought responses can foster important discussions regarding the functioning of plants and ecosystems during droughts.

Increasing leaf hydraulic conductance with transpiration rate minimizes the water potential drawdown from stem to leaf

Leaf hydraulic conductance (k leaf) is a central element in the regulation of leaf water balance but the properties of k leaf remain uncertain. Here, the evidence for the following two models for k leaf in well-hydrated plants is evaluated: (i) k leaf is constant or (ii) k leaf increases as transpiration rate (E) increases. The difference between stem and leaf water potential (ΔΨstem-leaf), stomatal conductance (g s), k leaf, and E over a diurnal cycle for three angiosperm and gymnosperm tree species growing in a common garden, and for Helianthus annuus plants grown under sub-ambient, ambient, and elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentration were evaluated. Results show that for well-watered plants k leaf is positively dependent on E. Here, this property is termed the dynamic conductance, k leaf(E), which incorporates the inherent k leaf at zero E, which is distinguished as the static conductance, k leaf(0). Growth under different CO₂ concentrations maintained the same relationship between k leaf and E, resulting in similar k leaf(0), while operating along different regions of the curve owing to the influence of CO₂ on g s. The positive relationship between k leaf and E minimized variation in ΔΨstem-leaf. This enables leaves to minimize variation in Ψleaf and maximize g s and CO₂ assimilation rate over the diurnal course of evaporative demand.

Plasticity of vulnerability to leaf hydraulic dysfunction during acclimation to drought in grapevines: an osmotic-mediated process

Previous studies have reported correlation of leaf hydraulic vulnerability with pressure-volume parameters related to cell turgor. This link has been explained on the basis of the effects of turgor on connectivity among cells and tissue structural integrity, which affect leaf water transport. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that osmotic adjustment to water stress would shift the leaf vulnerability curve toward more negative water potential (Ψ leaf ) by increasing turgor at low Ψ leaf . We measured leaf hydraulic conductance (K leaf ), K leaf vulnerability [50 and 80% loss of K leaf (P50 and P80 ); |Ψ leaf | at 50 and 80% loss of K leaf , respectively), bulk leaf water relations, leaf gas exchange and sap flow in two Vitis vinifera cultivars (Tempranillo and Grenache), under two water treatments. We found that P50 , P80 and maximum K leaf decreased seasonally by more than 20% in both cultivars and watering treatments. However, K leaf at 2 MPa increased threefold, while osmotic potential at full turgor and turgor loss point decreased. Our results indicate that leaf resistance to hydraulic dysfunction is seasonally plastic, and this plasticity may be mediated by osmotic adjustment.

Leaf hydraulic conductance declines in coordination with photosynthesis, transpiration and leaf water status as soybean leaves age regardless of soil moisture

Photosynthesis requires sufficient water transport through leaves for stomata to remain open as water transpires from the leaf, allowing CO2 to diffuse into the leaf. The leaf water needs of soybean change over time because of large microenvironment changes over their lifespan, as leaves mature in full sun at the top of the canopy and then become progressively shaded by younger leaves developing above. Leaf hydraulic conductance (K(leaf)), a measure of the leaf's water transport capacity, can often be linked to changes in microenvironment and transpiration demand. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that K(leaf) would decline in coordination with transpiration demand as soybean leaves matured and aged. Photosynthesis (A), stomatal conductance (g(s)) and leaf water potential (Ψ(leaf)) were also measured at various leaf ages with both field- and chamber-grown soybeans to assess transpiration demand. K(leaf) was found to decrease as soybean leaves aged from maturity to shading to senescence, and this decrease was strongly correlated with midday A. Decreases in K(leaf) were further correlated with decreases in g(s), although the relationship was not as strong as that with A. Separate experiments investigating the response of K(leaf) to drought demonstrated no acclimation of K(leaf) to drought conditions to protect against cavitation or loss of g(s) during drought and confirmed the effect of leaf age in K(leaf) observed in the field. These results suggest that the decline of leaf hydraulic conductance as leaves age keeps hydraulic supply in balance with demand without K(leaf)becoming limiting to transpiration water flux.

The role of water channel proteins in facilitating recovery of leaf hydraulic conductance from water stress in Populus trichocarpa

Gas exchange is constrained by the whole-plant hydraulic conductance (Kplant). Leaves account for an important fraction of Kplant and may therefore represent a major determinant of plant productivity. Leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) decreases with increasing water stress, which is due to xylem embolism in leaf veins and/or the properties of the extra-xylary pathway. Water flow through living tissues is facilitated and regulated by water channel proteins called aquaporins (AQPs). Here we assessed changes in the hydraulic conductance of Populus trichocarpa leaves during a dehydration-rewatering episode. While leaves were highly sensitive to drought, Kleaf recovered only 2 hours after plants were rewatered. Recovery of Kleaf was absent when excised leaves were bench-dried and subsequently xylem-perfused with a solution containing AQP inhibitors. We examined the expression patterns of 12 highly expressed AQP genes during a dehydration-rehydration episode to identify isoforms that may be involved in leaf hydraulic adjustments. Among the AQPs tested, several genes encoding tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs) showed large increases in expression in rehydrated leaves, suggesting that TIPs contribute to reversing drought-induced reductions in Kleaf. TIPs were localized in xylem parenchyma, consistent with a role in facilitating water exchange between xylem vessels and adjacent living cells. Dye uptake experiments suggested that reversible embolism formation in minor leaf veins contributed to the observed changes in Kleaf.

When smaller is better: leaf hydraulic conductance and drought vulnerability correlate to leaf size and venation density across four Coffea arabica genotypes

Leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) and drought vulnerability in terms of leaf water potential inducing 50% loss of Kleaf (P50), were assessed in four genotypes of Coffea arabica L. We tested three hypotheses: (1) leaf P50 is lower in small leaves with higher vein densities; (2) lower P50 translates into lower Kleaf, limiting gas exchange rates and higher leaf mass per unit area (LMA); (3) P50 values are coordinated with symplastic drought tolerance. We found partial support for Hypotheses 1 and 3, but not for Hypothesis 2. Significant correlations existed among leaf size, vein network and drought resistance. Smaller leaves displayed higher major vein density, higher Kleaf and more negative P50. Kleaf was correlated with leaf gas exchange rates. A negative relationship was observed between Kleaf and LMA, whereas P50 was found to be positively correlated with LMA. Across coffee genotypes, reduced leaf surface area and increased vein density shifts P50 towards more negative values while not translating into higher LMA or lower Kleaf. Breeding crop varieties for both increased safety of the leaf hydraulic system towards drought-induced dysfunction and high gas exchange rates per unit of leaf area is probably a feasible target for future adaptation of crops to climate change scenarios.

Leaf hydraulic vulnerability to drought is linked to site water availability across a broad range of species and climates

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Vulnerability of the leaf hydraulic pathway to water-stress-induced dysfunction is a key component of drought tolerance in plants and may be important in defining species' climatic range. However, the generality of the association between leaf hydraulic vulnerability and climate across species and sites remains to be tested.

METHODS

Leaf hydraulic vulnerability to drought (P50leaf, the water potential inducing 50 % loss in hydraulic function) was measured in a diverse group of 92 woody, mostly evergreen angiosperms from sites across a wide range of habitats. These new data together with some previously published were tested against key climate indices related to water availability. Differences in within-site variability in P50leaf between sites were also examined.

KEY RESULTS

Values of hydraulic vulnerability to drought in leaves decreased strongly (i.e. became more negative) with decreasing annual rainfall and increasing aridity across sites. The standard deviation in P50leaf values recorded within each site was positively correlated with increasing aridity. P50leaf was also a good indicator of the climatic envelope across each species' distributional range as well as their dry-end distributional limits within Australia, although this relationship was not consistently detectable within sites.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that species sorting processes have influenced distributional patterns of P50leaf across the rainfall spectrum, but alternative strategies for dealing with water deficit exist within sites. The strong link to aridity suggests leaf hydraulic vulnerability may influence plant distributions under future climates.

Hydraulic architecture and photoinhibition influence spatial distribution of the arborescent palm Euterpe edulis in subtropical forests

Physiological characteristics of saplings can be considered one of the most basic constraints on species distribution. The shade-tolerant arborescent palm Euterpe edulis Mart. is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. At a local scale, saplings of this species growing in native forests are absent in gaps. We tested the hypothesis whether sensitivity to photoinhibition or hydraulic architecture constrains the distribution of E. edulis saplings in sun-exposed forest environments. Using shade houses and field studies, we evaluated growth, survival, hydraulic traits and the susceptibility of Photosystem II to photoinhibition in E. edulis saplings under different growth irradiances. Survival rates in exposed sites in the field were very low (a median of 7%). All saplings exhibited photoinhibition when exposed to high radiation levels, but acclimation to a high radiation environment increased the rate of recovery. Petiole hydraulic conductivity was similar across treatments regardless of whether it was expressed per petiole cross-sectional area or per leaf area. At the plant level, investment in conductive tissues relative to leaf area (Huber values) increased with increasing irradiance. Under high irradiance conditions, plants experienced leaf water potentials close to the turgor-loss point, and leaf hydraulic conductance decreased by 79% relative to its maximum value. Euterpe edulis saplings were able to adjust their photosynthetic traits to different irradiance conditions, whereas hydraulic characteristics at the leaf level did not change across irradiance treatments. Our results indicate that uncoupling between water demand and supply to leaves apparently associated with high resistances to water flow at leaf insertion points, in addition to small stems with low water storage capacity, weak stomatal control and high vulnerability of leaves to hydraulic dysfunction, are the main ecophysiological constraints that prevent the growth and survival of E. edulis saplings in gaps in the native forest where native lianas and bamboos show aggressive growth.

Xylem as the main origin of stem radius changes in Eucalyptus

The state-of-the-art interpretation of stem radius changes (DRTotal) for tree water relations is based on knowledge from mostly slow growing tree species. The ratio between diurnal size fluctuations of the rigid xylem (DRXylem) and the respective fluctuations of the elastic bark (DRBark) is known to be small (<0.4) and is of importance for the localisation of water storage dynamics in stems. In this study, fast growing Eucalyptus globulus Labill. in Tasmania were investigated by point dendrometers in order to investigate tree water relations. Unexpectedly, DRXylem was found to be the main driver of DRTotal with the bark acting as a passive layer on top of the fluctuating xylem under most conditions. Accordingly, the ratio between the diurnal fluctuations of the two tissues was found to be much higher (0.6-1.6) than everything reported before. Based on simulations using a hydraulic plant model, the high tissue-specific elasticity of the Eucalyptus xylem was found to explain this atypical response and not osmotically-driven processes or species-specific flow resistances. The wide zone of secondary thickening xylem in various stages of lignification is proposed to be an important component of the high wood elasticity. The tissue acts as additional water storage like the bark and may positively affect the water transport efficiency.

Rapid and long-term effects of water deficit on gas exchange and hydraulic conductance of silver birch trees grown under varying atmospheric humidity

BACKGROUND

Effects of water deficit on plant water status, gas exchange and hydraulic conductance were investigated in Betula pendula under artificially manipulated air humidity in Eastern Estonia. The study was aimed to broaden an understanding of the ability of trees to acclimate with the increasing atmospheric humidity predicted for northern Europe. Rapidly-induced water deficit was imposed by dehydrating cut branches in open-air conditions; long-term water deficit was generated by seasonal drought.

RESULTS

The rapid water deficit quantified by leaf (ΨL) and branch water potentials (ΨB) had a significant (P < 0.001) effect on gas exchange parameters, while inclusion of ΨB in models resulted in a considerably better fit than those including ΨL, which supports the idea that stomatal openness is regulated to prevent stem rather than leaf xylem dysfunction. Under moderate water deficit (ΨL≥-1.55 MPa), leaf conductance to water vapour (gL), transpiration rate and leaf hydraulic conductance (KL) were higher (P < 0.05) and leaf temperature lower in trees grown in elevated air humidity (H treatment) than in control trees (C treatment). Under severe water deficit (ΨL<-1.55 MPa), the treatments showed no difference. The humidification manipulation influenced most of the studied characteristics, while the effect was to a great extent realized through changes in soil water availability, i.e. due to higher soil water potential in H treatment. Two functional characteristics (gL, KL) exhibited higher (P < 0.05) sensitivity to water deficit in trees grown under increased air humidity.

CONCLUSIONS

The experiment supported the hypothesis that physiological traits in trees acclimated to higher air humidity exhibit higher sensitivity to rapid water deficit with respect to two characteristics - leaf conductance to water vapour and leaf hydraulic conductance. Disproportionate changes in sensitivity of stomatal versus leaf hydraulic conductance to water deficit will impose greater risk of desiccation-induced hydraulic dysfunction on the plants, grown under high atmospheric humidity, in case of sudden weather fluctuations, and might represent a potential threat in hemiboreal forest ecosystems. There is no trade-off between plant hydraulic capacity and photosynthetic water-use efficiency on short time scale.

Whole-plant capacitance, embolism resistance and slow transpiration rates all contribute to longer desiccation times in woody angiosperms from arid and wet habitats

Low water potentials in xylem can result in damaging levels of cavitation, yet little is understood about which hydraulic traits have most influence in delaying the onset of hydraulic dysfunction during periods of drought. We examined three traits contributing to longer desiccation times in excised shoots of 11 species from two sites of contrasting aridity: (i) the amount of water released from plant tissues per decrease in xylem water potential (WΨ); (ii) the minimum xylem water potential preceding acute water stress (defined as P50L; water potential at 50% loss of leaf conductance); and (iii) the integrated transpiration rate between the points of full hydration and P50L (Wtime). The time required for species to reach P50L varied markedly, ranging from 1.3 h to nearly 3 days. WΨ, P50L and Wtime all contributed significantly to longer desiccation times, explaining 28, 22 and 50% of the variance in the time required to reach P50L. Interestingly, these three traits were nearly orthogonal to one another, suggesting that they do not represent alternative hydraulic strategies, but likely trade off with other ecological strategies not evaluated in this study. The majority of water lost during desiccation (60-91%) originated from leaves, suggesting an important role for leaf capacitance in small plants when xylem water potentials decrease below -2 MPa.

Threshold response of mesophyll CO2 conductance to leaf hydraulics in highly transpiring hybrid poplar clones exposed to soil drying

Mesophyll conductance (gm) has been shown to impose significant limitations to net CO2 assimilation (A) in various species during water stress. Net CO2 assimilation is also limited by stomatal conductance to water (gsw), both having been shown to co-vary with leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf). Lately, several studies have suggested a close functional link between Kleaf, gsw, and gm. However, such relationships could only be circumstantial since a recent study has shown that the response of gm to drought could merely be an artefactual consequence of a reduced intercellular CO2 mole fraction (Ci). Experiments were conducted on 8-week-old hybrid poplar cuttings to determine the relationship between Kleaf, gsw, and g m in clones of contrasting drought tolerance. It was hypothesized that changes in gsw and Kleaf in response to drought would not impact on gm over most of its range. The results show that Kleaf decreased in concert with g sw as drought proceeded, whereas gm measured at a normalized Ci remained relatively constant up to a g sw threshold of ~0.15 mol m(-2) s(-1). This delayed gm response prevented a substantial decline in A at the early stage of the drought, thereby enhancing water use efficiency. Reducing the stomatal limitation of droughted plants by diminishing the ambient CO2 concentration of the air did not modify gm or Kleaf. The relationship between gas exchange and leaf hydraulics was similar in both drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive clones despite their contrasting vulnerability to stem cavitation and stomatal response to soil drying. The results support the hypothesis of a partial hydraulic isolation of the mesophyll from the main transpiration pathway.

Functional relationships between leaf hydraulics and leaf economic traits in response to nutrient addition in subtropical tree species

Leaves can be both a hydraulic bottleneck and a safety valve against hydraulic catastrophic dysfunctions, and thus changes in traits related to water movement in leaves and associated costs may be critical for the success of plant growth. A 4-year fertilization experiment with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition was done in a semideciduous Atlantic forest in northeastern Argentina. Saplings of five dominant canopy species were grown in similar gaps inside the forests (five control and five N + P addition plots). Leaf lifespan (LL), leaf mass per unit area (LMA), leaf and stem vulnerability to cavitation, leaf hydraulic conductance (K(leaf_area) and K(leaf_mass)) and leaf turgor loss point (TLP) were measured in the five species and in both treatments. Leaf lifespan tended to decrease with the addition of fertilizers, and LMA was significantly higher in plants with nutrient addition compared with individuals in control plots. The vulnerability to cavitation of leaves (P50(leaf)) either increased or decreased with the nutrient treatment depending on the species, but the average P50(leaf) did not change with nutrient addition. The P50(leaf) decreased linearly with increasing LMA and LL across species and treatments. These trade-offs have an important functional significance because more expensive (higher LMA) and less vulnerable leaves (lower P50(leaf)) are retained for a longer period of time. Osmotic potentials at TLP and at full turgor became more negative with decreasing P50(leaf) regardless of nutrient treatment. The K(leaf) on a mass basis was negatively correlated with LMA and LL, indicating that there is a carbon cost associated with increased water transport that is compensated by a longer LL. The vulnerability to cavitation of stems and leaves were similar, particularly in fertilized plants. Leaves in the species studied may not function as safety valves at low water potentials to protect the hydraulic pathway from water stress-induced cavitation. The lack of rainfall seasonality in the subtropical forest studied probably does not act as a selective pressure to enhance hydraulic segmentation between leaves and stems.

Functional analysis of embolism induced by air injection in Acer rubrum and Salix nigra

The goal of this study was to assess the effect of induced embolism with air injection treatments on the function of xylem in Acer rubrum L. and Salix nigra Marsh. Measurements made on mature trees of A. rubrum showed that pneumatic pressurization treatments that created a pressure gradient of 5.5 MPa across pit membranes (ΔP pit) had no effect on stomatal conductance or on branch-level sap flow. The same air injection treatments made on 3-year-old potted A. rubrum plants also had no effect on whole plant transpiration. A separate study made on mature A. rubrum trees showed that 3.0 and 5.5 MPa of ΔP pit values resulted in an immediate 100% loss in hydraulic conductance (PLC) in petioles. However, the observed change in PLC was short lived, and significant hydraulic recovery occurred within 5-10 min post air-pressurization treatments. Similar experiments conducted on S. nigra plants exposed to ΔP pit of 3 MPa resulted in a rapid decline in whole plant transpiration followed by leaf wilting and eventual plant death, showing that this species lacks the ability to recover from induced embolism. A survey that measured the effect of air-pressurization treatments on seven other species showed that some species are very sensitive to induction of embolism resulting in leaf wilting and branch death while others show minimal to no effect despite that in each case, the applied ΔP pit of 5.5 MPa significantly exceeded any native stress that these plants would experience naturally.

Climate drives vein anatomy in Proteaceae

PREMISE OF STUDY

The mechanisms by which plants tolerate water deficit are only just becoming clear. One key factor in drought tolerance is the ability to maintain the capacity to conduct water through the leaves in conditions of water stress. Recent work has shown that a simple feature of the leaf xylem cells, the cube of the thickness of cell walls divided by the lumen width (t/b)(3), is strongly correlated with this ability.

METHODS

Using ecologically, phylogenetically, and anatomically diverse members of Proteaceae, we tested the relationships between (t/b)(3) and climate, leaf mass per unit area, leaf area, and vein density. To test relationships at high phylogenetic levels (mostly genus), we used phylogenetic and nonphylogenetic single and multiple regressions based on data from 50 species. We also used 14 within-genus species pairs to test for relationships at lower phylogenetic levels.

KEY RESULTS

All analyses revealed that climate, especially mean annual precipitation, was the best predictor of (t/b)(3). The variation in (t/b)(3) was driven by variation in both lumen diameter and wall thickness, implying active control of these dimensions. Total vein density was weakly related to (t/b)(3) but unrelated to either leaf area or climate.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that xylem reinforcement is a fundamental adaptation for water stress tolerance and, among evergreen woody plants, drives a strong association between rainfall and xylem anatomy. The strong association between (t/b)(3) and climate cannot be explained by autocorrelation with other aspects of leaf form and anatomy that vary along precipitation gradients.

Visualizing water-filled versus embolized status of xylem conduits by desktop x-ray microtomography

BACKGROUND

The hydraulic conductivity of the stem is a major factor limiting the capability of trees to transport water from the soil to transpiring leaves. During drought conditions, the conducting capacity of xylem can be reduced by some conduits being filled with gas, i.e. embolized. In order to understand the dynamics of embolism formation and repair, considerable attention has been given to developing reliable and accurate methods for quantifying the phenomenon. In the past decade, non-destructive imaging of embolism formation in living plants has become possible. Magnetic resonance imaging has been used to visualize the distribution of water within the stem, but in most cases it is not possible to resolve individual cells. Recently, high-resolution synchrotron x-ray microtomography has been introduced as a tool to visualize the water contents of individual cells in vivo, providing unprecedented insight into the dynamics of embolism repair. We have investigated the potential of an x-ray tube -based microtomography setup to visualize and quantify xylem embolism and embolism repair in water-stressed young saplings and shoot tips of Silver and Curly birch (Betula pendula and B. pendula var. carelica).

RESULTS

From the microtomography images, the water-filled versus gas-filled status of individual xylem conduits can be seen, and the proportion of stem cross-section that consists of embolized tissue can be calculated. Measuring the number of embolized vessels in the imaged area is a simple counting experiment. In the samples investigated, wood fibers were cavitated in a large proportion of the xylem cross-section shortly after watering of the plant was stopped, but the number of embolized vessels remained low several days into a drought period. Under conditions of low evaporative demand, also refilling of previously embolized conduits was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Desktop x-ray microtomography is shown to be an effective method for evaluating the water-filled versus embolized status of the stem xylem in a small living sapling. Due to its non-destructive nature, the risk of inducing embolisms during sampling is greatly reduced. Compared with synchrotron imaging beamlines, desktop microtomography offers easier accessibility, while maintaining sufficient resolution to visualize the water contents of individual cells.

In vivo visualizations of drought-induced embolism spread in Vitis vinifera

Long-distance water transport through plant xylem is vulnerable to hydraulic dysfunction during periods of increased tension on the xylem sap, often coinciding with drought. While the effects of local and systemic embolism on plant water transport and physiology are well documented, the spatial patterns of embolism formation and spread are not well understood. Using a recently developed nondestructive diagnostic imaging tool, high-resolution x-ray computed tomography, we documented the dynamics of drought-induced embolism in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) plants in vivo, producing the first three-dimensional, high-resolution, time-lapse observations of embolism spread. Embolisms formed first in the vessels surrounding the pith at stem water potentials of approximately -1.2 megapascals in drought experiments. As stem water potential decreased, embolisms spread radially toward the epidermis within sectored vessel groupings via intervessel connections and conductive xylem relays, and infrequently (16 of 629 total connections) through lateral connections into adjacent vessel sectors. Theoretical loss of conductivity calculated from the high-resolution x-ray computed tomography images showed good agreement with previously published nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and hydraulic conductivity experiments also using grapevine. Overall, these data support a growing body of evidence that xylem organization is critically important to the isolation of drought-induced embolism spread and confirm that air seeding through the pit membranes is the principle mechanism of embolism spread.

You're so vein: bundle sheath physiology, phylogeny and evolution in C3 and C4 plants

Bundle sheath (BS) anatomy is found in most C4 lineages, associated with low inter-veinal distances (IVD) and high BS:mesophyll ratio (BS:MC). The origins, function and selective advantages of the BS in C3 lineages are relevant for understanding the environmental, molecular and phylogenetic determinants of C4 evolution. Suggested functions for BS have included structural support, hydraulic isolation, storage for water, ions, and carbohydrates, and photorespiratory carbon metabolism; we propose a central role for cavitation repair, consistent with the BS as a control centre on regulating stem and leaf hydraulic continuity. An analysis of BS traits in the phylogenetic lineages giving rise to C4 grasses (the 'PACMAD' clade) shows an initial enhancement in BS:MC ratio in C3 lineages, although IVD is similar to the Pooideae sister group. Using a global database, a well-developed BS in the C3 PACMAD lineages was associated with higher precipitation and temperatures in the habitat of origin on an annual basis, with the C3 to C4 progression defined by the aridity index (AI). Maintaining leaf hydraulic conductance and cavitation repair are consistent with increased evaporative demand and more seasonal precipitation as drivers, first for the C3 BS, and then C4 diversification, under declining CO(2) concentrations in the Palaeogene and Neogene.

Partitioning hydraulic resistance in Sorghum bicolor leaves reveals unique correlations with stomatal conductance during drought

The hydraulic architecture of leaves represents the final path along which liquid water travels through the plant and comprises a significant resistance for water movement, especially for grasses. We partitioned leaf hydraulic resistance of six genotypes of Sorghum bicolor L. (Moench) into leaf specific hydraulic resistance within the large longitudinal veins (r*LV) and outside the large veins (r*OLV), and correlated these resistances with the response of stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthesis (A) to drought. Under well-watered conditions, gs was tightly correlated with r*OLV (r2=0.95), but as soil moisture decreased, gs was more closely correlated with r*LV (r2=0.97). These results suggest that r*OLV limits maximum rates of gas exchange, but the ability to efficiently move water long distances (low r*LV) becomes more important for the maintenance of cell turgor and gas exchange as soil moisture declines. Hydraulic resistance through the leaf was negatively correlated with evapotranspiration (P<0.001) resulting in more conservative water use in genotypes with large leaf resistance. These results illustrate the functional significance of leaf resistance partitioning to declining soil moisture in a broadly-adapted cereal species.

Midday stomatal conductance is more related to stem rather than leaf water status in subtropical deciduous and evergreen broadleaf trees

Midday depressions in stomatal conductance (g(s) ) and photosynthesis are common in plants. The aim of this study was to understand the hydraulic determinants of midday g(s) , the coordination between leaf and stem hydraulics and whether regulation of midday g(s) differed between deciduous and evergreen broadleaf tree species in a subtropical cloud forest of Southwest (SW) China. We investigated leaf and stem hydraulics, midday leaf and stem water potentials, as well as midday g(s) of co-occurring deciduous and evergreen tree species. Midday g(s) was correlated positively with midday stem water potential across both groups of species, but not with midday leaf water potential. Species with higher stem hydraulic conductivity and greater daily reliance on stem hydraulic capacitance were able to maintain higher stem water potential and higher g(s) at midday. Deciduous species exhibited significantly higher stem hydraulic conductivity, greater reliance on stem capacitance, higher stem water potential and g(s) at midday than evergreen species. Our results suggest that midday g(s) is more associated with midday stem than with leaf water status, and that the functional significance of stomatal regulation in these broadleaf tree species is probably for preventing stem xylem dysfunction.

Trade-offs between leaf hydraulic capacity and drought vulnerability: morpho-anatomical bases, carbon costs and ecological consequences

Leaf hydraulic conductance (K(leaf) ) and vulnerability constrain plant productivity, but no clear trade-off between these fundamental functional traits has emerged in previous studies. We measured K(leaf) on a leaf area (K(leaf_area)) and mass basis (K(leaf_mass)) in six woody angiosperms, and compared these values with species' distribution and leaf tolerance to dehydration in terms of P(50), that is, the leaf water potential inducing 50% loss of K(leaf) . We also measured several morphological and anatomical traits associated with carbon investment in leaf construction and water transport efficiency. Clear relationships emerged between K(leaf_mass), P(50), and leaf mass per unit area (LMA), suggesting that increased tolerance to hydraulic dysfunction implies increased carbon costs for leaf construction and water use. Low P(50) values were associated with narrower and denser vein conduits, increased thickness of conduit walls, and increased vein density. This, in turn, was associated with reduced leaf surface area. Leaf P(50) was closely associated with plants' distribution over a narrow geographical range, suggesting that this parameter contributes to shaping vegetation features. Our data also highlight the carbon costs likely to be associated with increased leaf tolerance to hydraulic dysfunction, which confers on some species the ability to thrive under reduced water availability but decreases their competitiveness in high-resource habitats.

Hydraulic efficiency and safety of vascular and non-vascular components in Pinus pinaster leaves

Leaves, the distal section of the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, exhibit the lowest water potentials in a plant. In contrast to angiosperm leaves, knowledge of the hydraulic architecture of conifer needles is scant. We investigated the hydraulic efficiency and safety of Pinus pinaster needles, comparing different techniques. The xylem hydraulic conductivity (k(s)) and embolism vulnerability (P(50)) of both needle and stem were measured using the cavitron technique. The conductance and vulnerability of whole needles were measured via rehydration kinetics, and Cryo-SEM and 3D X-ray microtomographic observations were used as reference tools to validate physical measurements. The needle xylem of P. pinaster had lower hydraulic efficiency (k(s) = 2.0 × 10(-4) m(2) MPa(-1) s(-1)) and safety (P(50) = - 1.5 MPa) than stem xylem (k(s) = 7.7 × 10(-4) m(2) MPa(-1) s(-1); P(50) = - 3.6 to - 3.2 MPa). P(50) of whole needles (both extra-vascular and vascular pathways) was - 0.5 MPa, suggesting that non-vascular tissues were more vulnerable than the xylem. During dehydration to - 3.5 MPa, collapse and embolism in xylem tracheids, and gap formation in surrounding tissues were observed. However, a discrepancy in hydraulic and acoustic results appeared compared with visualizations, arguing for greater caution with these techniques when applied to needles. Our results indicate that the most distal parts of the water transport pathway are limiting for hydraulics of P. pinaster. Needle tissues exhibit a low hydraulic efficiency and low hydraulic safety, but may also act to buffer short-term water deficits, thus preventing xylem embolism.