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Binks O, Cernusak LA, Liddell M, Bradford M, Coughlin I, Bryant C, Palma AC, Hoffmann L, Alam I, Carle HJ, Rowland L, Oliveira RS, Laurance SGW, Mencuccini M, Meir P. Vapour pressure deficit modulates hydraulic function and structure of tropical rainforests under nonlimiting soil water supply. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:1405-1420. [PMID: 37705460 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric conditions are expected to become warmer and drier in the future, but little is known about how evaporative demand influences forest structure and function independently from soil moisture availability, and how fast-response variables (such as canopy water potential and stomatal conductance) may mediate longer-term changes in forest structure and function in response to climate change. We used two tropical rainforest sites with different temperatures and vapour pressure deficits (VPD), but nonlimiting soil water supply, to assess the impact of evaporative demand on ecophysiological function and forest structure. Common species between sites allowed us to test the extent to which species composition, relative abundance and intraspecific variability contributed to site-level differences. The highest VPD site had lower midday canopy water potentials, canopy conductance (gc ), annual transpiration, forest stature, and biomass, while the transpiration rate was less sensitive to changes in VPD; it also had different height-diameter allometry (accounting for 51% of the difference in biomass between sites) and higher plot-level wood density. Our findings suggest that increases in VPD, even in the absence of soil water limitation, influence fast-response variables, such as canopy water potentials and gc , potentially leading to longer-term changes in forest stature resulting in reductions in biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Binks
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia
| | - Lucas A Cernusak
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, 4878, Qld, Australia
| | - Michael Liddell
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, 4878, Qld, Australia
| | - Matt Bradford
- CSIRO Land and Water, Atherton, 4883, Qld, Australia
| | - Ingrid Coughlin
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia
| | - Callum Bryant
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia
| | - Ana C Palma
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, 4878, Qld, Australia
| | - Luke Hoffmann
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, 4878, Qld, Australia
| | - Iftakharul Alam
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, 4878, Qld, Australia
| | - Hannah J Carle
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia
| | - Lucy Rowland
- Geography, Faculty of Environment Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Laver Building, Exeter, EX4 4QE, UK
| | - Rafael S Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, 13083-970, SP, Brazil
| | - Susan G W Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, 4878, Qld, Australia
| | | | - Patrick Meir
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
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Schönbeck LC, Schuler P, Lehmann MM, Mas E, Mekarni L, Pivovaroff AL, Turberg P, Grossiord C. Increasing temperature and vapour pressure deficit lead to hydraulic damages in the absence of soil drought. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:3275-3289. [PMID: 36030547 PMCID: PMC9826222 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Temperature (T) and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) are important drivers of plant hydraulic conductivity, growth, mortality, and ecosystem productivity, independently of soil water availability. Our goal was to disentangle the effects of T and VPD on plant hydraulic responses. Young trees of Fagus sylvatica L., Quercus pubescens Willd. and Quercus ilex L. were exposed to a cross-combination of a T and VPD manipulation under unlimited soil water availability. Stem hydraulic conductivity and leaf-level hydraulic traits (e.g., gas exchange and osmotic adjustment) were tracked over a full growing season. Significant loss of xylem conductive area (PLA) was found in F. sylvatica and Q. pubescens due to rising VPD and T, but not in Q. ilex. Increasing T aggravated the effects of high VPD in F. sylvatica only. PLA was driven by maximum hydraulic conductivity and minimum leaf conductance, suggesting that high transpiration and water loss after stomatal closure contributed to plant hydraulic stress. This study shows for the first time that rising VPD and T lead to losses of stem conductivity even when soil water is not limiting, highlighting their rising importance in plant mortality mechanisms in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie C. Schönbeck
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering ENACEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLLausanneSwitzerland
- Department of Botany & Plant SciencesUniversity of California, RiversideRiversideCaliforniaUSA
| | - Philipp Schuler
- Forest Dynamics Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Institute of Agricultural SciencesETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Marco M. Lehmann
- Forest Dynamics Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Eugénie Mas
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering ENACEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Laura Mekarni
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering ENACEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLLausanneSwitzerland
| | | | - Pascal Turberg
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering ENACEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Charlotte Grossiord
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering ENACEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLLausanneSwitzerland
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Petit G, Zambonini D, Hesse BD, Häberle K. No xylem phenotypic plasticity in mature Picea abies and Fagus sylvatica trees after 5 years of throughfall precipitation exclusion. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:4668-4683. [PMID: 35555836 PMCID: PMC9325500 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Forest trees are experiencing increasing frequency and intensity of drought events with climate change. We investigated xylem and phloem traits from mature Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies trees after 5 years of complete exclusion of throughfall precipitation during the growing season. Xylem and phloem anatomy, leaf and branch biomass were analysed along top branches of ~1.5 m lenght in 5 throughfall precipitation excluded (TE) and 5 control (CO) trees of both beech and spruce. Xylem traits were analysed on wood cores extracted from the stem at breast height. In the top branches of both species, the lumen diameter (or area) of xylem and phloem conduits did not differ between TE and CO trees. At breast height, TE trees of both species produced narrower xylem rings and conduits. While allocation to branch (BM) and needle biomass (LM) did not change between TE and CO in P. abies, TE F. sylvatica trees allocated proportionally more biomass to leaves (LM) than BM compared with CO. Despite artificial drought increased the mortality in the TE plots, our results revealed no changes in both xylem and phloem anatomies, undermining the hypothesis that successful acclimation to drought would primarily involve increased resistance against air embolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giai Petit
- Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro‐Forestali (TESAF)University of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Dario Zambonini
- Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro‐Forestali (TESAF)University of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Benjamin D. Hesse
- Land Surface‐Atmosphere InteractionsTechnical University of Munich, School of Life SciencesFreisingGermany
| | - Karl‐Heinz Häberle
- Chair of Restoration EcologyTechnical University of Munich, School of Life SciencesFreisingGermany
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Weithmann G, Link RM, Banzragch BE, Würzberg L, Leuschner C, Schuldt B. Soil water availability and branch age explain variability in xylem safety of European beech in Central Europe. Oecologia 2022; 198:629-644. [PMID: 35212818 PMCID: PMC8956530 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05124-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Xylem embolism resistance has been identified as a key trait with a causal relation to drought-induced tree mortality, but not much is known about its intra-specific trait variability (ITV) in dependence on environmental variation. We measured xylem safety and efficiency in 300 European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees across 30 sites in Central Europe, covering a precipitation reduction from 886 to 522 mm year−1. A broad range of variables that might affect embolism resistance in mature trees, including climatic and soil water availability, competition, and branch age, were examined. The average P50 value varied by up to 1 MPa between sites. Neither climatic aridity nor structural variables had a significant influence on P50. However, P50 was less negative for trees with a higher soil water storage capacity, and positively related to branch age, while specific conductivity (Ks) was not significantly associated with either of these variables. The greatest part of the ITV for xylem safety and efficiency was attributed to random variability within populations. We conclude that the influence of site water availability on P50 and Ks is low in European beech, and that the high degree of within-population variability for P50, partly due to variation in branch age, hampers the identification of a clear environmental signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Weithmann
- Plant Ecology, Albrecht Von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Roman M Link
- Plant Ecology, Albrecht Von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.,Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, Julius-von-Sachs-Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Bat-Enerel Banzragch
- Plant Ecology, Albrecht Von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Laura Würzberg
- Plant Ecology, Albrecht Von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Leuschner
- Plant Ecology, Albrecht Von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.,Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Goettingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schuldt
- Plant Ecology, Albrecht Von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany. .,Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, Julius-von-Sachs-Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz, 97082, Würzburg, Germany.
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Barceló-Anguiano M, Hormaza JI, Losada JM. Conductivity of the phloem in mango (Mangifera indica L.). HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2021; 8:150. [PMID: 34193860 PMCID: PMC8245510 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00584-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mango (Mangifera indica L., Anacardiaceae), the fifth most consumed fruit worldwide, is one of the most important fruit crops in tropical regions, but its vascular anatomy is quite unexplored. Previous studies examined the xylem structure in the stems of mango, but the anatomy of the phloem has remained elusive, leaving the long-distance transport of photoassimilates understudied. We combined fluorescence and electron microscopy to evaluate the structure of the phloem tissue in the tapering branches of mango trees, and used this information to describe the hydraulic conductivity of its sieve tube elements following current models of fluid transport in trees. We revealed that the anatomy of the phloem changes from current year branches, where it was protected by pericyclic fibres, to older ones, where the lack of fibres was concomitant with laticiferous canals embedded in the phloem tissue. Callose was present in the sieve plates, but also in the walls of the phloem sieve cells, making them discernible from other phloem cells. A scaling geometry of the sieve tube elements-including the number of sieve areas and the pore size across tapering branches-resulted in an exponential conductivity towards the base of the tree. These evaluations in mango fit with previous measurements of the phloem architecture in the stems of forest trees, suggesting that, despite agronomic management, the phloem sieve cells scale with the tapering branches. The pipe model theory applied to the continuous tubing system of the phloem appears as a good approach to understand the hydraulic transport of photoassimilates in fruit trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Barceló-Anguiano
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora (IHSM La Mayora-CSIC-UMA), Avda Dr. Wienberg s/n. 29750, Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain
| | - José I Hormaza
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora (IHSM La Mayora-CSIC-UMA), Avda Dr. Wienberg s/n. 29750, Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain
| | - Juan M Losada
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora (IHSM La Mayora-CSIC-UMA), Avda Dr. Wienberg s/n. 29750, Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain.
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Olson ME, Anfodillo T, Gleason SM, McCulloh KA. Tip-to-base xylem conduit widening as an adaptation: causes, consequences, and empirical priorities. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:1877-1893. [PMID: 32984967 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In the stems of terrestrial vascular plants studied to date, the diameter of xylem water-conducting conduits D widens predictably with distance from the stem tip L approximating D ∝ Lb , with b ≈ 0.2. Because conduit diameter is central for conductance, it is essential to understand the cause of this remarkably pervasive pattern. We give reason to suspect that tip-to-base conduit widening is an adaptation, favored by natural selection because widening helps minimize the increase in hydraulic resistance that would otherwise occur as an individual stem grows longer and conductive path length increases. Evidence consistent with adaptation includes optimality models that predict the 0.2 exponent. The fact that this prediction can be made with a simple model of a single capillary, omitting much biological detail, itself makes numerous important predictions, e.g. that pit resistance must scale isometrically with conduit resistance. The idea that tip-to-base conduit widening has a nonadaptive cause, with temperature, drought, or turgor limiting the conduit diameters that plants are able to produce, is less consistent with the data than an adaptive explanation. We identify empirical priorities for testing the cause of tip-to-base conduit widening and underscore the need to study plant hydraulic systems leaf to root as integrated wholes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Olson
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Tommaso Anfodillo
- Department Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD), 35020, Italy
| | - Sean M Gleason
- Water Management and Systems Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
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