New insights into a sensitive life stage: hydraulics of tree seedlings in their first growing season.

Autor: Beikircher B; Department of Botany, Universität Innsbruck/University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria., Held M; Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)/Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 64, Helsinki, 00014, Finland., Losso A; Department of Botany, Universität Innsbruck/University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria., Mayr S; Department of Botany, Universität Innsbruck/University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: The New phytologist [New Phytol] 2024 Nov 05. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Nov 05.
DOI: 10.1111/nph.20243
Abstrakt: The first year in a tree's life is characterized by distinct morphological changes, requiring constant adjustments of the hydraulic system. Despite their importance for the natural regeneration of forests and future vegetation composition, little has been known about the hydraulics of tree seedlings. At different times across the first growing season, we analysed xylem area-specific (K shoot_Axyl ) and leaf area-specific (K shoot_L ) shoot hydraulic conductance, as well as embolism resistance of three temperate conifer trees, two angiosperm trees and one angiosperm shrub, and related findings to cell osmotic parameters and xylem anatomical traits. Over the first 10 wk after germination, K shoot_Axyl and K shoot_L sharply decreased, then remained stable until the end of the growing season. Embolism resistance was remarkably low in the youngest stages but, coupled with an increase in cell wall reinforcement, significantly increased towards autumn. Contemporaneously, water potential at turgor loss and osmotic potential at saturation decreased. Independent of lineage, species and growth form, the transition from primary to secondary xylem resulted in a less efficient but increasingly more embolism-resistant hydraulic system, enabling stable water supply under increasing risk for low water potentials.
(© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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