| Autor: |
Robert, Elisabeth, Schmitz, Nele, Driessens, Tess, Boeren, Ilse, Beeckman, Hans, Koedam, Nico |
| Přispěvatelé: |
Biology, General Botany and Nature Management |
| Jazyk: |
angličtina |
| Rok vydání: |
2010 |
| Předmět: |
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| Popis: |
The mangrove Avicennia, the only mangrove genus with successive cambia, has the broadest distribution of all mangroves genera. This pattern is repeated at local scale where Avicennia trees can grow more landinward and at places with more stressful environmental conditions if compared to other mangroves. This study wants to address the questions: "Why is Avicennia able to survive at locations where other mangrove genera are not able to grow?" and "What makes Avicennia so well adapted to highly stressful conditions?". Herefore we (i) made a wood anatomical comparison between Avicennia and Rhizophora, another important mangrove genus, and (ii) investigate the three-dimensional structure of Avicennia's transport structure through (micro)CT-scanning. We furthermore analysed the link between successive cambia and stressful environmental conditions through a database analysis. We can conclude that (i) the water transport system of Avicennia is, more than in other mangrove genera, adapted to extreme environmental conditions and that (ii) Avicennia's highly complex three-dimensional structure of the xylem and phloem tissue most probably offers advantages in stressful environments as was proven by a clear link between species with successive cambia and dry or salty habitats. Overall, the vessel characteristics, the structure of the transport tissues as well as the special way of radial growth seems to offer Avicennia the necessary characteristics to survive in extreme conditions. These insights are of special importance in the understanding of the mangrove ecosystem but also bring understanding in the survival strategies and mechanisms of radial growth of trees in general. |
| Databáze: |
OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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