Article
 

Height-related trends in leaf xylem anatomy and shoot hydraulic characteristics in a tall conifer: safety versus efficiency in foliar water transport

Public Deposited

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/articles/pr76f384n

Descriptions

Attribute NameValues
Creator
Abstract
  • • Hydraulic vulnerability of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) branchlets decreases with height, allowing shoots at greater height to maintain hydraulic conductance (Kshoot) at more negative leaf water potentials (Ψl). • To determine the basis for this trend shoot hydraulic and tracheid anatomical properties of foliage from the tops of Douglas-fir trees were analysed along a height gradient from 5 to 55 m. • Values of Ψl at which Kshoot was substantially reduced, declined with height by 0.012 Mpa m−1. Maximum Kshoot was reduced by 0.082 mmol m−2 MPa−1 s−1 for every 1 m increase in height. Total tracheid lumen area per needle cross-section, hydraulic mean diameter of leaf tracheid lumens, total number of tracheids per needle cross-section and leaf tracheid length decreased with height by 18.4 μm2 m−1, 0.029 μm m−1, 0.42 m−1 and 5.3 μm m−1, respectively. Tracheid thickness-to-span ratio (tw/b)2 increased with height by 1.04 × 10–3 m−1 and pit number per tracheid decreased with height by 0.07 m−1. • Leaf anatomical adjustments that enhanced the ability to cope with vertical gradients of increasing xylem tension were attained at the expense of reduced water transport capacity and efficiency, possibly contributing to height-related decline in growth of Douglas fir.
  • Keywords: growth limitation, hydraulic conductance, water stress, foliar anatomy, Pseudotsuga menziesii, embolism
  • Keywords: growth limitation, hydraulic conductance, water stress, foliar anatomy, Pseudotsuga menziesii, embolism
Resource Type
DOI
Date Available
Date Issued
Citation
  • Woodruff, D. R., F.C. Meinzer, and B. Lachenbruch. 2008. Height-related trends in leaf xylem anatomy and shoot hydraulic characteristics in a tall conifer: safety versus efficiency in foliar water transport. New Phytologist 180:90-99.
Journal Title
Journal Volume
  • 180
Journal Issue/Number
  • 1
Academic Affiliation
Rights Statement
Publisher
Language
Replaces

Relationships

Parents:

This work has no parents.

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details Woodruff_08_NewPhyt_HtTrends.pdf 2017-07-06 Public Download