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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Measurement of Leaf Hydraulic Conductance and Stomatal Conductance and Their Responses to Irradiance and Dehydration Using the Evaporative Flux Method (EFM)

Measurement of Leaf Hydraulic Conductance and Stomatal Conductance and Their Responses to Irradiance and Dehydration Using the Evaporative Flux Method (EFM)

Published on: December 31, 2012

Conservative decrease in water potential in existing leaves during new leaf expansion in temperate and tropical

Takami Saito¹, B Paul Naiola, Ichiro Terashima

¹Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikeneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.

Annals of Botany

|September 15, 2007

Summary

Older leaves in evergreen trees help maintain water potential gradients during new leaf expansion. This occurs because older leaves have lower water potentials at the turgor loss point, ensuring shoot hydration.

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Published on: October 25, 2024

Area of Science:

Plant Physiology
Forest Ecology
Water Relations

Background:

Evergreen trees with expanding leaves often have high leaf water potentials at the turgor loss point.
Understanding water potential gradients (deltapsi) is crucial for tree hydration during growth.

Purpose of the Study:

To clarify how water potential gradients are maintained in evergreen tree shoots during leaf expansion.
To investigate the role of older leaves in shoot water relations.

Main Methods:

Examined water relations in current-year expanding (CEX) and 1-year-old (OLD) leaves on the same shoots.
Compared temperate evergreen and deciduous species, and tropical evergreen species across different sites.

Main Results:

Older leaves generally had higher midday leaf water potential than expanding leaves.
Older leaves exhibited significantly lower water potentials at the turgor loss point.
High hydraulic resistance in current-year branches influenced water supply to leaves.
Midday leaf water potential in older leaves appeared independent of expanding leaves.

Conclusions:

The moderate decrease in midday leaf water potential in older leaves contributes to maintaining shoot water potential gradients.
This mechanism supports shoot hydration during the critical phase of leaf expansion in evergreen trees.