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Xylem Water Distribution in Woody Plants Visualized with a Cryo-scanning Electron Microscope
Published on: June 20, 2019
Seasonal and Daily Xylem Radius Variations in Scots Pine Are Closely Linked to Environmental Factors Affecting
Walter Oberhuber1, Andreas Gruber1, Gerhard Wieser1
1Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Abstract:
Seasonal and daily radius variations in the xylem (XRV) and inner bark (IBV) of mature Scots pine trees (Pinus sylvestris) were determined during April 2019-October 2021 at a drought-prone inner alpine site (c. 750 m asl; Tyrol, Austria) by applying point dendrometers. XRVs were also related to environmental factors to evaluate the drivers of XRV during the growing season. XRV records revealed that the xylem width (i) started to shrink around the onset of radial stem growth in April, (ii) consistently decreased by c. 50 µm at the time when air temperature (T) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) reached their maximum in late June through mid-July, and (iii) recovered until November/December. Although in daily cycles of radius variations XRV preceded IBV by about two hours and the daily amplitude of XRV was about 1/10 that of IBV, XRV and IBV (seasonal trends removed) were closely linked (ρ = 0.755; p < 0.001), indicating tight hydraulic coupling between these tissues. Furthermore, the daily amplitude of XRV was linearly and closely related to daily maximum T (ρ = 0.802; p < 0.001), mean daily solar radiation (ρ = 0.809; p < 0.001), and non-linearly related to daily maximum VPD (R= 0.837; p < 0.001), indicating that the xylem of Pinus sylvestris reacts like a transpiration-driven passive hydraulic system.
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