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Updated: Jun 13, 2025

Xylem Water Distribution in Woody Plants Visualized with a Cryo-scanning Electron Microscope
Published on: June 20, 2019
An appreciation of apex-to-base variation in xylem traits will lead to more precise understanding of xylem phenotypic
1Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali, University of Padua, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy.
Abstract:
Xylem air embolism is the primary cause of drought-related tree mortality. Phenotypic plasticity of xylem traits is key for species acclimation to environmental variability and evolution. It is widely believed that plants increase xylem embolism resistance in response to drought. However, I argue that this hypothesis, based on extensive literature, relies on sampling methods that overlook predictable anatomical patterns, potentially biasing our understanding of acclimation and adaptation strategies.
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