Xylem resistance to cavitation increases during summer in Pinus halepensis

• Published in: Plant, cell and environment Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 1849 - 1859
• Main Authors: Feng, Feng, Wagner, Yael, Klein, Tamir, Hochberg, Uri
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.06.2023
• Subjects: Cavitation; Cavitation resistance; Climate; Computed tomography; Coordination; Droughts; Dry season; Harsh environments; Pinus; Pinus halepensis; Plastic properties; Plasticity; Rainy season; Safety margins; Seasonal variations; seasonality; Seasons; Trees; Trees - anatomy & histology; Turgor; turgor loss point; vulnerability curves; Water; Water potential; X-Ray Microtomography; Xylem; Xylem - anatomy & histology; turgor loss point; vulnerability curves; Pinus halepensis; cavitation resistance; seasonality
• ISSN: 0140-7791; 1365-3040
• DOI: 10.1111/pce.14573

Cavitation resistance has often been viewed as a relatively static trait, especially for stems of forest trees. Meanwhile, other hydraulic traits, such as turgor loss point (Ψtlp) and xylem anatomy, change during the season. In this study, we hypothesized that cavitation resistance is also dynamic, changing in coordination with Ψtlp. We began with a comparison of optical vulnerability (OV), microcomputed tomography (µCT) and cavitron methods. All three methods significantly differed in the slope of the curve,Ψ12 and Ψ88, but not in Ψ50 (xylem pressures that cause 12%, 88%, 50% cavitation, respectively). Thus, we followed the seasonal dynamics (across 2 years) of Ψ50 in Pinus halepensis under Mediterranean climate using the OV method. We found that Ψ50 is a plastic trait with a reduction of approximately 1 MPa from the end of the wet season to the end of the dry season, in coordination with the dynamics of the midday xylem water potential (Ψmidday) and the Ψtlp. The observed plasticity enabled the trees to maintain a stable positive hydraulic safety margin and avoid cavitation during the long dry season. Seasonal plasticity is vital for understanding the actual risk of cavitation to plants and for modeling species' ability to tolerate harsh environments. Summary Statement Shoot xylem vulnerability of Pinus halepensis is a seasonal plastic trait, which adjusts to lower water potential during the summer in coordination with the turgor loss point.