Root and branch hydraulic functioning and trait coordination across organs in drought-deciduous and evergreen tree species of a subtropical highland forest.

ABSTRACT: Vessel traits are key in understanding trees' hydraulic efficiency, and related characteristics like growth performance and drought tolerance. While most plant hydraulic studies have focused on aboveground organs, our understanding of root hydraulic functioning and trait coordination across organs remains limited. Furthermore, studies from seasonally dry (sub-)tropical ecosystems and mountain forests are virtually lacking and uncertainties remain regarding potentially different hydraulic strategies of plants differing in leaf habit. Here, we compared wood anatomical traits and specific hydraulic conductivities between coarse roots and small branches of five drought-deciduous and eight evergreen angiosperm tree species in a seasonally dry subtropical Afromontane forest in Ethiopia. We hypot

SUBMITTER: Schonauer M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10291250 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature