Role of xylem in root hydraulics: Functionality and implications for drought adaptation.

ABSTRACT: Root water transport has been viewed as primarily limited by the radial component, with the axial pathway considered highly conductive and non-limiting. This is supported by theoretical estimates of axial conductance using the Hagen-Poiseuille equation. However, increasing evidence indicates that actual axial conductance is often nearly an order of magnitude lower than predicted, challenging assumptions that it does not limit water uptake. In this review, we discuss how recent model inversion approaches, guided by root hydraulic conductance measurements, have revealed that water transport can be co-limited by radial and axial conductance. We explore possible explanations for this co-limitation, with particular attention to root topology. Finally, we highlight how drought-induced adjustment

SUBMITTER: Barry L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12740494 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature