Embolism and mechanical resistances play a key role in dehydration tolerance of a perennial grass Dactylis glomerata L.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

More intense droughts under climate change threaten species resilience. Hydraulic strategies determine drought survival in woody plants but have been hardly studied in herbaceous species. We explored the intraspecific variability of hydraulic and morphological traits as indicators of dehydration tolerance in a perennial grass, cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata), which has a large biogeographical distribution in Europe.

Methods

Twelve populations of cocksfoot originating from Mediterranean, Temperate and Northern European areas were grown in a controlled environment in pots. Dehydration tolerance, leaf and stem anatomical traits and xylem pressure associated with 88 or 50 % loss of xylem conductance (P88, P50) were measured.

Key results

Across the 12 po

SUBMITTER: Volaire F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6070121 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature