Hydraulic traits are coordinated with maximum plant height at the global scale.

ABSTRACT: Water must be transported long distances in tall plants, resulting in increasing hydraulic resistance, which may place limitations on the maximum plant height (H _max) in a given habitat. However, the coordination of hydraulic traits with H _max and habitat aridity remains poorly understood. To explore whether H _max modifies the trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and safety or how water availability might influence the relationship between H _max and other hydraulic traits, we compiled a dataset including H _max and 11 hydraulic traits for 1281 woody species from 369 sites worldwide. We found that taller species from wet habitats exhibited greater xylem efficiency and lower hydraulic safety, wider con

SUBMITTER: Liu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6374111 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature