The functional implications of tracheary connections across growth rings in four northern hardwood trees.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Deciduous angiosperm trees transport xylem sap through trunks and branches in vessels within annual growth rings. Utilizing previous growth rings for sap transport could increase vessel network size and redundancy but may expose new xylem to residual air embolisms in the network. Despite the important role of vessel networks in sap transport and drought resistance, our understanding of cross-ring connections within and between species is limited.

Methods

We studied cross-ring connections in four temperate deciduous trees using dye staining and X-ray microcomputed tomography (microCT) to detect xylem connectivity across growth rings and quantify their impact on hydraulic conductivity.

Key results

Acer rubrum and Fraxinus americana had cross-ring con

SUBMITTER: Wason JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6758585 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature