ArticlePlant physiology2014
Uptake of water via branches helps timberline conifers refill embolized xylem in late winter.
Article in Plant physiology, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers.
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Who cites it
43 citing papers in PubMed, 188 citations in OpenAlex.
- Resistance to embolism is critical for postdrought recovery in resprouting Ceratonia siliqua.Plant physiology · 2026Article
- Reduced snow cover at the alpine treeline: resistance and recovery of saplings.The New phytologist · 2026Article
- Foliar Water Uptake Supports Water Potential Recovery but Does Not Affect Xylem Sap Composition in Two Salt-Secreting Mangroves.Plant, cell & environment · 2025Article
- Exploring the Role of Non-Structural Carbohydrates (NSCs) Under Abiotic Stresses on Woody Plants: A Comprehensive Review.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Stable Isotope Labelling Reveals Water and Carbon Fluxes in Temperate Tree Saplings Before Budbreak.Plant, cell & environment · 2025Article
- Stress dose explains drought recovery in Norway spruce.Frontiers in plant science · 2025Article
- Shower thoughts: why scientists should spend more time in the rain.Bioscience · 2023Review
- Long-term concentration of tropical forest nutrient hotspots is generated by a central-place apex predator.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Foliar water uptake in Pinus species depends on needle age and stomatal wax structures.Annals of botany · 2023Article
- Article
- Impact of freeze-thaw-induced pit aspiration on stem water transport in the subalpine conifer Abies veitchii.Plant physiology · 2022Article
- Foliar water uptake does not contribute to embolism repair in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.).Annals of botany · 2022Article
- Article
- No Evidence for Light-Induced Embolism Repair in Cut Stems of Drought-Resistant Mediterranean Species under Soaking.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Branch water uptake and redistribution in two conifers at the alpine treeline.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Cavitation fatigue in conifers: a study on eight European species.Plant physiology · 2021Article
- Rootstock effects on scion gene expression in maritime pine.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Drought-Induced Xylem Embolism Limits the Recovery of Leaf Gas Exchange in Scots Pine.Plant physiology · 2020Article
- Foliar water uptake in arid ecosystems: seasonal variability and ecophysiological consequences.Oecologia · 2020Article
- Die hard: timberline conifers survive annual winter embolism.The New phytologist · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Xylem embolism is a limiting factor for woody species worldwide. Conifers at the alpine timberline are exposed to drought and freeze-thaw stress during winter, which induce potentially lethal embolism. Previous studies indicated that timberline trees survive by xylem refilling. In this study on Picea abies, refilling was monitored during winter and spring seasons and analyzed in the laboratory and in situ experiments, based on hydraulic, anatomical, and histochemical methods. Refilling started in late winter, when the soil was frozen and soil water not available for the trees. Xylem embolism caused up to 86.2% ± 3.1% loss of conductivity and was correlated with the ratio of closed pits. Refilling of xylem as well as recovery in shoot conductance started in February and corresponded with starch accumulation in secondary phloem and in the mesophyll of needles, where we also observed increasing aquaporin densities in the phloem and endodermis. This indicates that active, cellular processes play a role for refilling even under winter conditions. As demonstrated by our experiments, water for refilling was thereby taken up via the branches, likely by foliar water uptake. Our results suggest that refilling is based on water shifts to embolized tracheids via intact xylem, phloem, and parenchyma, whereby aquaporins reduce resistances along the symplastic pathway and aspirated pits facilitate isolation of refilling tracheids. Refilling must be taken into account as a key process in plant hydraulics and in estimating future effects of climate change on forests and alpine tree ecosystems.
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