ArticleAnnals of botany2022
Conduit position and connectivity affect the likelihood of xylem embolism during natural drought in evergreen woodland species.
Article in Annals of botany, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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4 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Unraveling the hydraulic vulnerability of tree seedlings using optical and acoustic techniques.Journal of experimental botany · 2026Article
- New insights into a sensitive life stage: hydraulics of tree seedlings in their first growing season.The New phytologist · 2025Article
- Modeling and Analyzing Xylem Vulnerability to Embolism as an Epidemic Process.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2024Article
- Plants and water: the search for a comprehensive understanding.Annals of botany · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsHydraulic failure is considered a main cause of drought-induced forest mortality. Yet, we have a limited understanding of how the varying intensities and long time scales of natural droughts induce and propagate embolism within the xylem.
methodsX-ray computed tomography (microCT) images were obtained from different aged branch xylem to study the number, size and spatial distribution of in situ embolized conduits among three dominant tree species growing in a woodland community. KEY
resultsAmong the three studied tree species, those with a higher xylem vulnerability to embolism (higher water potential at 50 % loss of hydraulic conductance; P50) were more embolized than species with lower P50. Within individual stems, the probability of embolism was independent of conduit diameter but associated with conduit position. Rather than the occurrence of random or radial embolism, we observed circumferential clustering of high and low embolism density, suggesting that embolism spreads preferentially among conduits of the same age. Older xylem also appeared more likely to accumulate embolisms than young xylem, but there was no pattern suggesting that branch tips were more vulnerable to cavitation than basal regions.
conclusionsThe spatial analysis of embolism occurrence in field-grown trees suggests that embolism under natural drought probably propagates by air spreading from embolized into neighbouring conduits in a circumferential pattern. This pattern offers the possibility to understand the temporal aspects of embolism occurrence by examining stem cross-sections.
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