The hydraulic architecture of Eucalyptus trees growing across a gradient of depth-to-groundwater

Zolfaghar, S; Villalobos-Vega, R; Zeppel, M; Eamus, D

The hydraulic architecture of Eucalyptus trees growing across a gradient of depth-to-groundwater

Zolfaghar, S Villalobos-Vega, R Zeppel, M

Eamus, D

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Functional Plant Biology, 2015, 42 (9), pp. 888 - 898
Issue Date:: 2015-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Zolfaghar, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Villalobos-Vega, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Zeppel, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5510-0936	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Eamus, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2765-8040	en_US
dc.date.issued	2015-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Functional Plant Biology, 2015, 42 (9), pp. 888 - 898	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1445-4408	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/37857
dc.description.abstract	© CSIRO 2015. Heterogeneity in water availability acts as an important driver of variation in plant structure and function. Changes in hydraulic architecture represent a key mechanism by which adaptation to changes in water availability can be expressed in plants. The aim of this study was to investigate whether differences in depth-to-groundwater influence the hydraulic architecture of Eucalyptus trees in remnant woodlands within mesic environments. Hydraulic architecture of trees was examined in winter and summer by measuring the following traits: Huber value (HV: the ratio between sapwood area and leaf area), branch hydraulic conductivity (leaf and sapwood area specific), sapwood density, xylem vulnerability (P50 and Pe) and hydraulic safety margins across four sites where depth-to-groundwater ranged from 2.4 to 37.5m. Huber value increased significantly as depth-to-groundwater increased. Neither sapwood density nor branch hydraulic conductivity (sapwood and leaf area specific) varied significantly across sites. Xylem vulnerability to embolism (represented by P50 and Pe) in both seasons was significantly and negatively correlated with depth-to-groundwater. Hydraulic safety margins increased with increasing depth-to-groundwater and therefore trees growing at sites with deeper water tables were less sensitive to drought induced embolism. These results showed plasticity in some, but not all, hydraulic traits (as reflected in HV, P50, Pe and hydraulic safety margin) in response to increase in depth-to-groundwater in a mesic environment.	en_US
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/
dc.relation.ispartof	Functional Plant Biology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1071/FP14324	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Plant Biology & Botany	en_US
dc.title	The hydraulic architecture of Eucalyptus trees growing across a gradient of depth-to-groundwater	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	9	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	42	en_US
utslib.for	0602 Ecology	en_US
utslib.for	0607 Plant Biology	en_US
utslib.for	0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	9	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	42	en_US

Abstract:

© CSIRO 2015. Heterogeneity in water availability acts as an important driver of variation in plant structure and function. Changes in hydraulic architecture represent a key mechanism by which adaptation to changes in water availability can be expressed in plants. The aim of this study was to investigate whether differences in depth-to-groundwater influence the hydraulic architecture of Eucalyptus trees in remnant woodlands within mesic environments. Hydraulic architecture of trees was examined in winter and summer by measuring the following traits: Huber value (HV: the ratio between sapwood area and leaf area), branch hydraulic conductivity (leaf and sapwood area specific), sapwood density, xylem vulnerability (P50 and Pe) and hydraulic safety margins across four sites where depth-to-groundwater ranged from 2.4 to 37.5m. Huber value increased significantly as depth-to-groundwater increased. Neither sapwood density nor branch hydraulic conductivity (sapwood and leaf area specific) varied significantly across sites. Xylem vulnerability to embolism (represented by P50 and Pe) in both seasons was significantly and negatively correlated with depth-to-groundwater. Hydraulic safety margins increased with increasing depth-to-groundwater and therefore trees growing at sites with deeper water tables were less sensitive to drought induced embolism. These results showed plasticity in some, but not all, hydraulic traits (as reflected in HV, P50, Pe and hydraulic safety margin) in response to increase in depth-to-groundwater in a mesic environment.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/37857