Data from: Axial conduit widening, tree height and height growth rate set the hydraulic transition of sapwood into heartwood
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2023-07-02, 2023-07-02
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The size-related xylem adjustments required to maintain a constant leaf-specific sapwood conductance (KLEAF) with increasing height (H) are still under discussion. Alternative hypotheses are that: (i) the conduit hydraulic diameter (Dh) at any position in the stem and/or (ii) the number of sapwood rings at stem base (NSWr) increase with H. In addition, (iii) lower stem elongation (ΔH) increases the tip-to-base conductance through inner xylem rings, thus possibly the NSWr contributing to KLEAF.
A detailed stem analysis showed that Dh increased with the distance from the apex (DCA) in all rings of a P. abies and a F. sylvatica tree. Net of DCA effect, Dh did not increase with H. Using sapwood traits from a global dataset, NSWr increased with H and decreased with ΔH, and the mean sapwood ring width (SWrw) increased with ΔH. A numerical model based on anatomical patterns predicted the effects of H and ΔH on the conductance of inner xylem rings.
Results suggested the sapwood/heartwood transition depends on both H and ΔH, and is set when the C allocation to maintenance respiration of living cells in inner sapwood rings produces a lower gain in total conductance than investing the same C in new vascular conduits.