Constraints on physiological function associated with branch architecture and wood density in tropical forest trees

This study examined how leaf and stem functional traits related to gas exchange and water balance scale with two potential proxies for tree hydraulic architecture: the leaf area:sapwood area ratio (AL:AS) and wood density (ρw). We studied the upper crowns of individuals of 15 tropical forest tree species at two sites in Panama with contrasting moisture regimes and forest types. Transpiration and maximum photosynthetic electron transport rate (ETRmax) per unit leaf area declined sharply with increasing AL:AS, as did the ratio of ETR max to leaf N content, an index of photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency. Midday leaf water potential, bulk leaf osmotic potential at zero turgor, branch xylem specific conductivity, leaf-specific conductivity and stem and leaf capacitance all declined with increasing ρw. At the branch scale, AL:AS and total leaf N content per unit sapwood area increased with ρw, resulting in a 30% increase in ETRmax per unit sapwood area with a doubling of ρw. These compensatory adjustments in AL:AS, N allocation and potential photosynthetic capacity at the branch level were insufficient to completely offset the increased carbon costs of producing denser wood, and exacerbated the negative impact of increasing ρw on branch hydraulics and leaf water status. The suite of tree functional and architectural traits studied appeared to be constrained by the hydraulic and mechanical consequences of variation in ρw. © 2008 Heron Publishing

Coordination of leaf and stem water transport properties in tropical forest trees

Stomatal regulation of transpiration constrains leaf water potential (ΨL) within species-specific ranges that presumably avoid excessive tension and embolism in the stem xylem upstream. However, the hydraulic resistance of leaves can be highly variable over short time scales, uncoupling tension in the xylem of leaves from that in the stems to which they are attached. We evaluated a suite of leaf and stem functional traits governing water relations in individuals of 11 lowland tropical forest tree species to determine the manner in which the traits were coordinated with stem xylem vulnerability to embolism. Stomatal regulation of ΨL was associated with minimum values of water potential in branches (Ψbr) whose functional significance was similar across species. Minimum values of Ψbr coincided with the bulk sapwood tissue osmotic potential at zero turgor derived from pressure-volume curves and with the transition from a linear to exponential increase in xylem embolism with increasing sapwood water deficits. Branch xylem pressure corresponding to 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity (P 50) declined linearly with daily minimum Ψbr in a manner that caused the difference between Ψbr and P 50 to increase from 0.4 MPa in the species with the least negative Ψbr to 1.2 MPa in the species with the most negative Ψbr. Both branch P 50 and minimum Ψbr increased linearly with sapwood capacitance (C) such that the difference between Ψbr and P 50, an estimate of the safety margin for avoiding runaway embolism, decreased with increasing sapwood C. The results implied a trade-off between maximizing water transport and minimizing the risk of xylem embolism, suggesting a prominent role for the buffering effect of C in preserving the integrity of xylem water transport. At the whole-tree level, discharge and recharge of internal C appeared to generate variations in apparent leaf-specific conductance to which stomata respond dynamically. © 2008 Springer-Verlag

Nutrient availability constrains the hydraulic architecture and water relations of savannah trees

Leaf and whole plant-level functional traits were studied in five dominant woody savannah species from Central Brazil (Cerrado) to determine whether reduction of nutrient limitations in oligotrophic Cerrado soils affects carbon allocation, water relations and hydraulic architecture. Four treatments were used: control, N additions, P additions and N plus P additions. Fertilizers were applied twice yearly, from October 1998 to March 2004. Sixty-three months after the first nutrient addition, the total leaf area increment was significantly greater across all species in the N- and the N + P-fertilized plots than in the control and in the P-fertilized plots. Nitrogen fertilization significantly altered several components of hydraulic architecture: specific conductivity of terminal stems increased with N additions, whereas leaf-specific conductivity and wood density decreased in most cases. Average daily sap flow per individual was consistently higher with N and N + P additions compared to the control, but its relative increase was not as great as that of leaf area. Long-term additions of N and N + P caused midday ΨL to decline significantly by a mean of 0.6 MPa across all species because N-induced relative reductions in soil-to-leaf hydraulic conductance were greater than those of stomatal conductance and transpiration on a leaf area basis. Phosphorus-fertilized trees did not exhibit significant changes in midday ΨL. Analysis of xylem vulnerability curves indicated that N-fertilized trees were significantly less vulnerable to embolism than trees in control and P-fertilized plots. Thus, N-induced decreases in midday ΨL appeared to be almost entirely compensated by increases in resistance to embolism. Leaf tissue water relations characteristics also changed as a result of N-induced declines in minimum ΨL: osmotic potential at full turgor decreased and symplastic solute content on a dry matter basis increased linearly with declining midday ΨL across species and treatments. Despite being adapted to chronic nutrient limitations, Cerrado woody species apparently have the capacity to exploit increases in nutrient availability by allocating resources to maximize carbon gain and enhance growth. The cost of increased allocation to leaf area relative to water transport capacity involved increased total water loss per plant and a decrease in minimum leaf water potentials. However, the risk of increased embolism and turgor loss was relatively low as xylem vulnerability to embolism and leaf osmotic characteristics changed in parallel with changes in plant water status induced by N fertilization. © 2006 The Authors

Geographical, taxonomical and ecological aspects of lianas in subtropical forests of Argentina

Lianas are more diverse and typically more abundant in tropical than temperate forests, with subtropical forests being intermediate. In this chapter, we analyse geographical, taxonomical and ecological patterns of lianas in subtropical forests of northern Argentina, including Mountain Forests (MF), Atlantic Forests (AF); and Dry and Humid Chaco Forests (DCh and HCh, respectively). A total of 184 woody species of climbing plants were recognized in all four subtropical forests, with 35 species exclusive to MF, 38 exclusive to AF, while DCh and HCh had 2 and 8 exclusive species, respectively. In MF most liana species belonged to Sapindaceae and Bignoniaceae (16% each), followed by Malpighiaceae (11%) and Apocynaceae (10%). In AF most liana species belonged to Bignoniaceae (21%) followed by Apocynaceae (12%), Fabaceae (11%), Malpighiaceae (11%) and Sapindaceae (10%). Considering all liana species together, the most common climbing mechanisms include tendrils and twiners. The highest liana density was observed in the semideciduous Atlantic Forest, followed by the deciduous Humid Chaco Forest and the semideciduous Montane Forest. The semideciduous Atlantic Forest has also relatively high liana species richness as compared to other subtropical forests, followed by semideciduous MF. Besides geographical location and forest disturbances, little is known about how lianas respond to other environmental factors that drive patterns of liana density and diversity in these subtropical forests.Fil: Malizia, Agustina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Campanello, Paula Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; ArgentinaFil: Villagra, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; ArgentinaFil: Ceballos, Sergio Javier. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentin

Flowering cycles of woody bamboos native to southern South America

Neotropical woody bamboos range from northern Mexico to southern Argentina and Chile. The most interesting aspect of bamboo biology is their flowering habit. The species that are the most intriguing are those that manifest a cyclic pattern of gregarious flowering after long vegetative periods. The flowering cycle has been described in very few species. The goal was to identify mass flowering events of woody bamboo species native to Argentina and neighboring areas, and to estimate the flowering cycle of each species. Sixteen species were surveyed: Chusquea culeou, C. deficiens, C. lorentziana, C. montana, C. quila, C. ramosissima, C. tenella, C. valdiviensis; Colanthelia rhizantha; Guadua chacoensis, G. paraguayana, G. trinii; Merostachys clausenii, M. multiramea, Rhipidocladum neumannii and R. racemiflorum. To reconstruct flowering dates, information from literature and herbarium collections was consulted and more than 990 records were gathered. Flowering cycles were estimated by recording the intervals between reported flowering events. Evidence of regular flowering cycles of ca. 30 years was found for most of the species considered. There is a remarkable concentration of flowering cycles about multiples of 15–16 years. Flowering synchrony among different species of woody bamboos was recorded for the first time in South America.Fil: Guerreiro, Carolina Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; Argentin