Wood anatomy and hydraulic architecture of stems and twigs of some Mediterranean trees and shrubs along a mesic-xeric gradient |
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Authors: | Veronica De Micco Giovanna Aronne Pieter Baas |
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Institution: | (1) Laboratorio di Botanica ed Ecologia Riproduttiva, Dip. Arboricoltura, Botanica e Patologia Vegetale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, via Università, 100, 80055 Portici (NA), Italy;(2) Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, P.O. Box 9514, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Woody species populating the major Mediterranean ecosystems in the world are characterized by different levels of adaptation
to the seasonal Mediterranean climate conditions. Many species of these ecosystems show wood features that allow high efficiency
of transport when water is available, while maintaining hydraulic safety during drought periods. This study focuses on the
anatomy of juvenile and mature wood of some species representative of continuous sequences of Mediterranean vegetation formations
according to gradients of water availability, from xeric to relatively mesic: Cistus monspeliensis L., Rhamnus alaternus L., Myrtus communis L., Pistacia lentiscus L., Olea europaea L., Quercus ilex L., Fraxinus ornus L. and Ostrya carpinifolia L. Twigwood collected in Southern Italy was anatomically compared with the stemwood of the same species represented in the
reference slide collection of the National Herbarium of the Netherlands (Lw). The “hydraulic distance” between the wood of
main stems and twigs was estimated on the basis of suites of anatomical features related to water efficiency/safety. Although
some attributes (i.e. porosity and type of imperforate tracheary elements) were similar in young twigs and older rings, other
traits (i.e. vessel frequency and size) evidenced the different hydraulic properties of twig and stemwood. The difference
between juvenile and mature structures was large in the species of the mesic end of the gradient while it was relatively small
in those more xeric. This tendency is in agreement with the habit gradient from medium-sized trees to small evergreen/drought
deciduous shrubs according to decreasing water availability in Mediterranean vegetation types. |
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Keywords: | Juvenile wood Mature wood Mediterranean shrubs and trees Quantitative wood anatomy Water use strategies |
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