Grapevine species from varied native habitats exhibit differences in embolism formation/repair associated with leaf gas exchange and root pressure

Drought induces xylem embolism formation, but grapevines can refill non‐functional vessels to restore transport capacity. It is unknown whether vulnerability to embolism formation and ability to repair differ among grapevine species. We analysed in vivo embolism formation and repair using x‐ray computed microtomography in three wild grapevine species from varied native habitats (Vitis riparia, V. arizonica, V. champinii) and related responses to measurements of leaf gas exchange and root pressure. Vulnerability to embolism formation was greatest in V. riparia, intermediate in V. arizonica and lowest in V. champinii. After re‐watering, embolism repair was rapid and pronounced in V. riparia and V. arizonica, but limited or negligible in V. champinii even after numerous days. Similarly, root pressure measured after re‐watering was positively correlated with drought stress severity for V. riparia and V. arizonica (species exhibiting embolism repair) but not for V. champinii. Drought‐induced reductions in transpiration were greatest for V. riparia and least in V. champinii. Recovery of transpiration after re‐watering was delayed for all species, but was greatest for V. champinii and most rapid in V. arizonica. These species exhibit varied responses to drought stress that involve maintenance/recovery of xylem transport capacity coordinated with root pressure and gas exchange responses.     

7种木本植物根和小枝木质部栓塞的脆弱性

用脆弱曲线表示的植物木质部栓塞脆弱性反映了植物木质部栓塞程度与其水势间的关系。众多学者的研究结果表明,脆弱曲线能够提供有关植物的许多生理生态信息,与植物的木质部结构、部位、分布、抗寒、抗旱性等存在一定关系,但各国学者利用不同材料研究得出的结果各异,为了研究木质部栓塞的这种差异是否由于树木对环境适应性不同引起,选取西北农林科技大学西林校区内自然状况下生长良好的5个耐旱树种:刺槐(RobiniapseudoacaciaL.)、元宝枫(AcertruncatumBge.)(低水势忍耐脱水耐旱树种)、白榆(UlmuspumilaL.)(亚低水势忍耐脱水耐旱树种)、油松(PinustabulaeformisCarr.)、白皮松(PinusbungeanaZucc.ex.Endl.)(高水势延迟脱水耐旱树种),及中生的女贞(LigustrumlucidumAit.)和柳树(SalixmatsudanaKoidz.f.pendulaSchneid.)为研究对象,绘制了它们根和小枝的木质部栓塞脆弱曲线,探讨了中生树种和不同耐旱类型树种根和小枝木质部栓塞脆弱性的差异。结果表明:根和小枝的栓塞脆弱性主要由木质部结构决定,栓塞脆弱性顺序基本一致,小枝容易发生木质部栓塞的,其根也较容易发生栓塞;同一树种根和小枝的木质部栓塞脆弱性与植物的耐旱性有关,与树种的耐旱策略无关;一般是中生树种的栓塞脆弱性:小枝>根;耐旱树种的栓塞脆弱性:根>小枝。     

Diurnal and seasonal variation in root xylem embolism in neotropical savanna woody species: impact on stomatal control of plant water status

Vulnerability to water-stress-induced embolism and variation in the degree of native embolism were measured in lateral roots of four co-occurring neotropical savanna tree species. Root embolism varied diurnally and seasonally. Late in the dry season, loss of root xylem conductivity reached 80% in the afternoon when root water potential (psi root) was about -2.6 MPa, and recovered to 25-40% loss of conductivity in the morning when psi root was about -1.0 MPa. Daily variation in psi root decreased, and root xylem vulnerability and capacitance increased with rooting depth. However, all species experienced seasonal minimum psi root close to complete hydraulic failure independent of their rooting depth or resistance to embolism. Predawn psi root was lower than psi soil when psi soil was relatively high (> -0.7 MPa) but became less negative than psi soil, later in the dry season, consistent with a transition from a disequilibrium between plant and soil psi induced by nocturnal transpiration to one induced by hydraulic redistribution of water from deeper soil layers. Shallow longitudinal root incisions external to the xylem prevented reversal of embolism overnight, suggesting that root mechanical integrity was necessary for recovery, consistent with the hypothesis that if embolism is a function of tension, refilling may be a function of internal pressure imbalances. All species shared a common relationship in which maximum daily stomatal conductance declined linearly with increasing afternoon loss of root conductivity over the course of the dry season. Daily embolism and refilling in roots is a common occurrence and thus may be an inherent component of a hydraulic signaling mechanism enabling stomata to maintain the integrity of the hydraulic pipeline in long-lived structures such as stems.     

Ion-mediated increase in the hydraulic conductivity of Laurel stems: role of pits and consequences for the impact of cavitation on water transport

Changes in hydraulic conductivity (K(h)) were measured in stems of Laurus nobilis L. during perfusion with KCl, NaCl or sucrose solutions. Ionic solutes induced marked increase of K(h) with respect to deionized water but sucrose had no effect. The kinetics of KCl-induced K(h) increase was measured together with changes in [K(+)] of the perfused solution. K(h) increases were paralleled by increases in the [K(+)](out)/[K(+)](in) ratio. Samples of different lengths or with increasing percentage loss of conductivity (PLC) due to xylem cavitation were tested, with the aim of increasing radial flow through intervessel pits. KCl solutions enhanced the K(h) of 12-cm-long samples with a concentration-dependent effect up to 100 mm KCl. DeltaK(h) increased from 3 to 30% in 1.5- and 12-cm-long samples, respectively and remained constant for longer samples. Increasing PLC induced an exponential increase in DeltaK(h). PLC measured with KCl solutions was significantly less than that measured with deionized water, suggesting that measurements of PLC can be affected by the composition of the perfused solution. Experiments support the hypothesis that the 'ionic effect' is mediated by physico-chemical changes of pectins of the pit membranes and raise the possibility that plants might alter the ionic composition of the xylem sap to alleviate the hydraulic impact of cavitation.     

Differences in hydraulic architecture account for near-isohydric and anisohydric behaviour of two field-grown Vitis vinifera L. cultivars during drought

A comparative study on stomatal control under water deficit was conducted on grapevines of the cultivars Grenache, of Mediterranean origin, and Syrah of mesic origin, grown near Montpellier, France and Geisenheim, Germany. Syrah maintained similar maximum stomatal conductance (g_max) and maximum leaf photosynthesis (A_max) values than Grenache at lower predawn leaf water potentials, Ψ_leaf, throughout the season. The Ψ_leaf of Syrah decreased strongly during the day and was lower in stressed than in watered plants, showing anisohydric stomatal behaviour. In contrast, Grenache showed isohydric stomatal behaviour in which Ψ_leaf did not drop significantly below the minimum Ψ_leaf of watered plants. When g was plotted versus leaf specific hydraulic conductance, K_l, incorporating leaf transpiration rate and whole‐plant water potential gradients, previous differences between varieties disappeared both on a seasonal and diurnal scale. This suggested that isohydric and anisohydric behaviour could be regulated by hydraulic conductance. Pressure‐flow measurements on excised organs from plants not previously stressed revealed that Grenache had a two‐ to three‐fold larger hydraulic conductance per unit path length (K_h) and a four‐ to six‐fold larger leaf area specific conductivity (LSC) in leaf petioles than Syrah. Differences between internodes were only apparent for LSC and were much smaller. Cavitation detected as ultrasound acoustic emissions on air‐dried shoots showed higher rates for Grenache than Syrah during the early phases of the dry‐down. It is hypothesized that the differences in water‐conducting capacity of stems and especially petioles may be at the origin of the near‐isohydric and anisohydric behaviour of g.     

Limits to water transport in Juniperus osteosperma and Pinus edulis: implications for drought tolerance and regulation of transpiration

1. An air-injection method was used to study loss of water transport capacity caused by xylem cavitation in roots and branches of Pinus edulis (Colorado Pinyon) and Juniperus osteosperma (Utah Juniper). These two species characterize the Pinyon–Juniper communities of the high deserts of the western United States. Juniperus osteosperma can grow in drier sites than P. edulis and is considered the more drought tolerant.
2. Juniperus osteosperma was more resistant to xylem cavitation than P. edulis in both branches and roots. Within a species, branches were more resistant to cavitation than roots for P. edulis but no difference was seen between the two organs for J. osteosperma . There was also no difference between juveniles and adults in J. osteosperma ; this comparison was not made for P. edulis .
3. Tracheid diameter was positively correlated with xylem cavitation pressure across roots and stems of both species. This relation suggests a trade-off between xylem conductance and resistance to xylem cavitation in these species.
4. During summer drought, P. edulis maintained higher predawn xylem pressures and showed much greater stomatal restriction of transpiration, consistent with its greater vulnerability to cavitation, than J. osteosperma .
5. These results suggest that the relative drought tolerance of P. edulis and J. osteosperma results in part from difference in their vulnerability to xylem cavitation.     

Measurement of vulnerability to water stress‐induced cavitation in grapevine: a comparison of four techniques applied to a long‐vesseled species

Among woody plants, grapevines are often described as highly vulnerable to water‐stress induced cavitation with emboli forming at slight tensions. However, we found native embolism never exceeded 30% despite low xylem water potentials (Ψ_x) for stems of field grown vines. The discrepancy between native embolism measurements and those of previous reports led us to assess vulnerability curve generation using four separate methods and alterations (i.e. segment length and with/without flushing to remove embolism prior to measurement) of each. Centrifuge, dehydration and air‐injection methods, which rely on measurement of percentage loss of hydraulic conductivity (PLC) in detached stems, were compared against non‐invasive monitoring of xylem cavitation with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging. Short segment air‐injection and flushed centrifuge stems reached >90 PLC at Ψ_x of‐0.5 and ?1.5 MPa, respectively, whereas dehydration and long‐segment air‐injection measurements indicated no significant embolism at Ψ_x > ?2.0 MPa. Observations from NMR agreed with the dehydration and long segment air‐injection methods, showing the majority of vessels were still water‐filled at Ψ_x > ?1.5 MPa. Our findings show V. vinifera stems are far less vulnerable to water stress‐induced cavitation than previously reported, and dehydration and long segment air‐injection techniques are more appropriate for long‐vesseled species and organs.