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Koçillari L, Cattelan S, Rasotto MB, Seno F, Maritan A, Pilastro A. Tetrapod sperm length evolution in relation to body mass is shaped by multiple trade-offs. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6160. [PMID: 39039080 PMCID: PMC11263692 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50391-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Sperm length is highly variable across species and many questions about its variation remain open. Although variation in body mass may affect sperm length evolution through its influence on multiple factors, the extent to which sperm length variation is linked to body mass remains elusive. Here, we use the Pareto multi-task evolution framework to investigate the relationship between sperm length and body mass across tetrapods. We find that tetrapods occupy a triangular Pareto front, indicating that trade-offs shape the evolution of sperm length in relation to body mass. By exploring the factors predicted to influence sperm length evolution, we find that sperm length evolution is mainly driven by sperm competition and clutch size, rather than by genome size. Moreover, the triangular Pareto front is maintained within endotherms, internal fertilizers, mammals and birds, suggesting similar evolutionary trade-offs within tetrapods. Finally, we demonstrate that the Pareto front is robust to phylogenetic dependencies and finite sampling bias. Our findings provide insights into the evolutionary mechanisms driving interspecific sperm length variation and highlight the importance of considering multiple trade-offs in optimizing reproductive traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren Koçillari
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Section INFN, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
- Institute for Neural Information Processing, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), D-20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Silvia Cattelan
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy.
- Fritz Lipmann Institute-Leibniz Institute on Aging, 07745, Jena, Germany.
| | | | - Flavio Seno
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Section INFN, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Amos Maritan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Section INFN, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Andrea Pilastro
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
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2
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Zambonini D, Savi T, Rosner S, Petit G. Consistent decrease in conifer embolism resistance from the stem apex to base resulting from axial trends in tracheid and pit traits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1414448. [PMID: 38988629 PMCID: PMC11234846 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1414448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Drought-induced embolism formation in conifers is associated with several tracheid and pit traits, which vary in parallel from stem apex to base. We tested whether this axial anatomical variability is associated with a progressive variation in embolism vulnerability along the stem from apex to base. Methods We assessed the tracheid hydraulic diameter (Dh), mean pit membrane area (PMA) and the xylem pressure at 50% loss of conductivity (P50) on longitudinal stem segments extracted at different distances from the stem apex (DFA) in a Picea abies and an Abies alba tree. Results In both trees, Dh and PMA scaled with DFA 0.2. P50 varied for more than 3 MPa from the treetop to the stem base, according to a scaling of -P50 with DFA-0.2 . The largest Dh, PMA and P50 variation occurred for DFA<1.5 m. PMA and Dh scaled more than isometrically (exponent b=1.2). Pit traits vary proportionally with tracheid lumen diameter. Discussion and conclusions Apex-to-base trends in tracheid and pit traits, along with variations in P50, suggest a strong structure-function relationship that is influenced by DFA. Although the effect of DFA on P50 has not been extensively explored previously, we propose that analyzing the relationship between P50 and DFA could be crucial for a comprehensive assessment of embolism vulnerability at the individual level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Zambonini
- Dept. Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali, Università degli Studi di Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Tadeja Savi
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Institute of Botany, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Rosner
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Institute of Botany, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giai Petit
- Dept. Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali, Università degli Studi di Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
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3
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Anfodillo T, Olson ME. Stretched sapwood, ultra-widening permeability and ditching da Vinci: revising models of plant form and function. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2024; 134:19-42. [PMID: 38634673 PMCID: PMC11161570 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcae054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanisms leading to dieback and death of trees under drought remain unclear. To gain an understanding of these mechanisms, addressing major empirical gaps regarding tree structure-function relations remains essential. SCOPE We give reasons to think that a central factor shaping plant form and function is selection simultaneously favouring constant leaf-specific conductance with height growth and isometric (1:1) scaling between leaf area and the volume of metabolically active sink tissues ('sapwood'). Sapwood volume-leaf area isometry implies that per-leaf area sapwood volumes become transversely narrower with height growth; we call this 'stretching'. Stretching means that selection must favour increases in permeability above and beyond that afforded by tip-to-base conduit widening ("ultra-widening permeability"), via fewer and wider vessels or tracheids with larger pits or larger margo openings. Leaf area-metabolically active sink tissue isometry would mean that it is unlikely that larger trees die during drought because of carbon starvation due to greater sink-source relationships as compared to shorter plants. Instead, an increase in permeability is most plausibly associated with greater risk of embolism, and this seems a more probable explanation of the preferential vulnerability of larger trees to climate change-induced drought. Other implications of selection favouring constant per-leaf area sapwood construction and maintenance costs are departure from the da Vinci rule expectation of similar sapwood areas across branching orders, and that extensive conduit furcation in the stem seems unlikely. CONCLUSIONS Because all these considerations impact the likelihood of vulnerability to hydraulic failure versus carbon starvation, both implicated as key suspects in forest mortality, we suggest that these predictions represent essential priorities for empirical testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Anfodillo
- Department Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD) 35020, Italy
| | - Mark E Olson
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito sn de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
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Li J, Ren J, Lei X, Fan W, Tang L, Zhang Q, Bao Z, Zhou W, Bai J, Zhang Y, Gong C. CsREV-CsTCP4-CsVND7 module shapes xylem patterns differentially between stem and leaf to enhance tea plant tolerance to drought. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113987. [PMID: 38517888 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cultivating drought-tolerant tea varieties enhances both yield and quality of tea plants in northern China. However, the mechanisms underlying their drought tolerance remain largely unknown. Here we identified a key regulator called CsREV, which differentially regulates xylem patterns between leaves and stems, thereby conferring drought tolerance in tea plants. When drought occurs, upregulation of CsREV activates the CsVND7a-dependent xylem vessel differentiation. However, when drought persists, the vessel differentiation is hindered as CsVND7a is downregulated by CsTCP4a. This, combined with the CsREV-promoted secondary-cell-wall thickness of xylem vessel, leads to the enhanced curling of leaves, a characteristic closely associated with plant drought tolerance. Notably, this inhibitory effect of CsTCP4a on CsVND7a expression is absent in stems, allowing stem xylem vessels to continuously differentiate. Overall, the CsREV-CsTCP4-CsVND7 module is differentially utilized to shape the xylem patterns in leaves and stems, potentially balancing water transportation and utilization to improve tea plant drought tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayang Li
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jiejie Ren
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xingyu Lei
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wenmin Fan
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Lei Tang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Qiqi Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Zhulatai Bao
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wenfei Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Juan Bai
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yuzhou Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Chunmei Gong
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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5
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Ocheltree TW, Gleason SM. Grass veins are leaky pipes: vessel widening in grass leaves explain variation in stomatal conductance and vessel diameter among species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:243-252. [PMID: 37964665 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
The widening of xylem vessels from tip to base of trees is an adaptation to minimize the hydraulic resistance of a long pathway. Given that parallel veins of monocot leaves do not branch hierarchically, vessels should also widen basipetally but, in addition to minimizing resistance, should also account for water volume lost to transpiration since they supply water to the lamina along their lengths, that is 'leakiness'. We measured photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and vessel diameter at five locations along each leaf of five perennial grass species. We found that the rate of conduit widening in grass leaves was larger than the widening exponent required to minimize pathlength resistance (0.35 vs c. 0.22). Furthermore, variation in the widening exponent among species was positively correlated with maximal stomatal conductance (r2 = 0.20) and net CO2 assimilation (r2 = 0.45). These results suggest that faster rates of conduit widening (> 0.22) were associated with higher rates of water loss. Taken together, our results show that the widening exponent is linked to plant function in grass leaves and that natural selection has favored parallel vein networks that are constructed to meet transpiration requirements while minimizing hydraulic resistance within grass blades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy W Ocheltree
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Sean M Gleason
- Water Management and Systems Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
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Lonardi A, De Bacco C. Bilevel Optimization for Traffic Mitigation in Optimal Transport Networks. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:267401. [PMID: 38215368 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.267401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Global infrastructure robustness and local transport efficiency are critical requirements for transportation networks. However, since passengers often travel greedily to maximize their own benefit and trigger traffic jams, overall transportation performance can be heavily disrupted. We develop adaptation rules that leverage optimal transport theory to effectively route passengers along their shortest paths while also strategically tuning edge weights to optimize traffic. As a result, we enforce both global and local optimality of transport. We prove the efficacy of our approach on synthetic networks and on real data. Our findings on the international European highways suggest that thoughtfully devised routing schemes might help to lower car-produced carbon emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Lonardi
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Cyber Valley, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Caterina De Bacco
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Cyber Valley, Tübingen 72076, Germany
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Petrone-Mendoza E, Vergara-Silva F, Olson ME. Plant morpho evo-devo. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:1257-1276. [PMID: 37423784 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Evo-devo is often thought of as being the study of which genes underlie which phenotypes. However, evo-devo is much more than this, especially in plant science. In leaf scars along stems, cell changes across wood growth rings, or flowers along inflorescences, plants trace a record of their own development. Plant morpho evo-devo provides data that genes could never furnish on themes such as heterochrony, the evolution of temporal phenotypes, modularity, and phenotype-first evolution. As plant science surges into increasingly -omic realms, it is essential to keep plant morpho evo-devo in full view as an honored member of the evo-devo canon, ensuring that plant scientists can, wherever they are, generate fundamental insights at the appropriate level of biological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio Petrone-Mendoza
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México 04510, México; Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio D, 1° Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, CDMX, México
| | - Francisco Vergara-Silva
- Laboratorio de Teoría Evolutiva e Historia de la Ciencia, Jardín Botánico, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mark E Olson
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México 04510, México.
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8
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Blackman CJ, Billon LM, Cartailler J, Torres-Ruiz JM, Cochard H. Key hydraulic traits control the dynamics of plant dehydration in four contrasting tree species during drought. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 43:1772-1783. [PMID: 37318310 PMCID: PMC10652334 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpad075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Trees are at risk of mortality during extreme drought, yet our understanding of the traits that govern the timing of drought-induced hydraulic failure remains limited. To address this, we tested SurEau, a trait-based soil-plant-atmosphere model designed to predict the dynamics of plant dehydration as represented by the changes in water potential against those observed in potted trees of four contrasting species (Pinus halepensis Mill., Populus nigra L., Quercus ilex L. and Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carriére) exposed to drought. SurEau was parameterized with a range of plant hydraulic and allometric traits, soil and climatic variables. We found a close correspondence between the predicted and observed plant water potential (in MPa) dynamics during the early phase drought, leading to stomatal closure, as well as during the latter phase of drought, leading to hydraulic failure in all four species. A global model's sensitivity analysis revealed that, for a common plant size (leaf area) and soil volume, dehydration time from full hydration to stomatal closure (Tclose) was most strongly controlled by the leaf osmotic potential (Pi0) and its influence on stomatal closure, in all four species, while the maximum stomatal conductance (gsmax) also contributed to Tclose in Q. ilex and C. atlantica. Dehydration times from stomatal closure to hydraulic failure (Tcav) was most strongly controlled by Pi0, the branch residual conductance (gres) and Q10a sensitivity of gres in the three evergreen species, while xylem embolism resistance (P50) was most influential in the deciduous species P. nigra. Our findings point to SurEau as a highly useful model for predicting changes in plant water status during drought and suggest that adjustments made in key hydraulic traits are potentially beneficial to delaying the onset of drought-induced hydraulic failure in trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris J Blackman
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, Australia
- Université Clermont-Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand 63100, France
| | - Lise-Marie Billon
- Université Clermont-Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand 63100, France
| | - Julien Cartailler
- Université Clermont-Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand 63100, France
| | - José M Torres-Ruiz
- Université Clermont-Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand 63100, France
| | - Hervé Cochard
- Université Clermont-Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand 63100, France
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9
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Sopp SBD, Valbuena R. Vascular optimality dictates plant morphology away from Leonardo's rule. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2215047120. [PMID: 37722036 PMCID: PMC10523467 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215047120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic scaling theory (MST) provides an understanding of scaling in organismal morphology. Empirical data on the apparently universal pattern of tip-to-base conduit widening across vascular plants motivate a set of generalized MST (gMST) relationships allowing for variable rates of conduit coalescence and taper and a transition between transport and diffusive domains. Our model, with coalescence limited to the distalmost part of the conductive system, reconciles previous MST-based models and extends their applicability to the entire plant. We derive an inverse relationship between stem volume taper and conduit widening, which implies that plant morphology is dictated by vascular optimality and not the assumption of constant sapwood area across all branching levels, contradicting Leonardo's rule. Thus, energy efficiency controls conduit coalescence rate, lowering the carbon cost needed to sustain the vascular network. Our model shows that as a plant grows taller, it must increase conduit widening and coalescence, which may make it more vulnerable to drought. We calculated how our gMST model implies a lower carbon cost to sustain a similar network compared to previous MST-based models. We also show that gMST predicts the cross-sectional area of vessels and their frequency along the relative length better than previous MST models for a range of plant types. We encourage further research obtaining data that would allow testing other gMST predictions that remain unconfirmed empirically, such as conduit coalescence rate in stems. The premise of energy efficiency can potentially become instrumental to our understanding of plant carbon allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. B. D. Sopp
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, BangorLL57 2UW, United Kingdom
| | - R. Valbuena
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, BangorLL57 2UW, United Kingdom
- Division of Remote Sensing of Forests, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, UmeåSE-901 83, Sweden
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10
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Petit G, Mencuccini M, Carrer M, Prendin AL, Hölttä T. Axial conduit widening, tree height, and height growth rate set the hydraulic transition of sapwood into heartwood. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:5072-5087. [PMID: 37352139 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
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) reduced 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 ring apex (DCA) in all rings of a Picea abies and a Fagus sylvatica tree. Net of DCA effect, Dh did not increase with H. Using sapwood traits from a global dataset, NSWr increased with H, 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. Our results suggest that the sapwood/heartwood transition depends on both H and ΔH, and is set when the carbon allocation to maintenance respiration of living cells in inner sapwood rings produces a lower gain in total conductance than investing the same carbon in new vascular conduits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giai Petit
- Università degli Studi di Padova, Dept. TeSAF, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Maurizio Mencuccini
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), E08193, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - Marco Carrer
- Università degli Studi di Padova, Dept. TeSAF, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Angela Luisa Prendin
- Università degli Studi di Padova, Dept. TeSAF, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
- Department of Biology, Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114-116, building 1540, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark University of Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Teemu Hölttä
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/ Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Latokartanonkaari 7, FI 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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11
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Franklin O, Fransson P, Hofhansl F, Jansen S, Joshi J. Optimal balancing of xylem efficiency and safety explains plant vulnerability to drought. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1485-1496. [PMID: 37330625 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
In vast areas of the world, forests and vegetation are water limited and plant survival depends on the ability to avoid catastrophic hydraulic failure. Therefore, it is remarkable that plants take hydraulic risks by operating at water potentials (ψ) that induce partial failure of the water conduits (xylem). Here we present an eco-evolutionary optimality principle for xylem conduit design that explains this phenomenon based on the hypothesis that conductive efficiency and safety are optimally co-adapted to the environment. The model explains the relationship between the tolerance to negative water potential (ψ50 ) and the environmentally dependent minimum ψ (ψmin ) across a large number of species, and along the xylem pathway within individuals of two species studied. The wider hydraulic safety margin in gymnosperms compared to angiosperms can be explained as an adaptation to a higher susceptibility to accumulation of embolism. The model provides a novel optimality-based perspective on the relationship between xylem safety and efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Franklin
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Peter Fransson
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florian Hofhansl
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | | | - Jaideep Joshi
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Complexity Science and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
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12
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Fernández-de-Uña L, Martínez-Vilalta J, Poyatos R, Mencuccini M, McDowell NG. The role of height-driven constraints and compensations on tree vulnerability to drought. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 239:2083-2098. [PMID: 37485545 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Frequent observations of higher mortality in larger trees than in smaller ones during droughts have sparked an increasing interest in size-dependent drought-induced mortality. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms are not well understood, with height-associated hydraulic constraints often being implied as the potential mechanism driving increased drought vulnerability. We performed a quantitative synthesis on how key traits that drive plant water and carbon economy change with tree height within species and assessed the implications that the different constraints and compensations may have on the interacting mechanisms (hydraulic failure, carbon starvation and/or biotic-agent attacks) affecting tree vulnerability to drought. While xylem tension increases with tree height, taller trees present a range of structural and functional adjustments, including more efficient water use and transport and greater water uptake and storage capacity, that mitigate the path-length-associated drop in water potential. These adaptations allow taller trees to withstand episodic water stress. Conclusive evidence for height-dependent increased vulnerability to hydraulic failure and carbon starvation, and their coupling to defence mechanisms and pest and pathogen dynamics, is still lacking. Further research is needed, particularly at the intraspecific level, to ascertain the specific conditions and thresholds above which height hinders tree survival under drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Fernández-de-Uña
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99354, USA
| | - Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Rafael Poyatos
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Maurizio Mencuccini
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - Nate G McDowell
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99354, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
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Schönauer M, Hietz P, Schuldt B, Rewald B. Root and branch hydraulic functioning and trait coordination across organs in drought-deciduous and evergreen tree species of a subtropical highland forest. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1127292. [PMID: 37377798 PMCID: PMC10291250 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1127292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Vessel traits are key in understanding trees' hydraulic efficiency, and related characteristics like growth performance and drought tolerance. While most plant hydraulic studies have focused on aboveground organs, our understanding of root hydraulic functioning and trait coordination across organs remains limited. Furthermore, studies from seasonally dry (sub-)tropical ecosystems and mountain forests are virtually lacking and uncertainties remain regarding potentially different hydraulic strategies of plants differing in leaf habit. Here, we compared wood anatomical traits and specific hydraulic conductivities between coarse roots and small branches of five drought-deciduous and eight evergreen angiosperm tree species in a seasonally dry subtropical Afromontane forest in Ethiopia. We hypothesized that largest vessels and highest hydraulic conductivities are found in roots, with greater vessel tapering between roots and equally-sized branches in evergreen angiosperms due to their drought-tolerating strategy. We further hypothesized that the hydraulic efficiencies of root and branches cannot be predicted from wood density, but that wood densities across organs are generally related. Root-to-branch ratios of conduit diameters varied between 0.8 and 2.8, indicating considerable differences in tapering from coarse roots to small branches. While deciduous trees showed larger branch xylem vessels compared to evergreen angiosperms, root-to-branch ratios were highly variable within both leaf habit types, and evergreen species did not show a more pronounced degree of tapering. Empirically determined hydraulic conductivity and corresponding root-to-branch ratios were similar between both leaf habit types. Wood density of angiosperm roots was negatively related to hydraulic efficiency and vessel dimensions; weaker relationships were found in branches. Wood density of small branches was neither related to stem nor coarse root wood densities. We conclude that in seasonally dry subtropical forests, similar-sized coarse roots hold larger xylem vessels than small branches, but the degree of tapering from roots to branches is highly variable. Our results indicate that leaf habit does not necessarily influence the relationship between coarse root and branch hydraulic traits. However, larger conduits in branches and a low carbon investment in less dense wood may be a prerequisite for high growth rates of drought-deciduous trees during their shortened growing season. The correlation of stem and root wood densities with root hydraulic traits but not branch wood points toward large trade-offs in branch xylem towards mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian Schönauer
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Institute of Forest Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Forest Work Science and Engineering, Department of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter Hietz
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, Institute of Botany, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Schuldt
- Chair of Forest Botany, Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technical University of Dresden, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Boris Rewald
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Institute of Forest Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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14
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Lens F, Gleason SM, Bortolami G, Brodersen C, Delzon S, Jansen S. Functional xylem characteristics associated with drought-induced embolism in angiosperms. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:2019-2036. [PMID: 36039697 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hydraulic failure resulting from drought-induced embolism in the xylem of plants is a key determinant of reduced productivity and mortality. Methods to assess this vulnerability are difficult to achieve at scale, leading to alternative metrics and correlations with more easily measured traits. These efforts have led to the longstanding and pervasive assumed mechanistic link between vessel diameter and vulnerability in angiosperms. However, there are at least two problems with this assumption that requires critical re-evaluation: (1) our current understanding of drought-induced embolism does not provide a mechanistic explanation why increased vessel width should lead to greater vulnerability, and (2) the most recent advancements in nanoscale embolism processes suggest that vessel diameter is not a direct driver. Here, we review data from physiological and comparative wood anatomy studies, highlighting the potential anatomical and physicochemical drivers of embolism formation and spread. We then put forward key knowledge gaps, emphasising what is known, unknown and speculation. A meaningful evaluation of the diameter-vulnerability link will require a better mechanistic understanding of the biophysical processes at the nanoscale level that determine embolism formation and spread, which will in turn lead to more accurate predictions of how water transport in plants is affected by drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Lens
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden University, Institute of Biology Leiden, Plant Sciences, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sean M Gleason
- Water Management and Systems Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Giovanni Bortolami
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Craig Brodersen
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Sylvain Delzon
- University of Bordeaux, INRAE, BIOGECO, 33615, Pessac, France
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081, Ulm, Germany
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15
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Gleason SM, Barnard DM, Green TR, Mackay S, Wang DR, Ainsworth EA, Altenhofen J, Brodribb TJ, Cochard H, Comas LH, Cooper M, Creek D, DeJonge KC, Delzon S, Fritschi FB, Hammer G, Hunter C, Lombardozzi D, Messina CD, Ocheltree T, Stevens BM, Stewart JJ, Vadez V, Wenz J, Wright IJ, Yemoto K, Zhang H. Physiological trait networks enhance understanding of crop growth and water use in contrasting environments. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:2554-2572. [PMID: 35735161 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant function arises from a complex network of structural and physiological traits. Explicit representation of these traits, as well as their connections with other biophysical processes, is required to advance our understanding of plant-soil-climate interactions. We used the Terrestrial Regional Ecosystem Exchange Simulator (TREES) to evaluate physiological trait networks in maize. Net primary productivity (NPP) and grain yield were simulated across five contrasting climate scenarios. Simulations achieving high NPP and grain yield in high precipitation environments featured trait networks conferring high water use strategies: deep roots, high stomatal conductance at low water potential ("risky" stomatal regulation), high xylem hydraulic conductivity and high maximal leaf area index. In contrast, high NPP and grain yield was achieved in dry environments with low late-season precipitation via water conserving trait networks: deep roots, high embolism resistance and low stomatal conductance at low leaf water potential ("conservative" stomatal regulation). We suggest that our approach, which allows for the simultaneous evaluation of physiological traits, soil characteristics and their interactions (i.e., networks), has potential to improve our understanding of crop performance in different environments. In contrast, evaluating single traits in isolation of other coordinated traits does not appear to be an effective strategy for predicting plant performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Gleason
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Dave M Barnard
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Timothy R Green
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Scott Mackay
- Department of Geography & Department of Environment and Sustainability, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Diane R Wang
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Ainsworth
- United States Department of Agriculture, Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Jon Altenhofen
- Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Berthoud, Colorado, USA
| | - Timothy J Brodribb
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, The University of Tasmania Node, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Hervé Cochard
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Louise H Comas
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Mark Cooper
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, The University of Queensland Node, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Danielle Creek
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Kendall C DeJonge
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Sylvain Delzon
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, BIOGECO, Pessac, cedex, France
| | - Felix B Fritschi
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Graeme Hammer
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, The University of Queensland Node, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Cameron Hunter
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Danica Lombardozzi
- National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Climate & Global Dynamics Lab, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Carlos D Messina
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Troy Ocheltree
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Bo Maxwell Stevens
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jared J Stewart
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Joshua Wenz
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Ian J Wright
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, Western Sydney University Node, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kevin Yemoto
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Huihui Zhang
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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16
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A Pareto–Pontryagin Maximum Principle for Optimal Control. Symmetry (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/sym14061169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In this paper, an attempt to unify two important lines of thought in applied optimization is proposed. We wish to integrate the well-known (dynamic) theory of Pontryagin optimal control with the Pareto optimization (of the static type), involving the maximization/minimization of a non-trivial number of functions or functionals, Pontryagin optimal control offers the definitive theoretical device for the dynamic realization of the objectives to be optimized. The Pareto theory is undoubtedly less known in mathematical literature, even if it was studied in topological and variational details (Morse theory) by Stephen Smale. This reunification, obviously partial, presents new conceptual problems; therefore, a basic review is necessary and desirable. After this review, we define and unify the two theories. Finally, we propose a Pontryagin extension of a recent multiobjective optimization application to the evolution of trees and the related anatomy of the xylems . This work is intended as the first contribution to a series to be developed by the authors on this subject.
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Echeverría A, Petrone‐Mendoza E, Segovia‐Rivas A, Figueroa‐Abundiz VA, Olson ME. The vessel wall thickness-vessel diameter relationship across woody angiosperms. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:856-873. [PMID: 35435252 PMCID: PMC9328290 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Comparative anatomy is necessary to identify the extremes of combinations of functionally relevant structural traits, to ensure that physiological data cover xylem anatomical diversity adequately, and thus achieve a global understanding of xylem structure-function relations. A key trait relationship is that between xylem vessel diameter and wall thickness of both the single vessel and the double vessel+adjacent imperforate tracheary element (ITE). METHODS We compiled a comparative data set with 1093 samples, 858 species, 350 genera, 86 families, and 33 orders. We used broken linear regression and an algorithm to explore changes in parameter values from linear regressions using subsets of the data set to identify a threshold, at 90-µm vessel diameter, in the wall thickness-diameter relationship. RESULTS Below 90 µm diameter for vessels, virtually any wall thickness could be associated with virtually any diameter. Below this threshold, selection is free to favor a very wide array of combinations, such as very thick walls and narrow vessels in ITE-free herbs, or very thin-walled, wide vessels in evergreen dryland pioneers. Above 90 µm, there was a moderate positive relationship. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis shows that the space of vessel wall thickness-diameter combinations is very wide, with selection apparently eliminating individuals with vessel walls "too thin" for their diameter. Most importantly, our survey revealed poorly studied plant hydraulic syndromes (functionally significant trait combinations). These data suggest that the full span of trait combinations, and thus the minimal set of hydraulic syndromes requiring study to span woody plant functional diversity adequately, remains to be documented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Echeverría
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, 04510México
| | - Emilio Petrone‐Mendoza
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, 04510México
| | - Alí Segovia‐Rivas
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, 04510México
| | - Víctor A. Figueroa‐Abundiz
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, 04510México
| | - Mark E. Olson
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, 04510México
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18
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Lonardi A, Putti M, De Bacco C. Multicommodity routing optimization for engineering networks. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7474. [PMID: 35523923 PMCID: PMC9076927 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11348-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimizing passengers routes is crucial to design efficient transportation networks. Recent results show that optimal transport provides an efficient alternative to standard optimization methods. However, it is not yet clear if this formalism has empirical validity on engineering networks. We address this issue by considering different response functions—quantities determining the interaction between passengers—in the dynamics implementing the optimal transport formulation. Particularly, we couple passengers’ fluxes by taking their sum or the sum of their squares. The first choice naturally reflects edges occupancy in transportation networks, however the second guarantees convergence to an optimal configuration of flows. Both modeling choices are applied to the Paris metro. We measure the extent of traffic bottlenecks and infrastructure resilience to node removal, showing that the two settings are equivalent in the congested transport regime, but different in the branched one. In the latter, the two formulations differ on how fluxes are distributed, with one function favoring routes consolidation, thus potentially being prone to generate traffic overload. Additionally, we compare our method to Dijkstra’s algorithm to show its capacity to efficiently recover shortest-path-like graphs. Finally, we observe that optimal transport networks lie in the Pareto front drawn by the energy dissipated by passengers, and the cost to build the infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Lonardi
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Cyber Valley, Tübingen, 72076, Germany.
| | - Mario Putti
- Department of Mathematics "Tullio Levi-Civita", University of Padua, Via Trieste 63, Padua, Italy
| | - Caterina De Bacco
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Cyber Valley, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
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19
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Grigoriev SV, Shnyrkov OD, Pustovoit PM, Iashina EG, Pshenichnyi KA. Experimental evidence for logarithmic fractal structure of botanical trees. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:044412. [PMID: 35590611 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.044412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The area-preserving rule for botanical trees by Leonardo da Vinci is discussed in terms of a very specific fractal structure, a logarithmic fractal. We use a method of the numerical Fourier analysis to distinguish the logarithmic fractal properties of the two-dimensional objects and apply it to study the branching system of real trees through its projection on the two-dimensional space, i.e., using their photographs. For different species of trees (birch and oak) we observe the Q^{-2} decay of the spectral intensity characterizing the branching structure that is associated with the logarithmic fractal structure in two-dimensional space. The experiments dealing with the side view of the tree should complement the area preserving Leonardo's rule with one applying to the product of diameter d and length l of the k branches: d_{i}l_{i}=kd_{i+1}l_{i+1}. If both rules are valid, then the branch's length of the next generation is sqrt[k] times shorter than previous one: l_{i}=sqrt[k]l_{i+1}. Moreover, the volume (mass) of all branches of the next generation is a factor of d_{i}/d_{i+1} smaller than previous one. We conclude that a tree as a three-dimensional object is not a logarithmic fractal, although its projection onto a two-dimensional plane is. Consequently, the life of a tree flows according to the laws of conservation of area in two-dimensional space, as if the tree were a two-dimensional object.
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Affiliation(s)
- S V Grigoriev
- Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, NRC "Kurchatov Institute," Orlova Roscha, Gatchina 188300, Russia
- Saint Petersburg State University, Ulyanovskaya 1, Saint Petersburg 198504, Russia
| | - O D Shnyrkov
- Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, NRC "Kurchatov Institute," Orlova Roscha, Gatchina 188300, Russia
| | - P M Pustovoit
- Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, NRC "Kurchatov Institute," Orlova Roscha, Gatchina 188300, Russia
| | - E G Iashina
- Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, NRC "Kurchatov Institute," Orlova Roscha, Gatchina 188300, Russia
- Saint Petersburg State University, Ulyanovskaya 1, Saint Petersburg 198504, Russia
| | - K A Pshenichnyi
- Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, NRC "Kurchatov Institute," Orlova Roscha, Gatchina 188300, Russia
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20
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Cabon A, Anderegg WRL. Turgor-driven tree growth: scaling-up sink limitations from the cell to the forest. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 42:225-228. [PMID: 34788863 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpab146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Cabon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84113, USA
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21
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Bok ECPM, Brodribb TJ, Jordan GJ, Carriquí M. Convergent tip-to-base widening of water-conducting conduits in the tallest bryophytes. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:322-332. [PMID: 34713894 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Tip-to-base conduit widening is considered a key mechanism that enables vascular plants to grow tall by decreasing the hydraulic resistance imposed by increasing height. Widening of hydraulic anatomy (larger conducting elements toward the base of the vascular system) minimizes gradients in leaf-specific hydraulic conductance with plant height, allowing uniform photosynthesis across the crown of trees. Tip-to-base conduit widening has also been associated with changes in conduit number. However, in bryophytes, despite having representatives with internal water-conducting tissue, conduit widening has been scarcely investigated. METHODS Here, we examined the changes in hydroid diameter and number with distance from plant tip in Dawsonia superba and D. polytrichoides, two representatives of the genus containing the tallest extant bryophytes. RESULTS The position of these moss species on the global scale of conduit size and plant size was consistent with a general scaling among plants with internal water transport. Within plants, patterns of conduit widening and number with distance from plant tip in endohydric mosses were similar to those observed in vascular plants. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that land plants growing upward in the atmosphere show analogous conduit widening of hydraulic structures, suggesting that efficient internal water transport is a convergent adaptation for photosynthesis on land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin C P M Bok
- Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Timothy J Brodribb
- Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Gregory J Jordan
- Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Marc Carriquí
- Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Illes Balears, Spain
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22
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Kašpar J, Šamonil P, Krůček M, Vašíčková I, Daněk P. Hillslope Processes Affect Vessel Lumen Area and Tree Dimensions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:778802. [PMID: 34925420 PMCID: PMC8678277 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.778802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The height growth of the trees depends on sufficient mechanical support given by the stem and an effective hydraulic system. On unstable slopes, tree growth is affected by soil pressure from above and potential soil erosion from below the position of tree. The necessary stabilization is then provided by the production of mechanically stronger wood of reduced hydraulic conductivity. Unfortunately, the interaction between tree growth (both radial and axial) and stabilization in the soil is still insufficiently understood. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to quantify the impact of hillslope dynamics on the degree of tree growth and hydraulic limitation, and the potential effect on tree height growth and growth plasticity. To evaluate this effect, we took four cores from 80 individuals of Quercus robur and Fraxinus excelsior and measured tree-ring widths (TRWs) and vessel lumen areas (VLAs). The tree heights were evaluated using a terrestrial laser scanner, and local soil depth was measured by a soil auger. Our data showed a significant limitation of the tree hydraulic system related with the formation of eccentric tree-rings. The stem eccentricity decreased with increasing stem diameter, but at the same time, the negative effect of stem eccentricity on conduit size increased with the increasing stem diameter. Even though this anatomical adaptation associated with the effect of stem eccentricity differed between the tree species (mainly in the different degree of limitations in conduit size), the trees showed an increase in the proportion of hydraulically inactive wood elements and a lowered effectiveness of their hydraulic system. In addition, we observed a larger negative effect of stem eccentricity on VLA in Quercus. We conclude that the stabilization of a tree in unstable soil is accompanied by an inability to create sufficiently effective hydraulic system, resulting in severe height-growth limitation. This affects the accumulation of aboveground biomass and carbon sequestration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Kašpar
- Department of Forest Ecology, The Silva Tarouca Research Institute, Brno, Czechia
| | - Pavel Šamonil
- Department of Forest Ecology, The Silva Tarouca Research Institute, Brno, Czechia
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Martin Krůček
- Department of Forest Ecology, The Silva Tarouca Research Institute, Brno, Czechia
| | - Ivana Vašíčková
- Department of Forest Ecology, The Silva Tarouca Research Institute, Brno, Czechia
| | - Pavel Daněk
- Department of Forest Ecology, The Silva Tarouca Research Institute, Brno, Czechia
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
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