RT Journal Article
T1 Do ring-porous oaks prioritize earlywood vessel efficiency over safety? Environmental effects on vessel diameter and tyloses formation
A1 Rozas Ortiz, Vicente
A1 Vázquez Ruiz de Ocenda, Rosa Ana
A1 Pérez de Lis Castro, Gonzalo
A1 García González, Ignacio
K1 Climate seasonality
K1 Hydraulic diameter
K1 Latewood width
K1 Tree rings
K1 Water availability
AB The impact of climate on xylem structure and function has been profusely studied for a variety of species in the last decades, but the ecological role of ring porosity under increasing levels of environmental stress has been scarcely assessed. In this study, we analyse the timing of earlywood vessels occlusions by tyloses in two ringporous species with contrasting ecological strategies (Quercus robur and Q. pyrenaica) along a seasonal drought gradient, and relate it to variations in earlywood vessel diameter and radial growth obtained from tree-ring series. The number of trees showing tyloses increased in summer as a result of more frequent cavitation events under drier conditions, and was more reduced for the more drought-tolerant Q. pyrenaica, which had a higher hydraulic diameter (Dh) but lower latewood increments. Dh values decreased towards the wettest sites, and were negatively related to warm and rainy conditions in winter. Our results showed that large earlywood vessel diameters are not necessarily accompanied by high rates of tyloses formation or limited growth in summer. We hypothesize that trees in seasonal environments can take advantage from large earlywood vessels, because benefits from a more efficient hydraulic system during favourable periods are higher than the risk of xylem impairment in summer.
PB Elsevier
SN 0168-1923
YR 2018
FD 2018
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/32502
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/32502
LA eng
NO Pérez-de-Lis, G., Rozas, V., Vázquez-Ruiz, R. A., & García-González, I. (2018). Do ring-porous oaks prioritize earlywood vessel efficiency over safety? Environmental effects on vessel diameter and tyloses formation. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 248, 205-214. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AGRFORMET.2017.09.022
NO Este estudio ha contado con el apoyo del Ministerio español de Economía y Competitividad (Proyecto de Investigación BFU-21451), y de la Xunta de Galicia (Proyecto de Investigación 10MDS291009PR). G. Pérez-de-Lis se benefició de una beca PhD. FPU (nºAP2010-4911) financiada por el Ministerio de Educación.
DS Minerva
RD 29 abr 2026