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Tree Physiology Advance Access published online on May 14, 2009
Tree Physiology, doi:10.1093/treephys/tpp032
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

An ecophysiological approach of hydraulic performance for nine Mediterranean species

Katerina Iovi1, Chrysa Kolovou1 and Aris Kyparissis1,2

1 Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
2 Corresponding author (akypar{at}cc.uoi.gr)


  Abstract

The existence of an efficient but also safe hydraulic system seems to be essential for plant survival under water limiting conditions. To investigate any common pattern in this safety–efficiency trade-off, static (xylem anatomy and vulnerability to xylem cavitation) and dynamic (Kplant, soil to leaf hydraulic conductance and {Psi}leaf, leaf water potential) hydraulic properties of nine Mediterranean species belonging to four functional groups (semi-deciduous malacophyllous, sclerophylls, deciduous and herbaceous) were studied across two altitude sites. Static parameters did not show any pattern, but a strong exponential relationship between Kplant and {Psi}leaf was evident for all the studied species. Furthermore, each species is represented by a different part and/or range of the Kplant–{Psi}leaf relationship, indicative of its adaptive mechanisms and capacity for survival under water stress conditions. The use of Kplant–{Psi}leaf relationship as a tool for understanding the mechanisms of plant responses to water stress is discussed.

Keywords: embolism, soil to leaf hydraulic conductance, vulnerability curves, water potential, water stress, xylem anatomy

Received February 6, 2009; Accepted April 6, 2009


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