Xylem plasticity in Pinus pinaster and Quercus ilex growing at sites with different water availability in the Mediterranean region : relations between intra-annual density fluctuations and environmental conditions

Balzano, Angela (author), Battipaglia, Giovanna (author), Cherubini, Paolo (author), De Micco, Veronica (author)

Fluctuations in climatic conditions during the growing season are recorded in Mediterranean tree-rings and often result in intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs). Dendroecology and quantitative wood anatomy analyses were used to characterize the relations between the variability of IADF traits and climatic drivers in Pinus pinaster Aiton and Quercus ilex L. growing at sites with different water availability on the Elba island in Central Italy. Our results showed that both species present high xylem plasticity resulting in the formation of L-type IADFs (L-IADFs), consisting of earlywood-like cells in latewood. The occurrence of such IADFs was linked to rain events following periods of summer drought. The formation of L-IADFs in both species increased the hydraulic conductivity late in the growing season, due to their larger lumen area in comparison to "true latewood". The two species expressed greater similarity under arid conditions, as unfavorable climates constrained trait variation. Wood density, measured as the percentage of cell walls over total xylem area, IADF frequency, as well as conduit lumen area and vessel frequency, specifically in the hardwood species, proved to be efficient proxies to encode climate signals recorded in the xylem. The response of these anatomical traits to climatic variations was found to be species- and site-specific.

• Language: English
• Keywords: false rings, Mediterranean ecosystems, oak, pine, tree-rings, wood anatomical traits
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 19 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 11, iss. 4, art. 379
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-133429
• UDC: 630*1
• ISSN on article: 1999-4907
• DOI: 10.3390/f11040379
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3201161
• Publication date in RUL: 26.11.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Forests
• Shortened title: Forests
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1999-4907
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3872166

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.04.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: gostotne fluktuacije, sredozemski ekosistemi, hrast, branike, anatomija lesa