P. Copini

MRI links stem water content to stem diameter variations in transpiring trees

In trees, stem diameter variations are related to changes in stem water content, because internally stored water is depleted and replenished over a day. To confirm this relationship, non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was combined with point dendrometer measurements in three actively transpiring oak (Quercus robur L.) trees. Two of these oak trees were girdled to study the stem increment above the girdling zone. MRI images and micrographs of stem cross-sections revealed a close link between the water distribution and the anatomical features of the stem. Stem tissues with the highest amount of water were physiologically the most active ones, being the youngest differentiating xylem cells, the cambium and the youngest differentiating and conductive phloem cells. Daily changes in stem diameter corresponded well with the simultaneously MRI-measured amount of water, confirming their strong interdependence. MRI images also revealed that the amount of water in the elastic bark tissues, excluding cambium and the youngest phloem, contributed most to the daily stem diameter changes. After bark removal, an additional increase in stem diameter was measured above the girdle. This increase was attributed not only to the cambial production of new cells, but also to swelling of existing bark cells. In conclusion, the comparison of MRI and dendrometer measurements confirmed previous interpretations and applications of dendrometers and illustrates the additional and complementary information MRI can reveal regarding water relations in plants.

Dendrogeomorphology - a new tool to study drift-sand dynamics

dendrogeomorphological approach is presented, using wood characteristics of native oak (Quercus robur L.) to infer dynamics of aeolian sediment transport in drift-sand areas. Wood samples, taken from oaks in two drift-sand areas, were analysed to study changes in tree-ring pattern and wood anatomy as a consequence of burying or exposure from drift sand. In all cases, the wood of the sampled oaks showed sudden changes in anatomy and tree-ring width due to burial by drift sand or subsequent exposure after erosion of the new soil surface. After aerial stems became covered by drift sand, the wood lost its characteristic ring-porous features, and tree rings became strongly reduced in width with less distinct ring boundaries. Buried stems that became exposed after erosion showed an abrupt increase in ring width and turned distinctly ring porous again. Roots that were exposed also adopted clear ring-porous features, increased in ring width and anatomically resembled aerial stem wood. Using tree-ring analysis, it is possible to precisely date sand deposition and erosion events by detecting the concurrent changes in anatomy of woody structures. This study indicates the high potential of dendrogeomorphology as a tool to study drift-sand dynamics with a high temporal, i.e. annual, resolution for a period going back as long as the maximum age of the trees present (in this study at least 250 years). Since the signals of past deposition and erosion events are conserved in the wood, this is the only method that can be used to reconstruct drift-sand dynamics when the actual landforms are no longer present.

Resin secretory structures of Boswellia papyrifera and implications for frankincense yield

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Frankincense, a gum-resin, has been tapped from Boswellia papyrifera trees for centuries. Despite the intensive tapping and economic interest of B. papyrifera, information on the resin secretory structures, which are responsible for synthesis, storage and transport of frankincense, is virtually absent. This study describes the type, architecture and distribution of resin secretory structures of B. papyrifera and its relevance for the ecophysiology and economic use of the tree. METHODS The type and architecture of resin secretory structures present in bark and wood was investigated from transversal, tangential and radial sections of bark and wood samples. The diameter and density (number of resin canals mm(-2)) of axial resin canals were determined from digital images of thin sections across the different zones of inner bark. KEY RESULTS Resin canals form a three-dimensional network within the inner bark. Yet, the intact resin-conducting and producing network is on average limited to the inner 6·6 mm of the inner bark. Within the inner bark, the density of non-lignified axial resin canals decreases and the density of lignified resin canals increases from the vascular cambium towards the outer bark. In the wood, only radial resin canals were encountered. CONCLUSIONS Frankincense tapping techniques can be improved based on knowledge of bark anatomy and distribution and architecture of resin secretory structures. The suggested new techniques will contribute to a more sustainable frankincense production that enhances the contribution of frankincense to rural livelihoods and the national economy.

Osmolality and Non-Structural Carbohydrate Composition in the Secondary Phloem of Trees across a Latitudinal Gradient in Europe.

Phloem osmolality and its components are involved in basic cell metabolism, cell growth, and in various physiological processes including the ability of living cells to withstand drought and frost. Osmolality and sugar composition responses to environmental stresses have been extensively studied for leaves, but less for the secondary phloem of plant stems and branches. Leaf osmotic concentration and the share of pinitol and raffinose among soluble sugars increase with increasing drought or cold stress, and osmotic concentration is adjusted with osmoregulation. We hypothesize that similar responses occur in the secondary phloem of branches. We collected living bark samples from branches of adult Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Betula pendula and Populus tremula trees across Europe, from boreal Northern Finland to Mediterranean Portugal. In all studied species, the observed variation in phloem osmolality was mainly driven by variation in phloem water content, while tissue solute content was rather constant across regions. Osmoregulation, in which osmolality is controlled by variable tissue solute content, was stronger for Betula and Populus in comparison to the evergreen conifers. Osmolality was lowest in mid-latitude region, and from there increased by 37% toward northern Europe and 38% toward southern Europe due to low phloem water content in these regions. The ratio of raffinose to all soluble sugars was negligible at mid-latitudes and increased toward north and south, reflecting its role in cold and drought tolerance. For pinitol, another sugar known for contributing to stress tolerance, no such latitudinal pattern was observed. The proportion of sucrose was remarkably low and that of hexoses (i.e., glucose and fructose) high at mid-latitudes. The ratio of starch to all non-structural carbohydrates increased toward the northern latitudes in agreement with the build-up of osmotically inactive C reservoir that can be converted into soluble sugars during winter acclimation in these cold regions. Present results for the secondary phloem of trees suggest that adjustment with tissue water content plays an important role in osmolality dynamics. Furthermore, trees acclimated to dry and cold climate showed high phloem osmolality and raffinose proportion.

Flood-Ring Formation and Root Development in Response to Experimental Flooding of Young Quercus robur Trees

Spring flooding in riparian forests can cause significant reductions in earlywood-vessel size in submerged stem parts of ring-porous tree species, leading to the presence of ‘flood rings’ that can be used as a proxy to reconstruct past flooding events, potentially over millennia. The mechanism of flood-ring formation and the relation with timing and duration of flooding are still to be elucidated. In this study, we experimentally flooded 4-year-old Quercus robur trees at three spring phenophases (late bud dormancy, budswell, and internode expansion) and over different flooding durations (2, 4, and 6 weeks) to a stem height of 50 cm. The effect of flooding on root and vessel development was assessed immediately after the flooding treatment and at the end of the growing season. Ring width and earlywood-vessel size and density were measured at 25- and 75-cm stem height and collapsed vessels were recorded. Stem flooding inhibited earlywood-vessel development in flooded stem parts. In addition, flooding upon budswell and internode expansion led to collapsed earlywood vessels below the water level. At the end of the growing season, mean earlywood-vessel size in the flooded stem parts (upon budswell and internode expansion) was always reduced by approximately 50% compared to non-flooded stem parts and 55% compared to control trees. This reduction was already present 2 weeks after flooding and occurred independent of flooding duration. Stem and root flooding were associated with significant root dieback after 4 and 6 weeks and mean radial growth was always reduced with increasing flooding duration. By comparing stem and root flooding, we conclude that flood rings only occur after stem flooding. As earlywood-vessel development was hampered during flooding, a considerable number of narrow earlywood vessels present later in the season, must have been formed after the actual flooding events. Our study indicates that root dieback, together with strongly reduced hydraulic conductivity due to anomalously narrow earlywood vessels in flooded stem parts, contribute to reduced radial growth after flooding events. Our findings support the value of flood rings to reconstruct spring flooding events that occurred prior to instrumental flood records.

Early wound reactions of Japanese maple during winter dormancy: the effect of two contrasting temperature regimes

During winter dormancy, temperate trees are capable of only a restricted response to wounding. In an experiment, we investigated the effect of wounding on Acer palmatum trees during winter-bud dormancy and found that in the cold (4 °C) temperature treatment, wound reactions were virtually absent. In the warm (15 °C) treatment, however, trees reacted actively to wounding within a three-week period by e.g. forming callus and local wound xylem. We conclude that temperature is an important factor in wound reactions during winter dormancy and may even induce the formation of callus and wound xylem within a three-week period.

Quantifying in situ phenotypic variability in the hydraulic properties of four tree species across their distribution range in Europe

Many studies have reported that hydraulic properties vary considerably between tree species, but little is known about their intraspecific variation and, therefore, their capacity to adapt to a warmer and drier climate. Here, we quantify phenotypic divergence and clinal variation for embolism resistance, hydraulic conductivity and branch growth, in four tree species, two angiosperms (Betula pendula, Populus tremula) and two conifers (Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris), across their latitudinal distribution in Europe. Growth and hydraulic efficiency varied widely within species and between populations. The variability of embolism resistance was in general weaker than that of growth and hydraulic efficiency, and very low for all species but Populus tremula. In addition, no and weak support for a safety vs. efficiency trade-off was observed for the angiosperm and conifer species, respectively. The limited variability of embolism resistance observed here for all species except Populus tremula, suggests that forest populations will unlikely be able to adapt hydraulically to drier conditions through the evolution of embolism resistance.

Groei en productie van zwarte els in Nederland

In the Netherlands growth and yield research on black alder was done on a limited scale from 1965 to 1990. This regards two studies by the Dorschkamp/IBN research institute; together with the permanent sample plots from the timber prognosis system HOSP, this comprises a dataset of 14 plots with 59 recordings. In addition, the information from 518 stands of the Fourth National Forest Inventory was used. For the development of top height htop with age t Jansen’s et al. polymorphic model with site index h50 and four additional parameters fitted best. The diameter at a height of 7 m (d7) was estimated from data of the Fourth National Forest Inven-tory. The diameter development up to stand height of 7 m was described with a model of Jansen et al., a power function in htop and the estimated value for d7. From a stand height of 7 m upwards, the basal area increment (iG) was also described by Jansen’s et al. model based on a power function with t, year of recording (yor), and the stand density of Hart (S %). For S% > 15.7 the basal area increment decreases non-linear with increasing S %. The model contains a correction factor for yor, although this was not significant, as the year of recording (yor), turned out to be not significant. The effect of thinning on the diameter after thinning was modelled with the La Bastide-Faber model. The models were used to construct a yield table with five site classes and one thinning intensity.