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Gas exchange recovery following natural drought is rapid unless limited by loss of leaf hydraulic conductance: evidence from an evergreen woodland

Citation

Skelton, RP and Brodribb, TJ and McAdam, SAM and Mitchell, PJ, Gas exchange recovery following natural drought is rapid unless limited by loss of leaf hydraulic conductance: evidence from an evergreen woodland, New Phytologist, 215, (4) pp. 1399-1412. ISSN 0028-646X (2017) [Refereed Article]

Copyright Statement

Copyright 2017 The Authors

DOI: doi:10.1111/nph.14652

Abstract

  • Drought can cause major damage to plant communities, but species damage thresholds and postdrought recovery of forest productivity are not yet predictable. We used an El Niņo drought event as a natural experiment to test whether postdrought recovery of gas exchange could be predicted by properties of the water transport system, or if metabolism, primarily high abscisic acid concentration, might delay recovery.
  • We monitored detailed physiological responses, including shoot sapflow, leaf gas exchange, leaf water potential and foliar abscisic acid (ABA), during drought and through the subsequent rehydration period for a sample of eight canopy and understory species.
  • Severe drought caused major declines in leaf water potential, elevated foliar ABA concentrations and reduced stomatal conductance and assimilation rates in our eight sample species. Leaf water potential surpassed levels associated with incipient loss of leaf hydraulic conductance in four species. Following heavy rainfall gas exchange in all species, except those trees predicted to have suffered hydraulic impairment, recovered to prestressed rates within 1 d.
  • Recovery of plant gas exchange was rapid and could be predicted by the hydraulic safety margin, providing strong support for leaf vulnerability to water deficit as an index of damage under natural drought conditions.

    • Item Details

    Item Type:Refereed Article
    Keywords:abscisic acid (ABA), forest productivity and mortality, hydraulic failure, leaf hydraulic conductance, natural drought, plant gas exchange, stomatal conductance, xylem vulnerability to water deficit
    Research Division:Biological Sciences
    Research Group:Plant biology
    Research Field:Plant physiology
    Objective Division:Environmental Management
    Objective Group:Fresh, ground and surface water systems and management
    Objective Field:Assessment and management of freshwater ecosystems
    UTAS Author:Skelton, RP (Mr Robert Skelton)
    UTAS Author:Brodribb, TJ (Professor Tim Brodribb)
    UTAS Author:McAdam, SAM (Dr Scott McAdam)
    ID Code:118218
    Year Published:2017
    Web of Science® Times Cited:85
    Deposited By:Plant Science
    Deposited On:2017-07-06
    Last Modified:2018-05-07
    Downloads:0

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