eCite Digital Repository

Leaf vein density enhances vascular redundancy instead of carbon uptake at the expense of increasing water leaks in oaks

Citation

de Dios, VR and Alonso-Forn, S and Peguero-Pina, JJ and Sancho-Knapik, D and Gil-Pelegrin, E and Aspinwall, MJ and Blackman, C and Williams, DG and Granda, E, Leaf vein density enhances vascular redundancy instead of carbon uptake at the expense of increasing water leaks in oaks, Environmental and Experimental Botany: An International Journal, 188 Article 104527. ISSN 0098-8472 (2021) [Refereed Article]


Preview
PDF (Fully Published version)
Pending copyright assessment - Request a copy
1Mb
  

DOI: doi:10.1016/j.envexpbot.2021.104527

Abstract

Predicting plant growth from functional traits has been a long-term goal of experimental botany. Early studies considered that resource traits align across a single axis, from high to low growth rates. The drivers of nocturnal and cuticular leaf conductances have received much recent attention, but how they align with other functional traits along axes of resource use remains to be investigated. Here we examined correlated evolution of secondary growth, leaf economic, stomatal, venation and gas exchange traits across 12 Quercus species growing in a common garden. Variation in growth correlated with variation in assimilation and nocturnal conductance (gn). Our observations are consistent with the hypothesis of a negative relationship between SLA and leaf vein density (VLAall) within oaks, indicating that increased VLAall is a strategy to enhance leaf vascular redundancy against stress or perturbation as the degree of sclerophylly increases. gn was negatively correlated with growth and decoupled from daytime conductance and photosynthesis. gn seemed to be a passive process in this genus, apparently driven by enhanced water supply that results from increased VLAall. We also observed a positive relationship between leaf vein density and cuticular conductance, indicating that increasing VLAall may incur significant water costs under strong drought.

Item Details

Item Type:Refereed Article
Keywords:drought, assimilation, plant hydraulics, cavitation, leaf
Research Division:Biological Sciences
Research Group:Plant biology
Research Field:Plant physiology
Objective Division:Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
UTAS Author:Blackman, C (Dr Christopher Blackman)
ID Code:155702
Year Published:2021
Web of Science® Times Cited:1
Deposited By:Biological Sciences
Deposited On:2023-03-07
Last Modified:2023-03-07
Downloads:0

Repository Staff Only: item control page