Application of pneumatic method to build vulnerability curves in solitary vesseled trees: Assessement of vulnerability to cavitation of three Eucalyptus species

BARIGAH T; GYENGE JE; SERGENT AS; VARELA S.; COCHARD H; DELZON S; DALLA SALDA G; MARTINEZ-MEIER A; ROZENBERG P; MARTIN-ST PAUL NK; FERNÁNDEZ ME

Bariloche

Conferencia; International Conference: Adapting forest ecosystems and wood products to biotic and abiotic stress; 2019

LIA Forestia - INTA (Argentina) e INRA (Francia)

ForForestryspecies should exhibit both high survival and fast growth rate. From this pointof view, Eucalyptus is an interesting genus since it inhabits awide diversity of climatic and environmental conditions and covers more than 20million planted hectares worldwide. This genus presents solitary vessels, i.e. not directlyconnected to other vessels but surrounded by different imperforate trachearyelements and parenchyma that participate in a less known form in xylem safetyand hydraulic efficiency. Thus, we carried out an experiment to check outwhether a recently issued pneumatic device is relevant for establishingvulnerability curves for long or solitary vesseled plant-species, mainly in E.camaldulensis, E. globulus and E. viminalis.We obtained ?S-shaped? curves and the results were similar to data alreadypublished. Moreover, we showed that there was no significant intraspecificdifference between local E. globulus provenances in their water potential inducing 50% loss ofhydraulic conductivity (Y50).  Considering the vulnerability to cavitation ofthese species, it came out that E. camaldulensis (-3.98 MPa) and E.viminalis (-4.26 MPa) were similar and that E. globulus(-4.60 MPa) was slightly more resistant than the previous ones (P < 0.0001).We concluded that the method was suitable for these species.Forestryspecies should exhibit both high survival and fast growth rate. From this pointof view, Eucalyptus is an interesting genus since it inhabitsa wide diversity of climatic and environmental conditions and covers more than20 million planted hectares worldwide. This genus presents solitary vessels, i.e. notdirectly connected to other vessels but surrounded by different imperforate tracheary elements and parenchyma that participatein a less known form in xylem safety and hydraulic efficiency. Thus, we carriedout an experiment to check out whether a recently issued pneumatic device isrelevant for establishing vulnerability curves for long or solitary vesseled plant-species, mainly in E. camaldulensis, E. globulus and E. viminalis. We obtained ?S-shaped? curves and theresults were similar to data already published. Moreover, we showed that therewas no significant intraspecific difference between local E. globulus provenances in their water potential inducing 50% loss ofhydraulic conductivity (Y50).  Considering the vulnerability to cavitation ofthese species, it came out that E. camaldulensis (-3.98 MPa) and E. viminalis (-4.26 MPa) were similar and that E. globulus (-4.60 MPa) was slightly more resistantthan the previous ones (P < 0.0001). We concluded that the method wassuitable for these species.estrresting genus since it inhabitsa wide diversity of climatic and environmental conditions and covers more than20 million planted hectares worldwide. This genus presents solitary vessels, i.e. notdirectly connected to other vessels but surrounded by different imperforate tracheary elements and parenchyma that participatein a less known form in xylem safety and hydraulic efficiency. Thus, we carriedout an experiment to check out whether a recently issued pneumatic device isrelevant for establishing vulnerability curves for long or solitary vesseled plant-species, mainly in E. camaldulensis, E. globulus and E. viminalis. We obtained ?S-shaped? curves and theresults were similar to data already published. Moreover, we showed that therewas no significant intraspecific difference between local E. globulus provenances in their water potential inducing 50% loss ofhydraulic conductivity (Y50).  Considering the vulnerability to cavitation ofthese species, it came out that E. camaldulensis (-3.98 MPa) and E. viminalis (-4.26 MPa) were similar and that E. globulus (-4.60 MPa) was slightly more resistantthan the previous ones (P < 0.0001). We concluded that the method wassuitable for these species.