Optical measurement of stem xylem vulnerability
Language
en
Article de revue
This item was published in
Plant Physiology. 2017, vol. 174, n° 4, p. 2054-2061
Oxford University Press ; American Society of Plant Biologists
English Abstract
The vulnerability of plant water transport tissues to a loss of function by cavitation during water stress is a key indicator of the survival capabilities of plant species during drought. Quantifying this important metric ...Read more >
The vulnerability of plant water transport tissues to a loss of function by cavitation during water stress is a key indicator of the survival capabilities of plant species during drought. Quantifying this important metric has been greatly advanced by noninvasive techniques that allow embolisms to be viewed directly in the vascular system. Here, we present a new method for evaluating the spatial and temporal propagation of embolizing bubbles in the stem xylem during imposed water stress. We demonstrate how the optical method, used previously in leaves, can be adapted to measure the xylem vulnerability of stems. Validation of the technique is carried out by measuring the xylem vulnerability of 13 conifers and two short-vesseled angiosperms and comparing the results with measurements made using the cavitron centrifuge method. Very close agreement between the two methods confirms the reliability of the new optical technique and opens the way to simple, efficient, and reliable assessment of stem vulnerability using standard flatbed scanners, cameras, or microscopes.Read less <
Keywords
stress hydrique
résistance à la cavitation
transport xylème
embolie
conifère
English Keywords
water stress
embolism
coniferous tree
Origin
Hal imported