AXIAL AND RADIAL CHANGES IN XYLEM ANATOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN SIX EVERGREEN BROADLEAVED TREE SPECIES IN AILAO MOUNTAIN, YUNNAN

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2005.0129

Abstract

Abstract:

The model of West, Brown and Enquist shows that total hydraulic resistance in trees can be independent of path length provided that vascular conduits taper upward sufficiently. This model contradicts the hydraulic limitation hypothesis on tree height growth. To test the validity of this model, we investigated axial and radial changes in xylem anatomical characteristics of six evergreen broadleaved tree species in a subtropical forest in Yunnan. The six species studied included Castanopsis wattii, Lithocarpus chintungensis, L. xylocarpus, Cyclobalanopsis stewardiana, Schima noronhae, and Hartia sinensis. The first four species are from the Fagaceae and the other two species are from Theaceae. Fourteen trees (15-25 m) were sampled from the six species. Sapwood cores were taken from each tree at intervals of 1 m along the trunk to study the axial variation in xylem anatomy. Stem cross sections were collected at three heights from the four Fagaceae species to characterize radial variation. Transverse sections of 50-80 μm thickness were made using a sliding microtome. Our analysis of transverse microscopic sections showed that the conduit lumen diameters increased from the top to the base of the crown in all trees and to the base of the bole in four trees. Conduit lumen diameter was approximately constant from the crown base to the tree base in the remaining trees. Vessel density increased with height, especially within the crown. The lumen/total sapwood area ratio was constant along the trunk in four of the twelve trees and decreased from the base of the crown to its top in most of the remaining trees. The theoretical specific hydraulic conductivity decreased substantially from the base of the crown to its top and was constant below the crown base in most trees. Conduit lumen diameters increased linearly for the first 20 - 40 years of cambial age and then stabilized in most of the eight trees of Fagaceae. There was no difference in conduit lumen diameter produced by the same aged cambium at different aboveground heights. Our results suggested that axial and radial trends in conduit lumen diameter of the six evergreen broadleaved species were consistent with partial buffering of hydraulic resistance from path length effects. The uniform size of conduit lumens below the crown base contradicted the critical assumption of constant conduit taper along the trunk in the model of WBE.

Key words: Cambium, Hydraulic limitation, WBE model, Xylem anatomy

FAN Ze-Xin, CAO Kun- Fang, ZOU Shou-Qing. AXIAL AND RADIAL CHANGES IN XYLEM ANATOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN SIX EVERGREEN BROADLEAVED TREE SPECIES IN AILAO MOUNTAIN, YUNNAN[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2005, 29(6): 968-975.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2005.0129

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2005/V29/I6/968

Figures/Tables 6

References 28

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树号 Trees	导管直径 Lumen diameter			导管密度 Vessel density			导管占边材面积比 Lumen/total sapwood area			理论比导率 k_s
树号 Trees	简单 SimM R²	分段 SegM R²	F值 F(df)	简单 SimM R²	分段 SegM R²	F值 F(df)	简单 SimM R²	分段 SegM R²	F值 F(df)	简单 SimM R²	分段 SegM R²	F值 F(df)
A	0.73	0.85	6.44(16)^*	0.72	0.83	5.38(17)^*	0.49	0.66	3.87(16)^*	0.65	0.76	3.38(16)
B	0.73	0.92	16.77(14)^*	0.61	0.90	20.48(14)^*	0.00	0.45	5.74(14)^*	0.56	0.83	10.76(14)^*
C	0.81	0.88	4.28(15)^*	0.86	0.88	1.61(15)	0.03	0.59	10.04(15)^*	0.55	0.73	4.78(15)^*
D	0.14	0.86	37.12(14)^*	0.61	0.88	13.16(12)^*	0.55	0.80	8.47(14)^*	0.01	0.82	26.38(12)^*
E	0.76	0.92	18.94(19)^*	0.73	0.91	20.86(19)^*	0.02	0.10	0.80(19)	0.65	0.79	6.19(19)^*
F	0.59	0.63	0.66(10)	0.92	0.93	0.22(7)	0.13	0.43	2.57(10)	0.10	0.54	4.77(10)^*
G	0.90	0.90	0.23(17)	0.61	0.80	8.07(17)^*	0.46	0.63	3.34(15)	0.77	0.85	4.28(17)^*
H	0.86	0.91	3.99(14)^*	0.65	0.68	3.33(13)	0.67	0.84	5.96(12)^*	0.83	0.87	2.16(13)
I	0.92	0.93	1.45(16)	0.36	0.59	4.20(15)^*	0.66	0.71	1.45(15)	0.87	0.88	0.53(15)
J	0.19	0.56	3.32(8)	0.67	0.82	3.13(8)	0.13	0.48	2.61(8)	0.01	0.43	2.99(8)
K	0.80	0.87	4.25(17)^*	0.83	0.89	3.93(14)^*	0.24	0.55	5.30(17)^*	0.75	0.85	6.04(17)^*
L	0.84	0.85	0.34(15)	0.66	0.79	4.85(17)^*	0.05	0.21	1.85(18)	0.75	0.75	0.72(14)
M	0.44	0.92	31.72(10)^*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
N	0.67	0.89	9.97(10)^*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

树号 Trees	导管直径 Lumen diameter			导管密度 Vessel density			导管占边材面积比 Lumen/total sapwood area			理论比导率 k_s
树号 Trees	简单 SimM R²	分段 SegM R²	F值 F(df)	简单 SimM R²	分段 SegM R²	F值 F(df)	简单 SimM R²	分段 SegM R²	F值 F(df)	简单 SimM R²	分段 SegM R²	F值 F(df)
A	0.73	0.85	6.44(16)^*	0.72	0.83	5.38(17)^*	0.49	0.66	3.87(16)^*	0.65	0.76	3.38(16)
B	0.73	0.92	16.77(14)^*	0.61	0.90	20.48(14)^*	0.00	0.45	5.74(14)^*	0.56	0.83	10.76(14)^*
C	0.81	0.88	4.28(15)^*	0.86	0.88	1.61(15)	0.03	0.59	10.04(15)^*	0.55	0.73	4.78(15)^*
D	0.14	0.86	37.12(14)^*	0.61	0.88	13.16(12)^*	0.55	0.80	8.47(14)^*	0.01	0.82	26.38(12)^*
E	0.76	0.92	18.94(19)^*	0.73	0.91	20.86(19)^*	0.02	0.10	0.80(19)	0.65	0.79	6.19(19)^*
F	0.59	0.63	0.66(10)	0.92	0.93	0.22(7)	0.13	0.43	2.57(10)	0.10	0.54	4.77(10)^*
G	0.90	0.90	0.23(17)	0.61	0.80	8.07(17)^*	0.46	0.63	3.34(15)	0.77	0.85	4.28(17)^*
H	0.86	0.91	3.99(14)^*	0.65	0.68	3.33(13)	0.67	0.84	5.96(12)^*	0.83	0.87	2.16(13)
I	0.92	0.93	1.45(16)	0.36	0.59	4.20(15)^*	0.66	0.71	1.45(15)	0.87	0.88	0.53(15)
J	0.19	0.56	3.32(8)	0.67	0.82	3.13(8)	0.13	0.48	2.61(8)	0.01	0.43	2.99(8)
K	0.80	0.87	4.25(17)^*	0.83	0.89	3.93(14)^*	0.24	0.55	5.30(17)^*	0.75	0.85	6.04(17)^*
L	0.84	0.85	0.34(15)	0.66	0.79	4.85(17)^*	0.05	0.21	1.85(18)	0.75	0.75	0.72(14)
M	0.44	0.92	31.72(10)^*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
N	0.67	0.89	9.97(10)^*	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-