Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
Volume 93, Issue 10, Pages 1490-1500Publisher
BOTANICAL SOC AMER INC
DOI: 10.3732/ajb.93.10.1490
Keywords
ecological wood anatomy; vascular structure and function; water transport; wood biomechanics; xylem cavitation
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The wide size range of conifer tracheids and angiosperm vessels has important consequences for function. In both conduit types, bigger is better for conducting efficiency. The gain in efficiency with size is maximized by the control of conduit shape, which balances end-wall and lumen resistances. Although vessels are an order of magnitude longer than tracheids of the same diameter, they are not necessarily more efficient because they lack the low end-wall resistance of tracheids with torus-margo pits. Instead, vessels gain conducting efficiency over tracheids by achieving wider maximum diameters. End-walls contributed 56-64% to total xylem resistance in both conduit types, indicating that length limits conducting efficiency. Tracheid dimensions may be more limited by unicellularity and the need to supply strength to homoxylous wood than by the need to protect against cavitation. In contrast, the greater size of the multicellular vessel is facilitated by fibers that strengthen heteroxylous wood. Vessel dimensions may be most limited by the need to restrict intervessel pitting and cavitation by air-seeding. Stressful habitats that promote narrow vessels should favor coexistence of conifers and angiosperms. The evolution of vessels in angiosperm wood may have required early angiosperms to survive a phase of mechanic and hydraulic instability.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available