Articles
Wood anatomical and chemical characterization of trees for gaining knowledge on efficiency in water transport
Article number
1345_50
Pages
373 – 382
Language
English
Abstract
Woody perennials are planted in streets, public recreation areas, landscapes and xeriscapes for their aesthetic quality, but also for coping with the need of environmental criticism mitigation in urban and peri-urban greening zones.
Despite the minor interest addressed to the adaptive nature of wood anatomy for ornamental crops in the recent past, the study of structural aspects of xylem represents the first step for gaining knowledge on efficiency in water transport.
The latter is also influenced by chemical composition of cell walls, thus lignin content and composition.
Correlations between various wood anatomical traits and the environment, as well as between wood chemical features and ecological factors, have been revealed separately, whereas understanding if and how the interaction between anatomical and chemical characteristics of cell wall can affect and significantly constrain the whole-plant hydraulic conductance is less studied.
The aim of this study was to characterise both anatomical and chemical features of one-year-old shoots of three species (Fraxinus ornus, Ostrya carpinifolia and Pistacia chinensis) to verify the occurrence of attributes favouring adaptation to xeric environments, being shoots the last connectors to leaves and thus a major control gate for conductivity.
Shoots were collected from greenhouse grown plants and processed for light and epifluorescence microscopy, and digital image analysis allowing quantification of wood anatomical traits and occurrence of phenolic compounds in different tissues.
Lignin content and composition resulted in a lower percentage of the insoluble fraction in F. ornus (-17%) compared to the other two species.
Microscopy observations showed that specific lignin composition was strictly linked to structural features, with F. ornus having the lowest number of vessels per unit area too (-50%). The overall interpretation of anatomical and chemical results allowed a better comprehension of functional traits providing some advantages in enduring drought without suffering permanent damages.
Despite the minor interest addressed to the adaptive nature of wood anatomy for ornamental crops in the recent past, the study of structural aspects of xylem represents the first step for gaining knowledge on efficiency in water transport.
The latter is also influenced by chemical composition of cell walls, thus lignin content and composition.
Correlations between various wood anatomical traits and the environment, as well as between wood chemical features and ecological factors, have been revealed separately, whereas understanding if and how the interaction between anatomical and chemical characteristics of cell wall can affect and significantly constrain the whole-plant hydraulic conductance is less studied.
The aim of this study was to characterise both anatomical and chemical features of one-year-old shoots of three species (Fraxinus ornus, Ostrya carpinifolia and Pistacia chinensis) to verify the occurrence of attributes favouring adaptation to xeric environments, being shoots the last connectors to leaves and thus a major control gate for conductivity.
Shoots were collected from greenhouse grown plants and processed for light and epifluorescence microscopy, and digital image analysis allowing quantification of wood anatomical traits and occurrence of phenolic compounds in different tissues.
Lignin content and composition resulted in a lower percentage of the insoluble fraction in F. ornus (-17%) compared to the other two species.
Microscopy observations showed that specific lignin composition was strictly linked to structural features, with F. ornus having the lowest number of vessels per unit area too (-50%). The overall interpretation of anatomical and chemical results allowed a better comprehension of functional traits providing some advantages in enduring drought without suffering permanent damages.
Authors
V. De Micco, C. Amitrano, C. Cirillo
Keywords
drought, hydraulic conductance, phenolic compounds, lignin
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