Pacific Northwest Research Station

Title: Nutrient availability constrains the hydraulic architecture and water relations of savannah trees.

Author: Bucci, S.J.; Scholz, F.G.; Goldstein, G.; Meinzer, F.C.; Franco, A.C.; Campanello, P.I.; Villalobos-Vega, R.; Bustamante, M.; Miralles-Wilhelm, F.

Date: 2006

Source: Plant, Cell and Environment. 29(12): 2153–2167

Description: Several plant functional traits were studied in five dominant woody savanna species in a Brazilian savanna to determine whether removal of nutrient limitations has an effect on carbon allocation, water relations, and hydraulic architecture. Four treatments consisting of a control, and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and N plus P additions were maintained for 5 years. Nitrogen fertilization significantly altered several components of hydraulic architecture. In addition, long-term N and N plus P fertilization caused midday leaf water potential to decline significantly by a mean of 0.6 MPa across all species. Decreases in leaf water potential appeared to be almost entirely compensated by increases in xylem resistance to embolism.

Keywords: fertilization effects, hydraulic conductivity, xylem embolism

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Citation

Bucci, S.J.; Scholz, F.G.; Goldstein, G.; Meinzer, F.C.; Franco, A.C.; Campanello, P.I.; Villalobos-Vega, R.; Bustamante, M.; Miralles-Wilhelm, F.  2006.  Nutrient availability constrains the hydraulic architecture and water relations of savannah trees..   Plant, Cell and Environment. 29(12): 2153–2167