Bole girdling affects metabolic properties and root, trunk and branch hydraulics of young ponderosa pine trees

Tree Physiology
Jean-Christophe Domec, Michele L Pruyn

Abstract

Effects of trunk girdling on seasonal patterns of xylem water status, water transport and woody tissue metabolic properties were investigated in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. Laws.) trees. At the onset of summer, there was a sharp decrease in stomatal conductance (g(s)) in girdled trees followed by a full recovery after the first major rainfall in September. Eliminating the root as a carbohydrate sink by girdling induced a rapid reversible reduction in g(s). Respiratory potential (a laboratory measure of tissue-level respiration) increased above the girdle (branches and upper trunk) and decreased below the girdle (lower trunk and roots) relative to control trees during the growing season, but the effect was reversed after the first major rainfall. The increase in branch respiratory potential induced by girdling suggests that the decrease in g(s) was caused by the accumulation of carbohydrates above the girdle, which is consistent with an observed increase in leaf mass per area in the girdled trees. Trunk girdling did not affect native xylem embolism or xylem conductivity. Both treated and control trunks experienced loss of xylem conductivity ranging from 10% in spring to 30% in summer. Girdling reduced xylem grow...Continue Reading

Citations

Oct 18, 2011·Tree Physiology·Veerle De SchepperKathy Steppe
Aug 1, 2014·The New Phytologist·Tracy LawsonDavid Granot
Jun 1, 2016·Frontiers in Plant Science·Zhenzhu XuGuangsheng Zhou
Apr 12, 2011·Annals of Botany·Veerle De Schepper, Kathy Steppe
Jun 28, 2017·Tree Physiology·Andrea Winkler, Walter Oberhuber
Dec 1, 2014·Functional Plant Biology : FPB·Sergio TombesiTheodore M DeJong

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