Abstract
Accurate predictions of species distribution under current and future climate conditions require modeling efforts based on clear mechanistic relationships between climate variables and plant physiological functions. Vulnerability of leaves to xylem embolism is a key mechanistic trait that might be included in these modeling efforts. Here, we propose a simple set-up to measure leaf vulnerability to embolism on the basis of the optical method using a smartphone, a light source, and a notebook. Our data show that this proposed set-up can adequately quantify the vulnerability to xylem embolism of leaf major veins in Populus nigra and Ostrya carpinifolia, producing values consistent with those obtained in temperate tree species with other methods, allowing virtually any laboratory to quantify species-specific drought tolerance on the basis of a sound mechanistic trait.
Highlights
Functional traits are useful tools for investigating plant–environment relationships [1,2], with the aim of explaining species-specific distribution ranges under current and future climate conditions, and selecting genotypes better adapted to specific climatic and edaphic situations [3,4,5]
Considering the potential of the optical method as a tool for rapid determination of Ψ50 in several species, and the related possibility of including this important mechanistic trait in ecological studies, we propose a new set-up based on a smartphone, a light-emitting diode (LED) source, and a pressure chamber
Veins up to the fourth order could be clearly recognized in both Populus nigra (Pn) and Ostrya carpinifolia (Oc), embolism events were detectable only for veins up to the third order (Figure 2)
Summary
Functional traits are useful tools for investigating plant–environment relationships [1,2], with the aim of explaining species-specific distribution ranges under current and future climate conditions, and selecting genotypes better adapted to specific climatic and edaphic situations [3,4,5]. Leaf-level traits, frequently included in ecological studies, range from leaf lifespan to leaf nutrient concentration, with specific leaf area (SLA) probably representing the single most commonly measured plant trait globally [8]. Accurate predictions of species distribution as a function of current climate and projected climate changes require clear mechanistic relationships between climate variables, functional traits, and physiological functions [14,15]. In this sense, it is proposed that ecological disciplines should progressively move from functional traits to the adoption of ‘mechanistic’
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