Wood Anatomy Research Articles

Tribe Shoreae (Dipterocarpaceae subfamily Dipterocarpoideae) Finally Dissected

SummaryThe dipterocarp tribe Shoreae, perhaps more than any other members of this elegant family of often giant emergent trees, is familiar to all who visit the once ubiquitous lowland forests of tropical Asia. Timbers of the genus Shorea comprised the bulk of hardwood traded on international markets for thirty years, since the nineteen seventies. Distinct species groups came to be recognised by taxonomists: for their characteristic androecia, and sometimes differences in bark and wood anatomy, while generic status for some was then proposed on embryological evidence. A new molecular phylogeny of the family, and this tribe, substantially confirms the embryological case. This paper formalises resultant nomenclatural changes. Those of us who recall the majestic forested former landscapes of the Sunda lands may regret this decision. But now, with landscapes irretrievably changed by serried ranks of oil palm and forest degradation, the case for recognition of the proposed new entities can guide conservation planners in recognising and making the case for permanently conserving surviving undisturbed stands of exceptional composition or diversity.

Comparative wood anatomy of 16 Malagasy Dalbergia species (Fabaceae) using multivariate techniques

Summary Rosewood and palisander (Dalbergia L.f., Fabaceae) are sources of highly valuable tropical timber and include species threatened by habitat degradation and selective logging for national and international trade. Law enforcement depends on reliable and cost-effective species-level identification of timber along the supply chain. The potential of wood anatomy to distinguish between species has not yet been systematically investigated for Dalbergia species from Madagascar. We assessed 36 qualitative and eight quantitative wood anatomical features in 16 Malagasy Dalbergia species that form medium-sized to large trees, representing each species by at least five individuals. We integrated and contrasted the newly collected data with existing data from InsideWood and two previous studies. Principal component analysis of 93 individuals and 29 variables resulted in non-overlapping hulls for eight species with respect to the first two dimensions. Four quantitative features (number of ray tiers per millimetre, number of rays per millimetre, vessel density, and vessel element length) and two qualitative features (scanty paratracheal axial parenchyma and irregular to absent storied structure) were found to be potentially diagnostic to distinguish three single species and three pairs of closely related species. Following our analyses, we provide a provisional microscopic wood anatomical identification key for the 16 Dalbergia species, which can be applied to both logs and sawn wood.

Combining conventional tree-ring measurements with wood anatomy and strontium isotope analyses enables dendroprovenancing at the local scale

Dendroprovenancing provides critical information regarding the origin of wood, allowing further insights into economic exploitation strategies and source regions of timber products. Traditionally, dendroprovenancing relies on pattern-matching of tree rings, but its spatial resolution is limited by the geographical coverage of species-specific chronologies available for crossdating and, in the case of short-distance trades, by scarce environmental variability. Here, we present an approach to provenance timber with high spatial resolution from forested areas that have been exploited intensively throughout history, with the aim to understand the sustainability of the various woodland management practices used to supply timber products. To this end, we combined tree-ring width (TRW), wood anatomical and geochemical analyses in addition to multivariate statistical validation procedures to trace the origin of living oak trees (Quercus robur) sampled in four stands located within a 30-km radius around the city of Limoges (Haute-Vienne, France). We demonstrate that TRW and wood anatomical variables (and in particular cell density) robustly discriminate the eastern from the western site, while failing to trace the origin of trees from the northern and southern sites. Here, strontium isotopic ratios (87Sr/86Sr) and Ca concentrations identify clusters of trees which could not be identified with TRW or wood anatomy. Ultimately, our study demonstrates that the coupling of wood anatomy with geochemical signatures allows to correctly pinpoint the origin of trees. Given the small geographic scale of our study and the limited differences in elevation and climate between study sites, our results are particularly promising for future dendroprovenancing studies. We thus conclude that the combination of multiple approaches will not only increase the accuracy of dendroprovenancing studies at local scales, but could also be implemented at much larger scales to identify trends in historic timber supply throughout Europe.

Adventitious roots as a source of information in reconstructing the activity of modern aeolian processes in the temperate climate zone: A case study from the Kozłów sandy area (SW Poland)

This paper presents a spatial-temporal reconstruction of inland dune movements at an anthropogenic active sandy area known as the Kozłów Desert, SW Poland. This unique sandy area, with assemblages of aeolian forms typical of “true” deserts, is an inactive military training ground (decommissioned in 1992) where military activity led to the initiation of geomorphic processes. The reconstruction was carried out based on the growth reaction characteristics of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and downy birch (Betula pubescens L.) trees. 14 increment cores were collected from 12 trees and analysed with standard dendrochronological techniques. Samples of adventitious roots from all the trees examined were collected and prepared to extend the analyses and check their usefulness in dating modern geomorphic processes. The adventitious roots of pine and birch were found to react differently to burial, in terms of both reaction time and the shape of the root system. Growth-ring widths and wood anatomy were indicative of sudden or multi-stage sand movement, thus confirming the usefulness of adventitious roots as an additional source of information about aeolian process activity. More broadly, the study shows that the dynamics of landforming processes can be assessed more accurately and reliably by using such a combination of methods, comparing data from roots to data from tree trunks.

Global transcriptome dissection of pollen-pistil interactions induced self-incompatibility in dragon fruit (Selenicereus spp.).

Self-incompatibility (SI) is a major issue in dragon fruit (Selenicereus spp.) breeding and production. Therefore, a better understanding of the dragon fruit SI mechanism is needed to improve breeding efficiency and ultimate production costs. To reveal the underlying mechanisms of SI in dragon fruit, plant anatomy, de novo RNA sequencing-based transcriptomic analysis, and multiple bioinformatic approaches were used to analyze gene expression in the pistils of the self-pollinated and cross-pollinated dragon fruit flowers at different intervals of time after pollination. Using fluorescence microscopy, we observed that the pollen of 'Hongshuijing', a self-incompatible dragon fruit variety (S. monacanthus), germinated on its own stigma. However, the pollen tube elongation has ceased at 1/2 of the style, confirming that dragon fruit experiences gametophyte self-incompatibility (GSI). We found that the pollen tube elongation in vitro was inhibited by self-style glycoproteins in the SI variety, indicating that glycoproteins were involved in SI. That is to say the female S factor should be homologous of S-RNase or PrsS (P. rhoeas stigma S factor), both of which are glycoproteins and are the female S factors of the two known GSI mechanism respectively. Bioinformatics analyses indicated that among the 43,954 assembled unigenes from pistil, there were six S-RNase genes, while 158 F-box genes were identified from a pollen transcriptomic dataset. There were no P. rhoeas type S genes discovered. Thus, the identified S-RNase and F-box represent the candidate female and male S genes, respectively. Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the self and cross-pollinated pistils at different time intervals led to the identification of 6,353 genes. We then used a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to find some non-S locus genes in SI responses in dragon fruit. Additionally, 13 transcription factors (TFs) (YABBY4, ANL2, ERF43, ARF2, BLH7, KNAT6, PIF3, two OBF1, two HY5 and two LHY/CCA) were identified to be involved in dragon fruit GSI. Thus, we uncovered candidate S and non-S genes and predicted more SI-related genes for a more detailed investigation of the molecular mechanism of dragon fruit SI. Our findings suggest that dragon fruit possesses a GSI system and involves some unique regulators. This study lays the groundwork for future research into SI mechanisms in dragon fruit and other plant species.

THE TAXONOMIC STUDY OF TRICHOME MORPHOLOGY IN SELECTED ASTERACEAE SPECIES OF PAHANG, MALAYSIA

A comparative study of foliar trichomes for selected Asteraceae collected in Pahang was observed. The selected species were Ageratum conyzoides L., Tridax procumbens L., Eclipta prostrata (L.) L., Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski, Emilia sonchifolia (L.) DC. and Youngia japonica (L.) DC. The objective of this study is to document various trichomes among selected Asteraceae species in Pahang. Trichomes are known as one of the micromorphological characteristics that can be investigated for the assisting identification of Asteraceae. The trichomes were examined under a light microscope and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The trichomes in this study were classified into eight types. The diagnostic characteristics in Ageratum conyzoides consist of glandular trichomes while the non-glandular trichomes are mostly shown in Tridax procumbens. Tridax procumbens showed four diagnostic characteristics which are simple multicellular trichome (coned shape), simple multicellular trichome (long, pointed-end), simple multicellular trichome (long, tapered-end), and stellate trichome. This study proved that data from plant anatomy can be used as supporting data for plant classification in Asteraceae.

An Integrated Similarity Analysis of Anatomical and Physical Wood Properties of Tropical Species from India, Mozambique, and East Timor

Tropical species are highly valued timber sources showing a large diversity of wood characteristics. Since there are major concerns regarding the sustainability of these tropical species in many tropical regions, knowledge of the variability in wood properties is therefore a valuable tool to design targeted exploitation and to enlarge the wood resources base, namely by identifying alternatives for CITES-listed species. In this study, 98 tropical wood species belonging to 73 genera from India, Mozambique, and East Timor were investigated regarding wood anatomy and physical properties. Numerical taxonomy, by means of cluster analysis and principal component analysis grouped species with anatomical and physical similarities from different geographical origins. In addition to wood density, ray and vessel characteristics as well as wood moisture and wood shrinkage properties explained the main variability of these species. The contribution of wood color patterns was highlighted as consistently separating the Mozambique woods. A distinct geographical pattern was not observed, reinforcing that species from India, Mozambique, and East Timor show similar anatomical and physical wood properties, which could be useful to increase timber trade diversity. The multivariate analysis showed that species from Mozambique, such as Morus mesozygia, and Millettia stuhlmannii and Swartzia madagascariensis, could be alternatives for the CITES-listed species Cedrela odorata and Dalbergia melanoxylon, respectively.

Additive manufacturing for lab applications in environmental sciences: Pushing the boundaries of rapid prototyping

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), better known as 3D printing, has revolutionized modern manufacturing processes and the ever-increasing use of 3D printers is popular not least because of the wide range of materials available for printing. When applying the FDM process to the development of prototypes, it is possible to go from an idea to a first iteration of the product within a few hours, and from an initial concept to a final product within a few days depending on the complexity of the desired structure. We applied FDM-related open-source 3D software and a 3D printer to produce parts for devices being applied in wood anatomy and dendroecology. In this paper, we present the basic requirements for prototyping by showing detailed examples of new devices developed and produced using a 3D printer and related modeling software.

Under cadmium stress, silicon has a defensive effect on the morphology, physiology, and anatomy of pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants.

Soil pollution with cadmium (Cd) is a serious threat to plant growth and development. On the other hand, silicon (Si) can support plants to cope with Cd stress. However, the Cd stress mitigating impact of Si reduction in pea (Pisum sativum L.) is not known. The objective of this study is to see if and how Si can reduce Cd toxicity. To the end, a greenhouse pot experiment was performed twice during the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 seasons to investigate the effect of Si on the growth, anatomy, and biochemistry of Cd stressed peas plants. Cd exposure increased the contents of Cd ions in the root and shoot of pea plants. Consequentially, Cd accumulation in pea tissue significantly reduced plant growth i.e., plant height, leaf area, and shoot and root dry weights. The effect of Cd was concentration-dependent, where at low concentration (50 mg/kg soil), the plant height was 94.33 and 97.33cm and at high concentration (100 mg/kg soil), it was 89.0 and 91.0cm in the two seasons, respectively. This growth reduction can be explained by the decrease in plants' photosynthesis, whereas plants exposed to Cd toxicity had lower chlorophyll levels. At the anatomy level, high Cd concentrations resulted in anatomical abnormalities such as an unusual vascular system, abnormal lignification in the pith parenchyma, and enlarged cortical cells. Moreover, all Cd concentrations resulted in a highly significant decrease in stomatal area and stomatal density (the number of stomata per mm2). In addition to growth inhibition, Cd-induced oxidative damage to pea plants as indicated by increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. To reduce stress toxicity, plants treated with Cd at 50 and 100 (mg/kg) showed a significant increase in antioxidant capacity. Peroxidase (POD) enzyme activity was significantly increased by 41.26%, 28.64%, 77.05%, and 60.77% in both seasons, respectively. Si at 300 ppm under Cd (100 mg/kg) stress conductions considerably reduced (MDA) contents by 29.02% and 29.12%, in the two seasons, respectively. The findings pointed out that Si's ability to protect pea against the oxidative stress caused by Cd toxicity.

Biological models and replicas in Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Biological models and replicas were in their heyday in the nineteenth century when they were common in primary, elementary, secondary and higher education institutions, as they were frequently used to illustrate anatomical structures mentioned in textbooks and scientific papers. Biological models and replicas are part of the heritage of the Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto (Natural History and Science Museum, University of Oporto) offering insights into the world of these unique collections. We performed a study on the use of these industrial-made models and replicas of the internal or/and external anatomy of animals and plants that accompanied many of the practical demonstrations in comparative biology and anatomy classes at the Academia Politécnica do Porto and, later on, at the Universidade do Porto, its successor. Artisanal models and replicas were also used in biology and anthropology classes. This research on these special items helps promote their value and contributes to the dissemination of information and may be relevant to other institutions owning identical models.

Wood anatomy of 13 species from a successional tropical dry forest: description and ecological implications

Summary Successional tropical dry forest (TDF) species face water scarcity in the harsh dry season. Wood features provide insight into potential hydraulic stress coping mechanisms. Here, we describe the wood anatomy of 13 species occurring frequently in successional TDF. Given the marked rainfall seasonality of TDF, we expected these species to share conspicuous growth rings boundaries and drought-adapted anatomical features such as paratracheal parenchyma; although given the taxonomic and phenological diversity, a high wood diversity was also expected. Most species have diffuse-porosity. Axial parenchyma is diversely associated with vessels. Simple perforation plates are common and exclusive to all species. Different features poorly delimit growth boundaries, as previously observed in other tropical species. The main ground tissue is diverse, including nonseptate fibers, septate living fibers, or exclusively parenchyma. Axial and radial parenchyma may be scarce, abundant, or represent the main and unlignified ground tissue component. Vessel grouping ranges from solitary and 2–29 vessels per group. The mean vessel diameter range is ⩽50–200 μm; fiber walls are very thin to very thick. The anatomical features recorded among successional TDF species suggest different water stress coping mechanisms resulting from various anatomical combinations. Seven species exhibit wood features associated with drought tolerance (higher hydraulic redundancy, higher mechanical resistance, with vessel-ray connectivity likely given by banded parenchyma), whereas six species share xylem features associated with drought avoidance (taller and wider rays indicating higher water storage capacity). The complexity and multifunctionality of stem woody tissue should caution us against oversimplifying the relationship between anatomy, function, and ecological performance of TDF species.

Practical guidelines for quantitative wood anatomy on Ginkgo biloba L.

Summary Ginkgo biloba L., a long-lived relict species, has high ecological, cultural and economic value. Studying the quantitative wood anatomy of G. biloba is important to understand the relationships between their tree-growth and climate change, which could help in the protection of old G. biloba trees. Preparing high-quality wood thin sections is the premise of quantitative wood anatomy analysis. In addition, manual correction of image analysis is a time-consuming process. We therefore present a protocol on how to make G. biloba high-quality xylem thin sections, from sample preparation, sample embedding, blade selection to thickness selection. We also present a method to determine the necessary sample width and number of cores to establish reliable wood anatomical time series that both can capture climate signals and reduce the time used for image analysis. For microsection preparation, it is optimal to cut 20–30-μm-thick sections using Leica DB80 blades after applying the cornstarch solution on top of the sample surface. For image analysis, the reliable wood anatomical time series can be established when measuring six cores (trees) or above, and the environmental signals are captured when analyzing a 1.2-mm-wide radial strip along the increment core (deviation <2%) for the parameters cell density, mean lumen area, potential hydraulic conductivity and percentage of the conductive area. This paper provides practical guidance to successfully use quantitative wood anatomy methods on G. biloba. We hope our study will be helpful for future research on the quantitative wood anatomy of G. biloba and similar tree species.

Functional xylem characteristics associated with drought-induced embolism in angiosperms.

Hydraulic failure resulting from drought-induced embolism in the xylem of plants is a key determinant of reduced productivity and mortality. Methods to assess this vulnerability are difficult to achieve at scale, leading to alternative metrics and correlations with more easily measured traits. These efforts have led to the longstanding and pervasive assumed mechanistic link between vessel diameter and vulnerability in angiosperms. However, there are at least two problems with this assumption that requires critical re-evaluation: (1) our current understanding of drought-induced embolism does not provide a mechanistic explanation why increased vessel width should lead to greater vulnerability, and (2) the most recent advancements in nanoscale embolism processes suggest that vessel diameter is not a direct driver. Here, we review data from physiological and comparative wood anatomy studies, highlighting the potential anatomical and physicochemical drivers of embolism formation and spread. We then put forward key knowledge gaps, emphasising what is known, unknown and speculation. A meaningful evaluation of the diameter-vulnerability link will require a better mechanistic understanding of the biophysical processes at the nanoscale level that determine embolism formation and spread, which will in turn lead to more accurate predictions of how water transport in plants is affected by drought.

Increasing knowledge on the diversity of canelas-de-ema in the campo rupestre: two new species of Vellozia (Velloziaceae) from the southern Espinhaço Range, Brazil

Background and aims – Two new species of Vellozia (Velloziaceae) are here described and illustrated, Vellozia albohexandra and V. mellosilvae. These new species are morphologically similar to Vellozia armata, V. luteola, and V. inselbergae, probably belonging to the same informal group. Material and methods – Morphological and anatomical descriptions were based on herbarium specimens and in situ observations. Standard taxonomy and plant anatomy practices and methods were applied. Key results – Vellozia albohexandra can be easily distinguished from the other species of the group of V. luteola by its sessile flowers with white and smaller petals and sepals, six stamens, and smaller style and stigma. The species is endemic to the Cristália municipality, Minas Gerais state, and has been classified as Data Deficient according to IUCN criteria. Vellozia mellosilvae shares morphological affinities with V. armata, but it is distinguished by the leaves with serrate margin and abaxial furrows, longer and evident pedicel, and larger petals and sepals. This species is endemic to the Itacambira municipality, and should be considered Critically Endangered.

Integration of high-throughput phenotyping with anatomical traits of leaves to help understanding lettuce acclimation to a changing environment

Main conclusionThe combination of image-based phenotyping with in-depth anatomical analysis allows for a thorough investigation of plant physiological plasticity in acclimation, which is driven by environmental conditions and mediated by anatomical traits.Understanding the ability of plants to respond to fluctuations in environmental conditions is critical to addressing climate change and unlocking the agricultural potential of crops both indoor and in the field. Recent studies have revealed that the degree of eco-physiological acclimation depends on leaf anatomical traits, which show stress-induced alterations during organogenesis. Indeed, it is still a matter of debate whether plant anatomy is the bottleneck for optimal plant physiology or vice versa. Here, we cultivated ‘Salanova’ lettuces in a phenotyping chamber under two different vapor pressure deficits (VPDs; low, high) and watering levels (well-watered, low-watered); then, plants underwent short-term changes in VPD. We aimed to combine high-throughput phenotyping with leaf anatomical analysis to evaluate their capability in detecting the early stress signals in lettuces and to highlight the different degrees of plants’ eco-physiological acclimation to the change in VPD, as influenced by anatomical traits. The results demonstrate that well-watered plants under low VPD developed a morpho-anatomical structure in terms of mesophyll organization, stomatal and vein density, which more efficiently guided the acclimation to sudden changes in environmental conditions and which was not detected by image-based phenotyping alone. Therefore, we emphasized the need to complement high-throughput phenotyping with anatomical trait analysis to unveil crop acclimation mechanisms and predict possible physiological behaviors after sudden environmental fluctuations due to climate changes.

Sherwin Carlquist (1930-2021) - A Botanical Luminary

Sherwin Carlquist (1930–2021) was an internationally respected and distinguished botanist who held faculty positions in botany at California Botanic Garden, Claremont Graduate University and Pomona College between 1956 and 1992. His legacy includes major scholarly contributions to plant systematics, plant anatomy, especially wood anatomy, island biogeography, evolutionary and ecological reasoning, and a prolific publication record. A loose collection of paragraphs by those who interacted with him addresses Carlquist's tremendous botanical output, teaching, mentorship, scientific scholarship, and his roles as a colleague and friend.

A review of the Hirmeriellaceae (Cheirolepidiaceae) wood

Summary The Hirmeriellaceae are an extinct family of Mesozoic conifers. Their foliage has been described in the genera Brachyphyllum, Frenelopsis, Pseudofrenelopsis, etc., while their pollen corresponds to the genus Classopollis, the male cones to e.g. Classostrobus or Tomaxellia and the female scales were named Hirmeriella and Paraucaria, for example. Reproductive structures are necessary for a definite identification of the family. Such fossils are rarely found in connection with mature secondary xylem. As a result, very little is known about the wood anatomy of the Hirmeriellaceae. This work reviews available evidences, either from connections between wood and reproductive structures typical for the Hirmeriellaceae or from associations of such fossils within Mesozoic rocks. Connection cases are rare and are reported only for the Cretaceous and for genera Frenelopsis and Pseudofrenelopsis. Association cases are more numerous; however, they are also poorly distributed in time, being reported mostly from two intervals only, the latest Triassic–earliest Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous. Wood data are also poorly distributed taxonomically with most of them being from the frenelopsids. The fossil genera Agathoxylon, Brachyoxylon, Protocupressinoxylon and Protopodocarpoxylon were used for wood fossils which are more or less safely related to the Hirmeriellaceae. However, only the first two seem to have been rightly used, the first usually for juvenile or small diameter wood, the second for more mature wood. Even if there seems to be a privileged link between Brachyoxylon and the Hirmeriellaceae, it cannot be said to be exclusive.

Revealing Polylepis microphylla as a suitable tree species for dendrochronology and quantitative wood anatomy in the Andean montane forests

In the tropical Andes climate change is expected to increase temperatures and change precipitation patterns. To overcome the lack of systematic weather records that limits the performance of climate models in this region, the use of the environmental information contained in tree rings from tropical Andean species have been found useful to reconstruct spatio-temporal climate variability. Because classical dendrochronology based on ring-width patterns is often challenging in the tropics, alternative approaches such as Quantitative Wood Anatomy (QWA) based on the measurement and quantification of anatomical traits within tree rings can be a significant advance in the field. Here we assess the dendrochronological potential of Polylepis microphylla and its climate sensitivity by using i) classic dendrochronological methods to generate the first Tree-ring Width (TRW) chronology for this tree species spanning from 1965 to 2018; ii) radiocarbon (¹⁴C) analyses as an independent validation method to assess the annual periodicity of the tree growth layers; and iii) QWA to generate tree-ring annual records of the number (VN) and size (VS) of vessels to investigate the climate sensitivity of these anatomical traits. The annual periodicity in P. microphylla radial growth was confirmed by both dendrochronological and ¹⁴C analyses. We found that VN and VS are promising new proxies to reconstruct climate variability in this region and that they provide different information than TRW. While TRW provides information at inter-annual resolution (i.e., year-to-year variability), VN and VS generated with sectorial QWA provide intra-annual resolution for each stage of the growing process. The TRW and the anatomical traits (i.e., VN and VS) showed strong positive correlation with maximum temperature for different periods of the growing season: while VS is higher with warmer conditions prior to the growing season onset, tree-rings are wider and present higher number of vessels when warmer conditions occur during the current growing season. Our findings pointed out the suitability of P. microphylla for dendrochronological studies and may suggest a good performance of this species under the significant warming expected according to future projections for the tropical Andes.

Effect of different soil water managements on the selectivity of fomesafen in conventional and RR soybean

The study aimed to study the selectivity of the herbicide fomesafen, sprayed at different growth stages of the conventional and RR soybean cultivars, under different soil water managements. Two soybean cultivars were used: MG/BR 46 Conquista (conventional) and BRS Valiosa (RR), submitted to the spraying of fomesafen at two phenological stages (V2-first open trefoil; V4-third open trefoil), under three soil water conditions (-0.03, −0.07, and −0.5 MPa). Under water scarcity conditions, soybean plants have lower visual phytotoxicity when subjected to the spraying of the herbicide fomesafen. There were anatomical differences between the leaf blades of the conventional (MG/BR 46 Conquista) and transgenic (BRS Valiosa – RR) cultivars, and the water scarcity changed the anatomy of the soybean plants. The condition of moderate water shortage (-0.07 MPa) led the conventional cultivar to present a lower development than the transgenic cultivar. The transgenic cultivar had a greater ability to sustain the biological nitrogen fixation under moderate water shortage conditions (-0.07 MPa) than the conventional cultivar.

Characteristics of a multi-species conifer network of wood properties chronologies from Southern Australia

Progress in quantitative wood anatomy has resulted in a growing number of increasingly understood proxies from the tree-ring archive. Much of this work has been based on tree species in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we present and examine a relatively dense network of wood property chronologies (wood density, tracheid radial diameter, cell wall thickness and ring width) from several species in Tasmania, southern Australia. We ask how the relationships amongst the different types of chronologies differ within and amongst species. We also consider how each chronology responds to monthly climate. In general terms, and similar to findings in the Northern Hemisphere, relationships between the various wood properties and climate are stronger than those between climate and ring width chronologies. An important exception to this is the highest elevation Lagarostrobos franklinii site. Additionally, strongest response to climate for the wood properties generally occurs for the concurrent growing season compared to the prior growing season for ring width. Relationships amongst the various chronology types differ for the various species, with L. franklinii also showing some variation in these relationships by site (possibly associated with elevation). Results suggest there is considerable value in further exploring the potential for developing anatomical wood chronologies for climate reconstruction from other species for which ring widths do not exhibit a strong climate signal.