Water Tree Research Articles

Classification of Satellite Imagery for Identifying Land-Cover Objects using ECW Compression Images: The Case of Makassar City Area

This paper presents a case study on the effect of lossy compression using the Enhanced Compressed Wavelet (ECW) format on remote sensing image classification. ECW was chosen because it is widely used as a standard format for storing aerial and satellite imagery. The case study was conducted on a high-resolution multispectral Pleiades image taken from an area in Makassar, Indonesia. Image classification is performed using the geographic object-based image analysis method, where a simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC) algorithm is implemented for segmentation before classification. Six land cover categories were selected to validate the classification results: water bodies, trees, rice fields, shrubs, and urban areas. The effect of image compression on classification accuracy is studied by varying the compression ratio. Then the results are compared with the original image. Experimental results prove that compression with ECW format does not have much effect on classification accuracy. Even the Random Forest and Gradient Boosting Machine provide higher accuracy with the compressed image compared to the original image. In addition, it can be concluded that Random Forest is the best classifier with the highest accuracy.

Water use dynamics of trees in a Pinus tabuliformis plantation in semiarid sandy regions, Northeast China

Quantifying tree water use and its environmental controlling mechanisms are significantly important for understanding of adaptation strategy of trees and plantation management in semiarid and arid regions. Here, tree water consumption and tree conductance of Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis) plantation were quantified using sap flow measurements. Environmental variables were measured concurrently during the growing seasons of 2019 and 2020. Results showed that daily, daytime and nighttime tree water consumption averaged 27.4, 24.7, and 2.7 kg d-1 across two years, respectively. Nighttime tree water consumption accounted for 10% of the daily’s, which was mainly used for recharging stem water storage deficit caused by daytime transpiration to avoid hydraulic failure. Daytime tree water consumption was more driven by solar radiation than by vapor pressure deficit. Moreover, daytime tree conductance was 0.9 mm s-1, and significantly decreased with increasing vapor pressure deficit and decreasing soil moisture, indicating that trees had strict stomatal regulation on tree transpiration. Scaling-up from tree to stand transpiration, daytime stand transpiration averaged 1.1 mm d-1 across two years, while accumulated stand transpiration was 112.8 mm and 126.8 mm in 2019 and 2020, respectively, accounting for 33% and 37% of precipitation. However, soil evaporation occupied 35% and 51% of precipitation in 2019 and 2020, respectively. This indicated that most of water in the plantation was consumed by soil evaporation. Difference between precipitation and sum of daytime stand transpiration, canopy interception, soil evaporation, and change in soil water storage was positive in two years, indicating that water budget was balanced. These findings indicated that Chinese pine trees had strict stomatal regulation on tree transpiration, and could recharge stem water storage deficit by nighttime sap flow. Moreover, stand transpiration occupied a small part of the water balance, and thus water supply was surplus, resulting in maintaining the stability of Chinese pine plantation.

Magnetically Targeted, Water-Triggered, Self-Healing Microcapsules Based on Microfluidic Techniques Enabling Targeted Healing of Water Tree Damage in Epoxy Resins.

Repairing the micro-scale damage of insulating materials under a strong electric field has long been a highly desired but challenging task. Among all kinds of damage, water tree damage in the insulating materials of electrical equipment and electronic devices working in humid environments has long been considered irreparable. The main challenge is that residual water prevents the healing agent from filling the water tree branch channel. To solve this problem, this work reports a magnetically targeted, water-triggered, self-healing microcapsule (MTWTSH-MC) that makes a breakthrough against water tree damage based on microfluidic techniques. Targeted microcapsules driven by a directional magnetic field are concentrated to the vulnerable area of the insulating materials, exerting very limited effects on the dielectric. When damage breaks the microcapsules, the healing agent releases and quickly fills the damage channel and then reacts with water in the air or in the branch channel of the water tree, achieving solidification of the healing agent and self-healing of the damage channels. In this way, we can realize self-perception, self-triggering, and self-healing for both mechanical damage and water tree damage in insulation materials without any external stimulation.

The phenotypic and genetic effects of drought-induced stress on apical growth, ring width, wood density and biomass in white spruce seedlings

Forest plantations play an important role in maintaining a supply of high-quality timber from managed forest. With an expected increase in the prevalence of drought in some forested areas, climate change increases concerns about future seedling growth. A promising approach to promote the suitability of plantation seedlings to current and future climate would be to use variation in growth and wood traits of trees under drought as selection criteria in tree breeding programs, especially at a young stage when they are most vulnerable to drought. We evaluated the genetic control of the growth and wood density response of white spruce clonal seedlings submitted to various drought conditions in a greenhouse experiment. By varying the watering treatment of 600 two year-old seedlings from 25 clones, we simulated three levels of drought-induced stress during two growing seasons. Apical and radial growth decreased markedly as the intensity of drought increased, whereas wood density tended to increase. We also developed a woody biomass index composed of wood density and ring area, which was observed to decrease slightly with increasing drought. There was important variation in all traits among clones and heritability tended to decrease with the intensity and duration of drought-induced stress, mainly for wood density and radial growth. However, the heritability of apical growth tended to increase under drought conditions. Our results show that the response of young white spruce clones to drought is highly variable, and together with the significant levels of heritability noted, the results indicate that multi-trait genetic selection for drought stress response at a young age could represent a promising approach to increase resilience to drought.

Pemanfaatan Limbah Kultur Batch Bioreaktor dan Biochar untuk Meningkatkan Kesuburan Tanah

The purpose of study was to determine the effects of aeration treatment on fish wastewater quality as a liquid organic fertilizer and fish wastewater watering treatment as a liquid organic fertilizer and a biochar application on nutrient content of lettuce and soil chemical properties. This study used a non factorial randomized block design. Treatments combination were watering freshwater frequency (W0: without watering; W1: watering twice a week; and W2: watering 4 times a week) and rice husk biochar dose (B0: without rice husk biochar; B1: 10 g rice husk biochar per polybag; and B2: 20 g rice husk biochar per polybag). The research parameters included: fish culture wastewater quality (pH, Biological Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand, NH3-N, NO3, NO2, Dissolved Oxygen, electrical conductivity, and temperature), plant nutrient content analysis (N, P, and K), and soil chemical analysis (pH, organic C, total N, C/N ratio, available P, and exchangeable K). The results showed that the quality of wastewater after aeration for 4 days met the water criteria to cultivate plants. The nutrient contents in the soil showed criteria for neutral soil pH, very low organic C, very low total N, medium C/N ratio, very high available P, and low exchangeable K. Although the nutrient content in the soil was low, the concentrations of N (1.87-3.08%), P (0.16-0.21%), and K (2.35-3.43%) nutrients in the plant were sufficient for lettuce growth. The combination treatment of watering wastewater 4 times a week and rice husk biochar 20 g per polybag gave better results to increase soil fertility and lettuce plant nutrients.
 
 Keywords: liquid waste, plant nutrients, soil amendment, soil chemistry

Recent increase in autumn temperature has stabilized tree growth in forests near the tree lines in Chilean Patagonia

AbstractIt is widely accepted that global warming is affecting forests near the tree line by increasing tree growth in these cold‐limited environments. However, since about 1970, a reduction in tree growth near the tree line has been observed in response to warming and increased drought stress. This reduction in tree growth has been mainly reported in forests of the northern hemisphere but less studied in southern forests. In this study, we investigated tree populations of Nothofagus pumilio located near the arboreal altitudinal limit in the central Patagonian Andes (45–47° S, Aysén region, Chile). In this region, warming has been accompanied by increased drought conditions since the 2000s. We explored whether this climatic variability has promoted or reduced tree growth at the regional scale in tree lines of these broadleaved temperate forests of central Patagonia. We constructed tree‐ring chronologies and determined common growth patterns and trends, and then analyzed the influence of recent climate. We detected a significant change in the slope of regional growth trends between the periods 1955–1985 and 1985–2015. We found that positive growth trends in the period 1955–1985 were associated with warmer and drier springs. However, after 1985, we found a stabilization in N. pumilio growth associated with a steady increase in temperature in autumn. Our results support the idea that more frequent warm autumns, with very thin or no snow cover, have stabilized tree growth due to water deficit at the end of the growing season of N. pumilio. The predicted climate change scenario of increasing temperatures and drought in central Patagonia may increase competition among trees for water, particularly at the end of the growing season. Consequently, we could expect a decreasing forest growth trend in central Patagonia, potentially impacting forest dynamics of these southern forests.

Conservation prioritization through combined approach of umbrella species selection, occupancy estimation, habitat suitability and connectivity analysis of kingfisher: A study from an internationally important wetland complex (Ramsar site) in India

Assessment of occupancy status, as well as projection of suitable habitats and connectivity of wetland indicator species, and thereby identification of potential conservation umbrella and projection of conservation priority areas are often considered important for wetland conservation. Kingfishers are wetland indicators and suffer from habitat degradation due to world-wide destruction of wetlands. Therefore, they can be considered potential candidates for conservation intervention. The present knowledge about the spatial distribution of suitable areas and habitat connectivity of kingfishers at a landscape level is non-existent. We conducted extensive surveys and recorded four kingfisher species in East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW; Ramsar site No. 1208; ∼125 km2). The occupancy estimates were highest for White-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis, WTK), followed by common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis, CK), stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis, SBK) and lowest for pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis, PK). WTK has the highest amount of suitable areas followed by CK, PK and SBK. The spatial overlap of suitable habitats showed that SBK is the potential umbrella species and therefore provides conservation benefits to other kingfisher species and eventually to the EKW. In addition to water areas, emergent vegetation, crop lands and tree cover are other important habitats for kingfishers. The connectivity analyses revealed that suitable habitats were disjunct and are under various anthropogenic threats. Therefore, we need to protect suitable habitats and connectivity between them. Finally, we identified conservation priority areas. Conservation intervention on these high priority zones will not only be beneficial for kingfishers, but also for other avifauna having similar resource requirements as well as the wetland parse.

Study on the water‐tree ageing characteristics of polyethylene/organic montmorillonite and crosslinked polyethylene/organic montmorillonite nanocomposites

AbstractThe dispersion state of nanoparticles affects the properties of composites, and the crosslinking process of polymers affects the dispersion state of nanoparticles. In order to investigate the effects of crosslinking behaviour on the water‐tree ageing characteristics of nanocomposite dielectrics at the molecular level, polyethylene/organic‐montmorillonite (PE/organic montmorillonite (OMMT)) and crosslinked polyethylene/organic‐montmorillonite (XLPE/OMMT) nanocomposites were prepared by the melt blending method, after which the accelerated water‐tree ageing experiments were conducted using a needle electrode. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, successive self‐nucleation annealing and scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were conducted to characterise the properties of the samples before and after water‐tree ageing. The results indicate that the initiation probability and the length of water trees in XLPE/OMMT are less than those in PE/OMMT. The carbonyl index in the water‐tree area of the two nanocomposites increases, indicating that the water‐tree ageing is the result of electrochemical degradation. The crystallisability of the water‐tree area degrades, decreasing the crystallinity and the lamellar thickness. The growth of water trees destroys molecular chains and crystal structures, which results in local cracks. There are many holes for the water tree growth in the PE/OMMT specimen. However, the crosslinked meshwork not only restricts the movement of macromolecular chains but also increases the stability of the lamellar barrier effect of OMMT. The combination of the two effects significantly improves the water‐tree resistance of the XLPE/OMMT nanocomposite.

The Influence of Environmental Variables on Home Range Size and Use in the Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) in Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, China.

Simple SummaryThe objectives of our study were to determine the seasonal home range size variation, and to determine the fraction of variation in home range use explained by environmental variables. We found that the core home range size of the golden snub-nosed monkey in Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve varied seasonally. The environmental variables in spring and summer explained a large part of home range use intensity, while the environmental variables in autumn and winter explained a moderate fraction and no fraction of home range use intensity, respectively. Water sources, tree density, and dominant trees of Chinese wingnut (Pterocarya stenoptera) were the important environmental factors determining home range use.Accurate descriptions of home ranges can provide important information for understanding animal ecology and behavior and contribute to the formulation of conservation strategies. We used the grid cell method and kernel density estimation (KDE) to estimate the home range size of golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) in Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve. We also used Moran’s eigenvector maps analysis and variation partitioning to test the influence of environmental variables on home range use. The seasonal home range size was 15.4 km2 in spring, 11.6 km2 in summer, 13.7 km2 in autumn, and 15.6 km2 in winter, based on the grid cell method. The seasonal core area of 50% KDE was 9.86 km2 in spring, 5.58 km2 in summer, 7.20 km2 in autumn, and 4.23 km2 in winter. The environmental variables explained 63.60% of home range use intensity in spring, 72.21% in summer, 26.52% in autumn, and none in winter, and some environmental variables contributed to the spatial variation in home range use intensity. Water sources, tree density, and dominant trees of Chinese wingnut (Pterocarya stenoptera) were the important environmental factors determining home range use. These environmental factors require protection to ensure the survival of the golden snub-nosed monkey.

Bioclimatic controls of CO2 assimilation near range limits of the CAM succulent tree Aloidendron dichotomum.

Aloidendron dichotomum appears to be undergoing the early stages of a range shift in response to anthropogenic climate change in south-western Africa. High mortality has been recorded in warmer populations, while population expansions have been recorded in cooler poleward parts of its range. This study aimed to determine the key environmental controls on A. dichotomum photosynthesis in areas of population expansion, to inform the potential attribution of directional population expansion to anthropogenic warming. Nocturnal acid accumulation and CO2 assimilation were measured in individuals growing under a range of temperature and watering treatments in a greenhouse experiment. In addition, nocturnal acid accumulation and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity were quantified in two wild populations at the most southerly and south-easterly range extents. Multiple lines of evidence confirmed that A. dichotomum performs Crassulacean acid metabolism. Total nocturnal acid accumulation was highest at night-time temperatures of ~21.5 °C, regardless of soil water availability, and night-time CO2 assimilation rates increased with leaf temperature, suggesting a causal link to the cool southern range limit. Leaf acidity at the start of the dark period was highly predictive of nocturnal acid accumulation in all individuals, implicating light availability during the day as an important determinant of nocturnal acid accumulation.

Distribution of Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. in Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru forests: altitudinal range and specificity to substratum tree species

AbstractIn this study, we sampled L. pulmonaria thalli from Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru, Tanzania. Across all sampled tree species, a range of 1–35 thalli of L. pulmonaria were counted per trunk (up to 5 m above ground level), with sampling distributed across 13 (c. 1 ha) plots located in the sub-alpine to montane forest altitudinal gradients of Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru. Descriptive analyses were performed to determine the association of L. pulmonaria with particular host trees among the study sites and regions, and linear mixed effects models (LMM) were used to explore relationships with tree-level variables. The analyses showed that most thalli of L. pulmonaria were unevenly distributed among the tree species in the montane and sub-alpine forests of Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru. Host tree characteristics such as trunk circumference, height on trunk, bark texture and trunk shape appeared to have an effect on the local population size of L. pulmonaria and the frequency of occurrence. Also, the results indicated an effect of trunk circumference and tree bark on the development of L. pulmonaria thallus size among the study sites. Furthermore, host tree species, for example, Hypericum revolutum and Rapenea melanophloeos were important habitats for L. pulmonaria on both mountains, whereas Ilex mitis, Bersama abyssinica and Hagenia abyssinica were important only on one mountain. The wider literature on L. pulmonaria ecology is also reviewed and it is therefore recommended that for successful conservation of the threatened L. pulmonaria in tropical montane forests, strategies should consider the type of the forests, together with the host tree species and their size.

Effect of water availability on volatile‐mediated communication between potato plants in response to insect herbivory

Abstract Airborne plant communication is a widespread phenomenon in which volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from damaged plants boost herbivore resistance in neighbouring, undamaged plants. Although this form of plant signalling has been reported in more than 30 plant species, there is still a considerable knowledge gap on how abiotic factors (e.g. water availability) alter its outcomes. We performed a greenhouse experiment to test for communication between potato plants Solanum tuberosum in response to herbivory by the generalist insect Spodoptera exigua and whether communication was affected by water availability. We paired emitter and receiver potato plants, with half of the emitters damaged by S. exigua larvae and half serving as undamaged controls. Both emitter and receiver plants were factorially subjected to one of two watering treatments: high (i.e. well‐watered) vs. low (i.e. reduced watering) availability, thus effectively teasing apart water availability effects on the emission and reception components of signalling. After 4 days of herbivore feeding, we collected emitter VOCs and receivers were subjected to feeding by S. exigua to test for effects of signalling on induced resistance. Herbivory by S. exigua led to increased VOCs emissions as well as changes in VOCs composition in emitter plants. Furthermore, emitters subjected to low water availability exhibited a weaker induction of VOCs in response to herbivory relative to well‐watered emitters. Results from the feeding bioassay indicated that receivers exposed to VOCs from herbivore‐induced emitters showed lower S. exigua damage (i.e. induced resistance) compared to receivers exposed to undamaged emitters. However, we did not observe a significant effect of water availability in either emitters or receivers on plant signalling effects on receiver resistance. Overall, our study contributes to understanding how the abiotic context affects plant communication by providing evidence of water availability effects on the induction of VOCs that act as airborne signals between plants. The observed changes in induced VOCs due to the water treatment had no detectable consequences for plant communication. Accordingly, the induction of key compounds mediating communication was apparently not compromised by our experimental conditions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Spatial distribution patterns of trunk internal decay of Euphrates poplar riparian forest along the Tarim River, northwest China

Trunk internal decay is a common phenomenon in forest ecosystems, causing the loss of forest resources. Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica Oliv.) is the only constructive tree species of the desert riparian forests along the Tarim River in northwestern China. The ecosystem stability of these forests has been damaged due to widespread internal decay or hollow rot in many tree trunks. However, forest resource conservation is difficult due to the unclear spatial patterns of P. euphratica trunk decay under different water conditions and tree morphology in the middle (MTR) and lower reaches (LTR) of the Tarim River. We conducted a field experiment and lab analysis to assess the reliability of the ARBOTOM® 2D stress wave Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) technique on P. euphratica populations. We explored the quantitative characterization method and the spatial distribution patterns of P. euphratica trunk internal decay in the MTR and LTR. Our study found that (1) the accuracy of the stress wave NDT technique in detecting trunk decay of P. euphratica in the arid desert area was more than 80%; The severity of internal trunk decays can be quantitatively characterized by the combination of the Matlab Image Processing Toolbox, (2) the trunk decay proportion of P. euphratica showed an increasing trend with the tree height in the MTR. The LTR first increased, then decreased. The degree of decay was highest when the tree height was 6–7 m. The trunk decay proportion of individual trees positively correlated with the diameter at breast height and crown loss (p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the crown diameter (p < 0.001). The higher the decay occurrence, the worse the individual size was, and vice versa, and (3) the decay proportion of the P. euphratica showed an overall increasing trend with an increase in groundwater depth. The trunk decay was significantly higher in the LTR compared to the MTR at the same distance of 300–1050 m from the river channel. Our findings suggested that the trunk decay in P. euphratica had a higher difference among different tree morphology, and the occurrence of decay in the LTR was much higher than in the MTR. The water stress at the site is one of the leading factors in internal defects in the riparian forests along the Tarim River. The results provide a theoretical basis and scientific support for desert riparian forest ecosystems’ conservation and sustainable management.

The effects of watering on cambial activity in the stems of evergreen hardwood (Samanea saman) during the pre-monsoon season in subtropical Bangladesh

Water stress has a significant impact on tree growth. However, the effects of watering on cambial activity and its influence on tree growth in subtropical climates is poorly understood. The present study analyzed the cambial activity on the stem of evergreen hardwood Samanea saman in response to either high frequency or low frequency watering during the pre-monsoon season in subtropical Bangladesh. We used two groups of seedlings: one group of seedlings was watered daily (high frequency watering), while the second group of seedlings was watered at 4–5-day intervals (low frequency watering). Samples for sequential observations of cambial activity by microscopy were collected from the main stems of seedlings of both groups. At the start of the experiment on March 25, 2015, during the pre-monsoon season, the cambium was inactive with no evidence of cell division. After 10 days of high frequency watering, cambial cell division and xylem differentiation were initiated. New cell plates were formed in the phloem side of the cambium. However, the cambium was inactive when low frequency watering was supplied. Supplying water in high frequency reactivated the cambium with forming small to large vessels. In contrast, the cambium remained inactive when low frequency watering was supplied throughout the experiment. These results suggest that continuous supply of water to the soil is one of the most important factors for cambial reactivation during pre-monsoon season in subtropical trees. Furthermore, our findings of artificial watering treatments might help to better understand the response of cambium to changes in precipitation patterns under natural conditions, allowing us to learn more about how cambium of subtropical trees responds to climate change.

Seed position in spikelet as a contributing factor to the success of the winter annual invasive grass Aegilops tauschii.

Seed position – dependent effects on seed dormancy/germination are well documented at the inflorescence/infructescence level, but less is known about seeds at different positions within a dispersal unit. For the invasive winter annual grass Aegilops tauschii, we quantified morphology, mass and dormancy/germination of seeds from basal (1), middle (2), and distal (3) positions in two spikelet types (Left and Right). We also investigated seedling emergence, survival, plant size and seed production of plants from seeds in different spikelet positions of two spikelet types under different soil nutrient and water conditions. We found that these seed, seedling and plant traits performed as mirror images between the Left and Right spikelet types. The middle seed was significantly the longest and had the maximum mass, while the basal seed was the shortest and had medium mass. Middle seeds had the highest increase in mass during imbibition and the highest germination percentages and rates, while basal seeds had the lowest. Seedling emergence and survival, plant size and seed production for each position of seeds were highest in the added fertilizer combined with regular watering treatment and lowest in the no fertilizer combined with natural moisture, while height of plants derived from the middle and the distal seeds was significantly higher than that of plants derived from the basal seeds under all soil nutrient and water conditions. Seedling survival, number of tillers per plant and seed production per plant from the middle and distal seeds were significantly lower than those from basal seeds under all soil nutrient and water treatments. The considerable variation in seedling emergence and survival, plant size and seed production between seeds in different positions in the spikelet results in much flexibility in all stages of the life cycle, thereby likely contributing to the invasiveness of A. tauschii.

Acclimation to water stress improves tolerance to heat and freezing in a common alpine grass

Alpine plants in Australia are increasingly exposed to more frequent drought and heatwaves, with significant consequences for physiological stress responses. Acclimation is a critical feature that allows plants to improve tolerance to environmental extremes by directly altering their physiology or morphology. Yet it is unclear how plant performance, tolerance, and recovery are affected when heat and water stress co-occur, and whether prior exposure affects responses to subsequent climate extremes. We grew a common alpine grass species under high or low watering treatments for three weeks before exposure to either none, one, or two heat stress events. We determined photosynthetic heat and freezing tolerance (LT50, mean temperature causing 50% irreversible damage to photosystem II) and growth. Physiological adjustments to low watering, including more negative water potentials and reduced growth, were also characterised by improved tolerance to high and low-temperature extremes. Shifts to higher heat tolerance were also evident with increasing exposure to heat stress events, though freezing tolerance was not affected. Acclimation effects were mostly short-term, however; prior exposure to heat and/or water stress had little to no effect on growth and thermal tolerance following the six-week recovery period. We conclude that rapid acclimation to water and heat stress that co-occur during summer enhances the capacity of alpine plants to tolerate increasingly frequent temperature extremes.

What does not kill you can make you stronger: Variation in plasticity in response to early temporally heterogeneous hydrological experience

AbstractTemporally heterogeneous environments may drive rapid and continuous plastic responses, leading to highly variable plasticity in traits. However, direct experimental evidence for such meta‐plasticity due to environmental heterogeneity is rare.Our objective was to investigate the effects of early experience with temporally heterogeneous water availability on the subsequent plasticity of plant species in response to water conditions.We subjected eight plant species from three habitats, four exotic and four native to North America, to initial exposure to either a first round of alternating drought and inundation treatment (Ehet, temporally heterogeneous experience) or a consistently moderate water supply (Ehom, homogeneous experience), and to a second round of drought, moderate watering or inundation treatments. Afterwards the performance in a series of traits of these species, after the first and second rounds of treatments, was measured.Compared withEhom,Ehetincreased final mean total mass of all species considered together but did not affect mean mortality.Ehetrelative toEhom, decreased the initial total mass of native species as a group, but increased the mass of exotic species or species from hydric habitats;Ehetalso increased the late growth of natives, but did not for exotics, and increased the late growth of mesic species more than xeric and hydric species.Our results suggest that previous exposure to temporal heterogeneity in water supply may be not beneficial immediately, but can be beneficial for plant growth and response to water stress later in a plant's lifetime. Heterogeneous experiences may not necessarily enhance the degree of plasticity but may improve the expression of plasticity in terms of better performance later, effects of which differ for different groups of species, suggesting species‐specific strategies for dealing with fluctuating abiotic environments.Synthesis. Previous temporally heterogeneous experience can benefits plant growth later in life though modulating the expression of plasticity, leading to adaptive meta‐plasticity. Studies of meta‐plasticity may improve our understanding not only on the importance of variable plasticity in relation to how plants cope with environmental challenges but also on the costs versus benefits of plastic responses and its limits over the long term.

Branch xylem vascular adjustments in European beech in response to decreasing water availability across a precipitation gradient.

Crucial for the climate adaptation of trees is a xylem anatomical structure capable of adjusting to changing water regimes. Although species comparisons across climate zones have demonstrated anatomical change in response to altered water availability and tree height, less is known about the adaptability of tree vascular systems to increasing water deficits at the intraspecific level. Information on the between-population and within-population variability of xylem traits helps assessing a species' ability to cope with climate change. We investigated the variability of wood anatomical and related hydraulic traits in terminal branches of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees across a precipitation gradient (520-890mmyear-1) and examined the influence of climatic water balance (CWB), soil water capacity (AWC), neighborhood competition (CI), tree height and branch age on these traits. Furthermore, the relationship between xylem anatomical traits and embolism resistance (P50) was tested. Within-population trait variation was larger than between-population variation. Vessel diameter, lumen-to-sapwood area ratio and potential conductivity of terminal branches decreased with decreasing CWB, but these traits were not affected by AWC, whereas vessel density increased with an AWC decrease. In contrast, none of the studied anatomical traits were influenced by variation in tree height (21-34m) or CI. Branch age was highly variable (2-22years) despite equal diameter and position in the flow path, suggesting different growth trajectories in the past. Vessel diameter decreased, and vessel density increased, with increasing branch age, reflecting negative annual radial growth trends. Although vessel diameter was not related to P50, vessel grouping index and lumen-to-sapwood area ratio showed a weak, though highly significant, positive relationship to P50. We conclude that the xylem anatomy of terminal tree-top branches in European beech is modified in response to increasing climatic aridity and/or decreasing soil water availability, independent of a tree height effect.

Review of Water Treeing in Polymeric Insulated Cables

Since discovering the water treeing phenomenon (WT) in polymeric cables in the early 1970s, water treeing has been presumed to be the main cable degradation mechanism for polymeric cables and has been extensively researched up to the late 90s. Historically, different theories were proposed to describe this phenomenon's mechanism. The two most prominent theories link the initiation and growth of WTs to (i) Environmental stress cracking (ESC) and (ii) Stress-induced chemical degradation (SIED). Additionally, different experimental investigations were conducted to highlight the correlation between different operating conditions and the initiation and growth of WTs. Despite that it has been challenging to determine or agree upon a particular water treeing mechanism, it is generally accepted that there are main factors that can influence the inception and growth of water trees and can possibly steer the water tree growth mechanism to adhere ESC or SIED theories. This paper presents a comprehensive review of different selected papers and technical reports between 1969-2020 on the topic of water treeing in polymeric cables with an emphasis on the development of standing theories and operation factors that influence the initiation and growth of WTs.

Tree species identity drives nutrient use efficiency in young mixed‐species plantations, at both high and low water availability

Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that tree species diversity increases productivity and may enhance nutrient cycling in forests. The effect of mixing tree species on stand‐level nutrient use efficiency (NutUE) has seldom been studied, and even less so in the context of climate change. Here we present the first study examining how diversity effects on NutUE may be modified by growing season water availability (low vs. high), and importantly, during periodic drought or on water‐limited sites. We tested the interaction of water availability and tree species diversity (i.e. species richness and species identity) on NutUE in two young, experimental plantations located in south‐western France (ORPHEE), and northern Ontario, Canada (IDENT‐SSM). We calculated stand‐level NutUE as above‐ground net primary productivity (ANPP) divided by the product of litterfall mass and macronutrient concentrations, of monocultures and mixed tree communities composed of several temperate tree species, with a focus on birch and pine at both sites. We found significant species richness and water availability effects on NutUE, but they were weakly and inconsistently expressed, detected only for specific nutrients, and differed between the two sites. Species identity had much stronger effects on NutUE when examined using the birch–pine plots at both sites. At ORPHEE, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) were significantly greater in the birch–pine mixture than in each monoculture. This was due to an increase in ANPP coupled with a decrease in litter nutrient concentrations in the two‐species plot that was driven by the dominance of pine in the mixture. In the comparatively younger, denser plots at IDENT‐SSM, birch was the dominant species that resulted in positive mixing effects on ANPP and litter nutrient concentrations and a neutral effect of mixing on NUE and PUE in the birch–pine mixture. Overall, the effects of mixing did not differ with water availability treatments, suggesting that species composition of mixtures is more important than water availability for stand‐level NutUE in these young forest communities. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.