Impact of Water Stress on the Sapwood Anatomy And Functional Morphology of Calligonum Comosum

Abstract

This investigation reports the impact of water stress on some anatomical traits of sapwood and other functional morphological features of green assimilatory shoots of Calligonum comosum L'Hér. (Erta), a good source of fuel wood. The major findings of the study are that in this species drought makes for: a) narrower vessels both in earlywood and latewood, b) thicker vessel walls, c) longer vessel elements and fibers, d) a higher frequency of small latewood vessels and a lower frequency of large earlywood vessels, e) narrower growth rings, f) a lower total fraction of vessels per xylem area, g) higher wood density, h) narrower depth of conducting phloem, i) higher specific mass of green photosynthetic shoots, and j) a lower chlorophyll content. Extremely narrow vessels arranged in radial files in latewood were recognized having 40% increased volume fraction in nonirrigated plants. This adaptation is believed to play an important role in the species survival during hot summer months.

An overview of models of stomatal conductance at the leaf level

“…2002; Gomez‐Del‐Campo et al . 2003; Al‐Khalifah et al . 2006); (2) a decrease of the number of leaves on new shoots (Gomez‐Del‐Campo et al .…”

“…2007); (3) an increase in the root‐to‐shoot ratio (Assuero et al . 2002); and (4) modifications in vessel anatomy that favour small diameter vessels (Al‐Khalifah et al . 2006).…”

“…In response to environmental stresses, modifications of the morphology of the plant were reported. It was observed that drought results in: (1) a decrease in the specific leaf area that leads in turn to a decrease of the evaporative surface (Assuero et al 2002;Gomez-Del-Campo et al 2003;Al-Khalifah et al 2006); (2) a decrease of the number of leaves on new shoots (Gomez-Del-Campo et al 2003) and abscission of existing leaves (Gu et al 2007); (3) an increase in the root-to-shoot ratio (Assuero et al 2002); and (4) modifications in vessel anatomy that favour small diameter vessels (Al-Khalifah et al 2006). These adaptive strategies buffer the effects of water stress on gs and, for that reason, should be integrated into models.…”

Mechanical and phytochemical protection mechanisms of Calligonum comosum in arid deserts

“…For example, C . comosum produces wood of higher density, with narrow, thick-walled vessels and long fibers in the narrow growth rings of stems that have significant smaller diameter under drought conditions [ 19 ]. These strong anatomical structures are required to face strong wind and sand movement.…”

An approach to compare the environmental conditions of Acer in the Miocene and in the modern flora of Turkey, based on wood anatomy

“…Today, calculation of mesomorphy is one the most useful approaches for understanding the effect of growth conditions on wood anatomy (e.g. Carlquist & Hoekman 1985, Carquist 1988, Lindorf 1994, Carlquist & Hoekman 1985, Barajas-Morales 1985, Perez 1989, Psaras & Sofroniou 1999, Alves & Alfonso 2002, Khalifah et al 2006, Bosio et al 2010, Noshiro et al 2010, Pourtahmasi et al 2011, Villiers et al 2012, Izquierdo et al 2013, Mashari 2014, Ziaco et al 2014, Olivar et al 2015. In Turkey, many ecology-oriented studies of the wood anatomy of modern species have been performed as well (e.g.…”