As trees photosynthesize, using carbon from the atmosphere to grow and store energy, they also lose water to the air (transpire). During a drought, continuing to photosynthesize and transpire puts trees at risk of...
A comprehensive understanding of the systems behind vertical transport of water in tall trees is crucial when predicting the susceptibility of these long-lived organisms to drought. Pfautsch et al. use detailed...
Roots possess complex anatomical structures characterised by suberised apoplastic barriers that are deposited in localised cell wall layers. Barley roots lack an exodermis, but form an endodermis that accounts for the...
Using an immunochemical approach to reveal the link between changes in abscisic acid (ABA) levels, aquaporin function and changes in root cell hydraulic conductivity (LpCell), Sharipova et al. compared the abundance of...
The combination of soil drying and a high transpiration rate causes severe water stress in plants. In their Viewpoint article, Carminati et al. develop a biophysical model to describe how low soil moisture and high...
Plant responses to drought involve multiple interacting traits and processes, which complicates predictions about which plants will die and which will survive. Species are often characterized by species-specific...
The functional relationship between cell types and three xylem functions of conduction, support and storage using approximately 800 tree species from China.
The water-transport capacity of leaf venation is positively related to the leaf-lamina area, because the number and diameter of vein-xylem conduits are properly controlled to match the lamina area. Taneda and...
The co-occurrence of evergreen and deciduous species in tropical dry forests suggests the existence of different water-use strategies among the species. Fu et al. study six evergreen and six deciduous tree species co...
Functional plasticity in a plant’s hydraulic architecture may constitute a mechanistic basis for anticipating the differential success of plant species in response to climate variability. von Arx et al. compare several...