Daytime stomatal regulation in mature temperate trees prioritizes stem rehydration at night

2023/05/26 by Richard L. Peters, Kathy Steppe, Christoforos Pappas +13 · 66 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Agronomy #Biology #Botany #Canopy #Environmental science #Forest ecology and management #Horticulture #Photosynthesis #Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics #Stomatal conductance #Transpiration #Tree-ring climate responses #Turgor pressure #Water flow #Water transport #Xylem

paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/nph.18964

published in New Phytologist 239(2), 533-546 (Wiley)

openalex publication_date 2023/05/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06

Abstract

Summary Trees remain sufficiently hydrated during drought by closing stomata and reducing canopy conductance ( G c ) in response to variations in atmospheric water demand and soil water availability. Thresholds that control the reduction of G c are proposed to optimize hydraulic safety against carbon assimilation efficiency. However, the link between G c and the ability of stem tissues to rehydrate at night remains unclear. We investigated whether species‐specific G c responses aim to prevent branch embolisms, or enable night‐time stem rehydration, which is critical for turgor‐dependent growth. For this, we used a unique combination of concurrent dendrometer, sap flow and leaf water potential measurements and collected branch‐vulnerability curves of six common European tree species. Species‐specific G c reduction was weakly related to the water potentials at which 50% of branch xylem conductivity is lost ( P 50 ). Instead, we found a stronger relationship with stem rehydration. Species with a stronger G c control were less effective at refilling stem‐water storage as the soil dries, which appeared related to their xylem architecture. Our findings highlight the importance of stem rehydration for water‐use regulation in mature trees, which likely relates to the maintenance of adequate stem turgor. We thus conclude that stem rehydration must complement the widely accepted safety–efficiency stomatal control paradigm.

Citations

• Are trees able to grow in periods of stem shrinkage?
• Why trees grow at night

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