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JXB Advance Access originally published online on November 26, 2007
Journal of Experimental Botany 2007 58(15-16):4095-4105; doi:10.1093/jxb/erm268
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© 2007 The Author(s).
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This paper is available online free of all access charges (see http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/open_access.html for further details)

RESEARCH PAPER

Changes in hydraulic conductivity, mechanical properties, and density reflecting the fall in strain along the lateral roots of two species of tropical trees

Karen K. Christensen-Dalsgaard1,2,*, Anthony R. Ennos1 and Meriem Fournier3,4

1The University of Manchester, Faculty of Life Sciences, Jackson's Mill, Manchester M60 1QD, UK
2Aarhus University, Department of Biological Sciences, Ny Munkesgade 1540, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
3AgroParisTech, ECOFOG,UMR CIRAD-CNRS-ENGREF-INRA-UAG, BP709, 87310 Kourou, French Guiana
4AgroParisTech, LERFOB, UMR ENGREF INRA 1092, Ecole Nationale du Genie Rural, des Eaux et Forêts, 14 Avenue Girardet–CS 4216, 54000 Nancy Cedex, France

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: karen{at}cd-mail.dk

Roots have been described as having larger vessels and so greater hydraulic efficiency than the stem. Differences in the strength and stiffness of the tissue within the root system itself are thought to be an adaptation to the loading conditions experienced by the roots and to be related to differences in density. It is not known how potential mechanical adaptations may affect the hydraulic properties of the roots. The change in strength, stiffness, conductivity, density, sapwood area, and second moment of area distally along the lateral roots of two tropical tree species in which the strain is known to decrease rapidly was studied and the values were compared with those of the trunk. It was found that as the strain fell distally along the roots, so did the strength and stiffness of the tissue, whereas the conductivity increased exponentially. These changes appeared to be related to differences in density. In contrast to the distal-most roots, the tissue of the proximal roots had a lower conductivity and higher strength than that of the trunk. This suggests that mechanical requirements on the structure rather than the water potential gradient from roots to branches are responsible for the general pattern that roots have larger vessels than the stem. In spite of their increased transectional area, the buttressed proximal roots were subjected to higher levels of stress and had a lower total conductivity than the rest of the root system.

Key words: Buttress roots, density, hydraulic conductivity, hydraulic–mechanical trade-offs, modulus of elasticity, tropical trees, wood

Received 11 June 2007; Revised 19 September 2007 Accepted 26 September 2007


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