Diel growth dynamics in tree stems: linking anatomy and ecophysiology.
Impacts of climate on stem growth in trees are studied in anatomical, ecophysiological, and ecological disciplines, but an integrative framework to assess those impacts remains lacking. In this opinion article, we argue that three research efforts are required to provide that integration. First, we need to identify the missing links in diel patterns in stem diameter and stem growth and relate those patterns to the underlying mechanisms that control water and carbon balance. Second, we should focus on the understudied mechanisms responsible for seasonal impacts on such diel patterns. Third, information on stem anatomy and ecophysiology should be integrated in the same experiments and mechanistic plant growth models to capture both diel and seasonal scales.
Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: kathy.steppe@UGent.be.
Kathy
K
Steppe
Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Frank
F
Sterck
Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555 Boulevard de l'Université, Chicoutimi, QC G7H 2B1, Canada.
Annie
A
Deslauriers
D002244:Carbon; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D012621:Seasons; D014197:Trees / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D014867:Water
D014867:Water; D002244:Carbon
plant models; plant sensors; stem diameter variations; stem growth; trees; water and carbon relations