title: Allocation, stress tolerance and carbon transport in plants: how does phloem physiology affect plant ecology?
abstract: Despite the crucial role of carbon transport in whole plant physiology and its impact on plant-environment interactions and ecosystem function, relatively little research has tried to examine how phloem physiology impacts plant ecology. In this review, we highlight several areas of active research where inquiry into phloem physiology has increased our understanding of whole plant function and ecological processes. We consider how xylem-phloem interactions impact plant drought tolerance and reproduction, how phloem transport influences carbon allocation in trees and carbon cycling in ecosystems and how phloem function mediates plant relations with insects, pests, microbes and symbiotes. We argue that in spite of challenges that exist in studying phloem physiology, it is critical that we consider the role of this dynamic vascular system when examining the relationship between plants and their biotic and abiotic environment.
authors.affiliation: Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 1300 Centre Street, Boston, MA, 02131, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7756-7166
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.affiliation: School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Clearwater
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
authors.forename: Dustin F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Schoenbeinstrasse 6, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tamir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, West Mains Road, EH9 3JN, Edinburgh, UK.|ICREA at CREAF, Campus de UAB, Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona, 08023, Spain.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mencuccini
authors.affiliation: Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sevanto
authors.affiliation: Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Turgeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Cankui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D001692:Biological Transport; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D055669:Ecological and Environmental Phenomena; D052585:Phloem / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon
keywords: carbon cycle; defense; drought; growth; phloem transport; reproduction; rhizosphere; xylem transport