Advisor(s)
Dr. Christy Rollinson, The Morton Arboretum
Location
Room Academic Pit
Start Date
26-4-2019 1:40 PM
End Date
26-4-2019 2:05 PM
Abstract
The wood in a tree consists of specialized cells, known as vessels, which take water from the roots and transport it to the leaves. The size and density of these vessels can indicate the ability of the tree to transport water, and oak vessels are larger in the early part of the wood, called the earlywood, than vessels grown towards the end of the growing season. We know vessels aid in growth through water transport, and each tree species has its own unique wood characteristics, therefore, there may be a link between vessel density and growing strategies of a species. The area of earlywood vessels in the white and red oak trees cores from the Morton Arboretum were measured, and vessel density was calculated as a ratio of the vessel area over the total earlywood area in that particular ring. The average earlywood vessel density in white oak was found to be almost 1.2 times that of red oak, and white oak vessel area was 45% larger than vessel area in red oak, which may indicate differing strategies of water transport. These differences between vessel growth will help us understand how they can adapt to different conditions with varying water availability.
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Anatomical Tradeoffs in xylem characteristics impact oak water use strategies
Room Academic Pit
The wood in a tree consists of specialized cells, known as vessels, which take water from the roots and transport it to the leaves. The size and density of these vessels can indicate the ability of the tree to transport water, and oak vessels are larger in the early part of the wood, called the earlywood, than vessels grown towards the end of the growing season. We know vessels aid in growth through water transport, and each tree species has its own unique wood characteristics, therefore, there may be a link between vessel density and growing strategies of a species. The area of earlywood vessels in the white and red oak trees cores from the Morton Arboretum were measured, and vessel density was calculated as a ratio of the vessel area over the total earlywood area in that particular ring. The average earlywood vessel density in white oak was found to be almost 1.2 times that of red oak, and white oak vessel area was 45% larger than vessel area in red oak, which may indicate differing strategies of water transport. These differences between vessel growth will help us understand how they can adapt to different conditions with varying water availability.