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Hydraulic redistribution of foliar absorbed water causes turgor‐driven growth in mangrove seedlings
Author(s) -
Schreel Jeroen D.M.,
Van de Wal Bart A.E.,
HervéFernandez Pedro,
Boeckx Pascal,
Steppe Kathy
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/pce.13556
Subject(s) - avicennia marina , turgor pressure , mangrove , environmental science , biology , seedling , greenhouse , agronomy , botany , horticulture , ecology
Although foliar water uptake (FWU) has been shown in mature Avicennia marina trees, the importance for its seedlings remains largely unknown. A series of experiments were therefore performed using artificial rainfall events in a greenhouse environment to assess the ecological implications of FWU in A . marina seedlings. One‐hour artificial rainfall events resulted in an increased leaf water potential, a reversed sap flow, and a rapid diameter increment signifying a turgor‐driven growth of up to 30.1 ± 5.4 μm. Furthermore, the application of an artificial rainfall event with deuterated water showed that the amount of water absorbed by the leaves and transported to the stem was directly and univocally correlated to the observed growth spurts. The observations in this process‐based study show that FWU is an important water acquisition mechanism under certain circumstances and might be of ecological importance for the establishment of A . marina seedlings. Distribution of mangrove trees might hence be more significantly disturbed by climate change‐driven changes in rainfall patterns than previously assumed.