Bark water uptake through lenticels increases stem hydration and contributes to stem swelling

Holly A.A. Beckett*, Daryl Webb, Michael Turner, Adrian Sheppard, Marilyn C. Ball

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    3 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Foliar water uptake can recharge water storage tissue and enable greater hydration than through access to soil water alone; however, few studies have explored the role of the bark in facilitating water uptake. We investigated pathways and dynamics of bark water uptake (BWU) in stems of the mangrove Avicennia marina. We provide novel evidence that specific entry points control dynamics of water uptake through the outer bark surface. Furthermore, using a fluorescent symplastic tracer dye we provide the first evidence that lenticels on the outer bark surface facilitate BWU, thus increasing stem water content by up to 3.7%. X-ray micro-computed tomography showed that BWU was sufficient to cause measurable swelling of stem tissue layers increasing whole stem cross-sectional area by 0.83 mm2 or 2.8%, implicating it as a contributor to the diel patterns of water storage recharge that buffer xylem water potential and maintain hydration of living tissue.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)72-90
    Number of pages19
    JournalPlant, Cell and Environment
    Volume47
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 2024

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