The coordination between xylem and bark hydraulics in temperate Rosaceae species

Authors

Jupa, R., Patkova, T., Binter, J., Dolezal, J., Nobis, M. P., Mayr, S., Gloser, V.

Abstract

Xylem and bark properties influence tree growth and drought resistance, yet their functional coordination and their environmental drivers remain unclear. We assessed xylem-bark coordination in branches of eight temperate woody Rosaceae species spanning different ecological preferences. We quantified xylem hydraulic efficiency and safety alongside bark traits governing permeability, hygroscopic water exchange, water storage, and anatomy, and evaluated phylogenetic signal and climatic associations. Bark water vapor conductance (Gbark) increased with maximum xylem hydraulic conductivity (Kh) and with xylem water potential at 50% loss of conductivity (P50), indicating species with more efficient but more embolism-vulnerable xylem developed more permeable bark. Species with higher Gbark showed reduced hygroscopic absorption time, consistent with faster rehydration from atmospheric water vapor. Both Gbark and P50 were phylogenetically conserved and covaried with climatic factors, namely air temperature, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and isothermality. Species from warmer, high-VPD climates with greater diurnal temperature variability combined higher bark permeability with more vulnerable xylem, implying a shift from embolism avoidance to embolism tolerance strategies. Overall, xylem and bark hydraulics in Rosaceae evolved in concert along diurnal and annual gradients of evaporative demand, showing that drought resistance in woody angiosperms cannot be understood without considering bark traits alongside xylem function.

Preprint server: bioRxiv
The authors list and abstract were imported from bioRxiv on 11 Jun 2026.

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