Xylem anatomy traits of Quercus species

1. Climate is a major evolutionary force in driving adaptive differentiation and plasticity in plant function. Xylem anatomy and hydraulic architecture are critical to water use, growth, and responses of trees to drought and thus important in delimiting their ecological niches. How wood properties have been shaped through evolution by their climatic origins and the importance of plasticity for species persistence remain open questions critical to understanding plant responses to changing climate.

2. We measured 11 wood anatomical traits for 18 Quercus (oak) species in arboreta that span contrasting climates (California-US, southwestern France, and central England). We investigated coordinate evolution of xylem anatomical properties with climatic niche and intraspecific variation in relation to growth environment.

3. Species originating from climates with drier summers had traits associated with higher resistance to drought– higher density of vasicentric tracheids (VT), lower vesse...

1. 气候是驱动植物功能适应性分化与可塑性的重要进化驱动力。木质部解剖结构与水力结构对树木的水分利用、生长及干旱响应至关重要，因此在界定其生态位方面具有重要意义。木材性状如何通过气候起源的进化过程形成，以及可塑性对物种存续的重要性，仍是理解植物应对气候变化响应的关键悬而未决问题。

2. 我们在横跨不同气候区（美国加利福尼亚州、法国西南部及英格兰中部）的植物园中，对18种栎属（Quercus，橡树）物种的11个木材解剖性状进行了测定。我们研究了木质部解剖特性与气候生态位的协同进化，以及与生长环境相关的种内变异。

3. 起源于夏季更干旱气候的物种具有与更高耐旱性相关的性状——傍管管胞（VT）密度更高、导管...