Many trees in tropical dry forests flower during the dry season when evaporative demand is high and soil water levels are low. In this study the factors influencing the water balance of flowers from three species of dry forest trees were examined. Flowers had greater mucilage contents than leaves, high intrinsic and absolute capacitances, long time constants for water exchange and high transfer resistances. Flower water potentials were higher than in leaves and did not fluctuate over the lifespan of the flower. Flower water content also remained constant even though evaporation rates were high, suggesting that water was being supplied from the stem. In two of the species, the water potential gradient between flowers and leaves was opposite to that necessary for water transport from stem to flowers through the xylem, and it was therefore hypothesized that water may enter the flower through the phloem. Calculations showed that nectar production in these flowers could drive a sink of sufficient magnitude to allow water input via the phloem equal to water lost from the flower to the atmosphere.

Summary• Baobab trees ( Adansonia , Bombacaceae) are widely thought to store water in their stems for use when water availability is low. We tested this hypothesis by assessing the role of stored water during the dry season in three baobab species in Madagascar.• In the dry season, leaves are present only during and after leaf flush. We quantified the relative contributions of stem and soil water during this period through measures of stem water content, sap flow and stomatal conductance.• Rates of sap flow at the base of the trunk were near zero, indicating that leaf flushing was almost entirely dependent on stem water. Stem water content declined by up to 12% during this period, yet stomatal conductance and branch sap flow rates remained very low.• Stem water reserves were used to support new leaf growth and cuticular transpiration, but not to support stomatal opening before the rainy season. Stomatal opening coincided with the onset of sap flow at the base of the trunk and occurred only after significant rainfall.

Journal articleIFPRI3; ISIEPTDP

We measured vertical and horizontal variation in canopy transmittance of photosynthetically active radiation in five Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco-Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. (Douglas-fir-western hemlock) stands in the central Cascades of southern Washington to determine how stand structure and age affect the forest light environment. The shape of the mean transmittance profile was related to stand height, but height of mean maximum transmittance was progressively lower than maximum tree height in older stands. The vertical rate of attenuation declined with stand age in both the overstory and understory. A classification of vertical light zones based on the mean and variance of transmittance showed a progressive widening of the bright (low variance and high mean) and transition (high variance and rapid vertical change) zones in older stands, whereas the dim zone (low variance and mean) narrowed. The zone of maximum canopy surface area in height profiles, estimated by inversion of transmittance profiles, changed from relatively high in the canopy in most young stands ("top-heavy") to lower in the canopy in older stands ("bottom-heavy"). In the understory, all stands had similar mean transmittances, but the spatial scale of variation increased with stand age and increasing crown size. The angular distribution of openness was similar in all stands, though the older stands were less open at all angles than the younger stands. Understory openness was generally unrelated to transmittance in the canopy above. Whole-canopy leaf area indices, estimated using three methods of inverting light measurements, showed little correspondence across methods. The observed patterns in light environment are consistent with structural changes occurring during stand development, particularly the diversification of crowns, the creation of openings of various sizes and the elaboration of the outer canopy surface. The ensemble of measurements has potential use in distinguishing forests of differing ages that have similar stature.

The stems of large trees serve in transport, storage, and support; however, the degree to which these roles are reflected in their morphology is not always apparent. The large, water-filled stems of baobab trees (Adansonia spp.) are generally assumed to serve a water storage function, yet recent studies indicate limited use of stored water. Through an analysis of wood structure and composition, we examined whether baobab morphology reflects biomechanical constraints rather than water storage capacity in the six Madagascar baobab species. Baobab wood has a high water content (up to 79%), low wood density (0.09-0.17 g · cm(-3)), high parenchyma content (69-88%), and living cells beyond 35 cm into the xylem from the cambium. Volumetric construction cost of the wood is several times lower than in more typical trees, and the elastic modulus approaches that of parenchyma tissue. Safety factors calculated from estimated elastic buckling heights were low, indicating that baobabs are not more overbuilt than other temperate and tropical trees, yet the energy investment in stem material is comparable to that in temperate deciduous trees. Furthermore, the elastic modulus of the wood decreases with water content, such that excessive water withdrawal from the stem could affect mechanical stability.