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A structural and compositional analysis of intervessel pit membranes in the sapwood of some mangrove woods
Schmitz, N.; Koch, G.; Beeckman, H.; Koedam, N.; Robert, E. M. R.; Schmitt, U. (2012). A structural and compositional analysis of intervessel pit membranes in the sapwood of some mangrove woods. IAWA J. 33(3): 243-256
In: IAWA Journal. Rijksherbarium/Hortus Botanicus: Leiden. ISSN 0928-1541; e-ISSN 2294-1932
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
Keywords
    Rhizophora mucronata Poir. [WoRMS]
    ISW, Kenya, Gazi Bay [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal; Brackish water
Author keywords
    Intervessel pit membrane, intra-tree variation, mangrove, water transport, electron microscopy, UV-microspectrophotometry
Authors  Top 
  • Schmitz, N.
  • Koch, G.
  • Beeckman, H.
  • Koedam, N.
  • Robert, E. M. R.
  • Schmitt, U.
Abstract
    Intervessel pits are prominent wall structures involved in the water transport mechanism of land plants. The role of their intra-tree variation in the regulation of water transport, however, remains enigmatic. The hypothesis was tested that pit membrane thickness and degree of impregnation with phenolic substances increase along the stem axis with increasing tension on the water column as an adaptation to the higher risk for cavitation. Wood samples were taken at different heights from the mangrove tree Rhizophora mucronata growing at Gazi Bay (Kenya). Additional samples were taken along the stem radius to distinguish height from age effect, and from six other mangrove species growing in the same forest. Intervessel pit membranes were studied via transmission and scanning electron microscopy and cellular UV-microspectrophotometry. The hypothesis of pit membrane thickness and composition as a static adaptation to the hydrostatic conditions during vessel differentiation could be refuted. Instead, our findings point to a more dynamic pit membrane appearance with seasonal changes in thickness and chemical composition.
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