Rooting depth and xylem vulnerability are independent woody plant traits jointly selected by aridity, seasonality, and water table depth

Laughlin, Daniel C; Siefert, Andrew; Fleri, Jesse R; Tumber-Dávila, Shersingh Joseph; Hammond, William M; Sabatini, Francesco Maria; Damasceno, Gabriella; Aubin, Isabelle; Field, Richard; Hatim, Mohamed Z; Jansen, Steven; Lenoir, Jonathan; Lens, Frederic; McCarthy, James K; Niinemets, Ülo; Phillips, Oliver L; Attorre, Fabio; Bergeron, Yves; Bruun, Hans Henrik; Byun, Chaeho

doi:10.1111/nph.19276

Rooting depth and xylem vulnerability are independent woody plant traits jointly selected by aridity, seasonality, and water table depth

Journal

The New phytologist

Date Issued

2023-12

Author(s)

Laughlin, Daniel C

Siefert, Andrew

Fleri, Jesse R

Tumber-Dávila, Shersingh Joseph

Hammond, William M

Sabatini, Francesco Maria

Damasceno, Gabriella

Aubin, Isabelle

Field, Richard

Hatim, Mohamed Z

Jansen, Steven

Lenoir, Jonathan

Lens, Frederic

McCarthy, James K

Niinemets, Ülo

Phillips, Oliver L

Attorre, Fabio

Bergeron, Yves

Bruun, Hans Henrik

Byun, Chaeho

Ćušterevska, Renata

Dengler, Jürgen

De Sanctis, Michele

Dolezal, Jiri

Jiménez-Alfaro, Borja

Hérault, Bruno

Homeier, Jürgen

Kattge, Jens

Meir, Patrick

Mencuccini, Maurizio

Noroozi, Jalil

Nowak, Arkadiusz

Peñuelas, Josep

Schmidt, Marco

Škvorc, Željko

Sultana, Fahmida

Ugarte, Rosina Magaña

Bruelheide, Helge

DOI

10.1111/nph.19276

Abstract

Evolutionary radiations of woody taxa within arid environments were made possible by multiple trait innovations including deep roots and embolism-resistant xylem, but little is known about how these traits have coevolved across the phylogeny of woody plants or how they jointly influence the distribution of species. We synthesized global trait and vegetation plot datasets to examine how rooting depth and xylem vulnerability across 188 woody plant species interact with aridity, precipitation seasonality, and water table depth to influence species occurrence probabilities across all biomes. Xylem resistance to embolism and rooting depth are independent woody plant traits that do not exhibit an interspecific trade-off. Resistant xylem and deep roots increase occurrence probabilities in arid, seasonal climates over deep water tables. Resistant xylem and shallow roots increase occurrence probabilities in arid, nonseasonal climates over deep water tables. Vulnerable xylem and deep roots increase occurrence probabilities in arid, nonseasonal climates over shallow water tables. Lastly, vulnerable xylem and shallow roots increase occurrence probabilities in humid climates. Each combination of trait values optimizes occurrence probabilities in unique environmental conditions. Responses of deeply rooted vegetation may be buffered if evaporative demand changes faster than water table depth under climate change.