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Water relations of climbing ivy in a temperate forest

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Abstract

Ivy (Hedera helix) is the most important liana in temperate European forests. We studied water relations of adult ivy in a natural, 35 m tall mixed deciduous forest in Switzerland using a construction crane to access the canopy. Predawn leaf water potential at the top of climbing ivy ranged from −0.4 to −0.6 MPa, daily minima ranged from −1.3 to −1.7 MPa. Leaf water potentials as well as relative sap flow were held surprisingly constant throughout different weather conditions, suggesting a tendency to isohydric behaviour. Maximum stomatal conductance was 200 mmol m−2 s−1. The use of a potometer experiment allowed us to measure absolute transpiration rates integrated over a whole plant of 0.23 mmol m−2 s−1. Nightly sap flow of ivy during warm, dry nights accounted for up to 20% of the seasonal maximum. Maximum sap flow rates were reached at ca. 0.5 kPa vpd. On the other hand, the host trees showed a less conservative stomatal regulation, maximum sap flow rates were reached at vpd values of ca. 1 kPa. Sap flow rates of ivy decreased by ca. 20% in spring after bud break of trees, suggesting that ivy profits strongly from warm sunny days in early spring before budbreak of the host trees and from mild winter days. This species may benefit from rising winter temperatures in Europe and thus become a stronger competitor against its host trees.

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Abbreviations

A:

Sap wood area

b:

Reference conductance at 1 kPa

g s :

Stomatal conductance

g c :

Canopy conductance

m:

Vpd sensitivity

PAR:

Photosynthetically active radiation

SF:

Sap flow

vpd:

Vapour pressure deficit

WSD:

Water saturation deficit

α:

Fitting parameters for the non-linear fit between SF and vpd

β:

Fitting parameters for the non-linear fit between SF and vpd

ψ:

Leaf water potential

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank E. Amstutz and O. Bignuccolo for crane operation and logistic help. Further, we thank S. Keel for providing us with stomatal conductance data of host trees. This work is part of a Master’s Thesis conducted by A. H. Funding came from the Swiss National Science Foundation projects 3100-059769.99 and 5005-65755 (NCCR Climate) granted to C. K. The Swiss Canopy Crane is funded by the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forest and Landscape. Funding for S. L. partially came from the FP7 project ‘ACQWA’.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Ecology, Department of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstr.16, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    S. Leuzinger

  2. Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätsstr. 2, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    A. Hartmann

  3. Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056, Basel, Switzerland

    C. Körner

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  1. S. Leuzinger
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  2. A. Hartmann
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  3. C. Körner
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Correspondence to S. Leuzinger.

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Leuzinger, S., Hartmann, A. & Körner, C. Water relations of climbing ivy in a temperate forest. Planta 233, 1087–1096 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-011-1363-6

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