Abstract
Water transport in the xylem of plants from the roots to leaves occurs under negative pressure. This makes the xylem sap vulnerable to cavitation. Cavitation is a common phenomenon in plants, and it induces major consequences on plant function by limiting the ability of the plant to extract water from drying soils and transport it to the leaves. Decreased water conductive capacity due to cavitation leads to decreased carbon assimilation rates by photosynthesis, and in extreme conditions, to plant mortality. Many plant species have the capability to refill xylem conduits, which have become air-filled due to cavitation.
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Hölttä, T., Sperry, J. (2014). Plant Water Transport and Cavitation. In: Mercury, L., Tas, N., Zilberbrand, M. (eds) Transport and Reactivity of Solutions in Confined Hydrosystems. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7534-3_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7534-3_15
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