Integrated understanding of hydraulic traits of trees and wilting mechanism in tree diseases

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23248022
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: FUKUDA Kenji 東京大学, 新領域創成科学研究科, 教授 (30208954)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): UTSUMI Yasuhiro 九州大学, 大学院農学研究院, 准教授 (50346839) ; MIKI Naoko H. 岡山大学, 大学院環境学研究科, 准教授 (30379721) ; MATSUSHITA Norihisa 東京大学, 農学生命科学研究科, 准教授 (00282567) ; KUSUMOTO Dai 東京大学, 農学生命科学研究科, 講師 (80540608) ; TANEDA Haruhiko 東京大学, 理学系研究科, 助教 (90403112) ; SAKAUE Daisuke 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科, 助教 (90313080)
• Research Collaborator: OGASA Mayumi Y. 森林総合研究所, 研究員 (10646160) ; TAKAHASHI Yukiko S. 森林総合研究所, 研究員 (60725266) ; UMEBAYASHI Toshihiro 北海道大学, 農学部, 博士研究員 ; YAZAKI Kenichi 森林総合研究所, 主任研究員 (30353890) ; MARUTA Emiko 元東邦大学, 理学部, 教授 (90229609)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: エンボリズム / キャビテーション / 通水阻害 / 非破壊観察 / cryo-SEM / ＭＲＩ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In tree xylem under drought stress or freezing stress, cavitation and embolism are known to occur and result in loss of water conductance. Nondestructive observation of xylem embolism with a compact MRI system during water stress showed that current-year xylem is less vulnerable to cavitation than older xylem. Species with higher vulnerability to cavitation have higher refilling ability, which should be related to water capacitance of wood tissue.
Cryo-sem and anatomical observations of xylem specimens inoculated with tree pathogens suggested that xylem dysfunction in the wilting diseases is caused by different mechanisms from drought-induced embolisms.

Free Research Field

樹木生理学・樹病学