Thesis (M.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Botany, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [1], v, 38 p. : ill. Includes bibliographical references (p. 35-38).

Africa's miombo woodlands constitute one of the most important dry tropical forests on earth, yet the hydraulic function of these woodlands remains poorly researched. Given the current predictions of increased aridity by the end of this century in the miombo ecoregion, understanding the likely response of miombo woodlands tree species to water stress is crucial in planning adaptation strategies. Predicting the response of miombo woodlands to future climate trends is hampered by a lack of knowledge on the physiology of the common miombo woodlands tree species. In particular, plant-water relations for this woodlands type are not well understood. An understanding of plant-water relations for this woodlands type will provide insights into how water limits tree species distribution in this ecosystem. This will also improve our prediction model on the likely response of this ecosystem to predicted climate change. For this reason, the overall objective of this research was to evaluate the hydraulic architecture and xylem vulnerability to cavitation for nine principal miombo woodlands tree species differing in drought tolerance ability and habitat preference. This was achieved by; examining the hydraulic properties and evaluating the extent to which each hydraulic design was vulnerable to water stress-induced xylem cavitation; investigating how seasonal changes in plant-water relations influences seasonal patterns of leaf display and; analyzing the relationship between stem hydraulic supply and leaf functional traits related to drought tolerance ability. This research has found that drought-intolerant tree species with mesic specialization have more efficient stem hydraulic systems than co-occurring habitat broad ranging species. Broad ranging tree species attain wider habitat distribution by adjusting their hydraulic supply in response to changing ecosystem water availability. The finding that hydraulic properties differ significantly between tree species with contrasting habitat preference suggests that tree hydraulic design may have some adaptive ecological role in influencing species habitat preferences in miombo woodlands. The evaluation of xylem vulnerability to cavitation revealed that mesic specialized tree species were more vulnerable to water stress-induced cavitation than habitat broad ranging tree species. Vulnerability to cavitation in individuals from the same broad-ranging species growing in contrasting habitats showed only marginal and statistically insignificant (P > 0.05) differences between wet and dry sites. In the investigation of the influence of seasonal changes in stem water relations on seasonal leaf display, seasonal rhythms in stem water status were found to exert significant controls on leaf phenology. Mesic specialists had strong stem water controls throughout the year in comparison to broad ranging tree species. An analysis of the relationship between stem hydraulic supply and leaf functional traits suggests that stem hydraulic supply constrains leaf biomass allocation patterns among miombo tree species. Mesic specialists tend to invest more in leaf longevity than broad ranging tree species. This thesis has uncovered some interesting relationships between plant-water-relations and the distribution of miombo woodlands tree species. These results lead to the conclusion that in an event of increased ecosystem drying under future climate trends, tree species with mesic specialisation are at a greater risk of experiencing cavitation related species mortality than broad ranging ones.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-06-07T11:55:12Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Yuri de Oliveira Castro - 2017.pdf: 2073976 bytes, checksum: 2173380278c4268f1f75502613d21754 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-06-07T11:55:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Yuri de Oliveira Castro - 2017.pdf: 2073976 bytes, checksum: 2173380278c4268f1f75502613d21754 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-07T11:55:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Yuri de Oliveira Castro - 2017.pdf: 2073976 bytes, checksum: 2173380278c4268f1f75502613d21754 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Encourage the adventitious roots can bring increments to the culture of tomatoes for industrial processing (TI). The objective of this study was to determine the effect of positions transplanting and ages of adventitious roots in changes in plant development in TI productivity. Three experiments were carried out arranged in factorial scheme (3 x 3 + 2): three positions of transplanting (collect level, at the level of the cotyledon and at the level of the first leaf fully expanded) in three ages of change (30, 60 and 90 days after sowing-DAS) and a free additional position (at the level of the last leaf fully expanded) for the ages of 60 and 90 DAS. The changes of the 30 did not present last leaf fully expanded and did not receive the last position of transplanting. In experiment 1 (one) the contribution of the zones or regions Annals (collect the cotyledon; the cotyledon to the first leaf; the first sheet to the last leaf fully expanded) to the number of roots adventitious issued. The Count took place every two days after transplanting (DAT) and was held until the 20º DAT. The experiment was designed entirely with four replicates and plots sub-plot. In experiment 2 (two) to evaluate the architecture of the root system of seedlings of thee through images of the roots of plants cultivated in rizontrons (phenotyping platform of high performance) and analyzed by software WinRHIZO PRO 2013. The experiment was designed in complete randomized blocks (DBC) with five repetitions. In experiment 3 (three) measured periodically the leaf area and dry mass of aerial part of plants, equations of partition and fotoassimilados allocation. The experiment was designed in DBC with six repetitions. The area between the collect and the cotyledon presented the highest number of adventitious roots in all ages of change, with quadratic responses to 60 and 90 of seedlings and seedlings for 30 DAS. The issue of roots beyond the 20º day may be related to better hormonal and nutritional condition of 30 seedlings of compared with the seedlings of 60 and 90 DAS. The depth of the root system is linked to a greater leaf area, although the contribution of photosynthesis for the adventitious roots become less relevant than other factors such as nutritional status of changes. The leaf area and dry mass of plant organs were influenced by age of change. Seedlings of 30 and 60 DAS the present greater leaf area, dry mass accumulation and distribution of roots when compared with 90 DAS the seedlings. Productivity did not differ between the ages of 30 and 60 DAS and was higher if compared to 90 DAS seedlings. / Incentivar o enraizamento adventício pode trazer incrementos à cultura do tomate para processamento industrial (TI). Objetivou-se neste estudo determinar o efeito de posições de transplantio e idades de muda no enraizamento adventício, no desenvolvimento vegetal e na produtividade de TI. Foram realizados três experimentos: experimento 1 (um): em estufa com mudas transplantadas em tubetes para produção de mudas florestais; experimento 2 (dois): em casa de vegetação com mudas transplantadas em rizotron; experimento 3 (três): em campo aberto. No experimento 1 (um) avaliou-se a contribuição das zonas ou regiões caulinares (do coleto ao cotilédone; do cotilédone à primeira folha; da primeira folha à última folha totalmente expandida) para o número de raízes adventícias emitidas. A contagem ocorreu a cada dois dias após o transplantio (DAT) e foram realizadas ate o 20º DAT. O experimento foi delineado inteiramente ao acaso com quatro repetições. No experimento 2 (dois) avaliou-se a arquitetura do sistema radicular de mudas de TI através de imagens das raízes de plantas cultivadas em rizontrons (plataforma de fenotipagem de alto desempenho) e analisadas pelo software WinRHIZO PRO 2013. O experimento foi delineado em blocos completos casualizados (DBC) com cinco repetições em esquema fatorial adicional 3 x 3 + 2, no qual, mudas de 30, 60 e 90 DAS foram transplantadas em 3 níveis (coleto, cotilédone e primeira folha) e as idades de 60 e 90 DAS receberam um nível adicional de transplantio cada (última folha). No experimento 3 (três) mediu-se periodicamente a área foliar e a massa seca da parte aérea das plantas, obtendo-se equações de partição e alocação de fotoassimilados. O experimento foi delineado em DBC com seis repetições em esquema fatorial adicional 3 x 3 + 2 (idem ao experimento 2). A zona entre o coleto e o cotilédone apresentou o maior número de raízes adventícias em todas as idades de muda, com respostas quadráticas para mudas de 60 e 90 DAS e linear para mudas de 30 DAS. A emissão de raízes além do 20º dia pode estar relacionada à melhor condição hormonal e nutricional das mudas de 30 DAS comparada com as mudas de 60 e 90 DAS. A profundidade do sistema radicular está ligada a uma maior área foliar, apesar de a contribuição da fotossíntese para o enraizamento adventício ser menos relevante que outros fatores como o estado nutricional da muda. A área foliar e a massa seca dos órgãos vegetais foram influenciadas pela idade da muda. Mudas de 30 e 60 DAS apresentam maior área foliar, acúmulo de massa seca e distribuição de raízes quando comparadas com mudas de 90 DAS. A produtividade não diferiu entre as idades de 30 e 60 DAS e foi maior se comparada às mudas de 90 DAS.

Plant functional traits (plant height, aboveground biomass, R/S ratio, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, specific root length and arbuscular mycorrhizal infection) were measured for several grassland plant species growing under different soil fertility conditions in a greenhouse and a field experiments. Traits` response to nutrient addition and the differences in traits among species and between forbs and grasses were studied. Results from the greenhouse and the field experiment were compared.

Trifft herabfallender Regen auf Waldflächen, so wird dieser Niederschlag umverteilt zu Interzeption, Stammabfluss, durchfallenden und abtropfenden Niederschlag. Besonders hohe Stammablaufmengen im Kronenzentrum und markante Abtropfstellen am Kronenrand einzelner Baumarten lassen sich zudem nur erklären, wenn am jeweiligen Messplatz unter Baumkronen eine weitere Niederschlagskomponente zugelassen wird, mit der laterale Wasserbewegungen innerhalb der expliziten Einzelbaumkrone beschrieben und bilanziert werden (lateraler [Zu- oder Ab-]Fluss). Ziel dieser Arbeit war es deshalb, der niederschlagsabhängigen und kleinräumigen Dynamik dieser Umverteilung im Wald am Beispiel der Baumarten Buche (Fagus sylvatica L.) und Fichte (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) durch Aufnahmen und Auswertungen in zwei Mischbeständen beider Baumarten nachzugehen. Wiederholende Niederschlagsaufzeichnungen einzelner Regenereignisse wurden hierzu in Relation zur jeweiligen Freilandniederschlagsmenge, zur Art der Messplatzüberschirmung im Kronendach und zur Distanz des Messplatzes zum ihn dominierenden Baum varianz- und regressionsanalytisch untersucht und um Ergebnisse aus Stammablaufanalysen und Streumodellen ergänzt. Auf dieser Basis konnten Kausalmodelle zur Schätzung des Unterkronenniederschlages mit hoher Güte hergeleitet werden, die im Detail ein baumartspezifisches räumliches Verhalten der einzelnen Niederschlagskomponenten beim Passieren der Baumkrone belegen. Neben den Besonderheiten, die sich bei Messungen in Bestandeslücken einstellen, ergeben sich so z.B. in der Vegetationsperiode je nach Messplatzposition und Freilandniederschlagsmenge Unterschiede im Niederschlag unter beiden Baumartenkronen von bis zu 35 % des Freilandniederschlages je Einzelereignis und zwar stets zugunsten der Buchenüberschirmung. Am Stammfuss von Buchen kann darüber hinaus zusätzliches Wasser durch den Stammabfluss eingetragen werden. Hierfür notwenige Wassermengen können plausibel aus dem nachgewiesenen lateralen Wasserabfluss im inneren Kronendrittel von Buchen gedeckt werden. Über ein räumlich konkretes Interzeptionsmodell, kombiniert mit Blattflächenschätzungen für Einzelbäume konkreter Dimension, konnte ein räumliches LAI-Modell für Buchen abgeleitet werden, dass höchste LAI-Werte im Kronenzentrum annimmt. Da der Bestandesniederschlag hinsichtlich Niederschlagsmenge, Bestockung, Belaubungszustand und zum räumlich konkreten Messplatz unter der einzelnen Baumkrone veränderlich ist, wird die gewissenhaftere Berücksichtigung dieser Einflussvariablen angeregt und der bisher häufig praktizierten pauschalen Aufteilung des Niederschlages in einzelne Niederschlagskomponenten auf Basis von Flächen- und Messphasendurchschnittswerten widersprochen. / Forests redistribute the precipitation falling on their canopy into interception, stemflow, drip or direct throughfall. Extremely high amounts of stemflow in the centre of the crown and distinct drip points along the crown edge of certain tree species can only be explained by admitting an additional precipitation component at these measurement locations that describes and captures the lateral movement of water within the individual tree crown (lateral in- or outflow). The aim of this study was therefore to analyse these precipitation-dependent, small-scale dynamics of precipitation redistribution in forests using field-measurements from two mixed stands of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Periodic measurements of individual precipitation events were examined in relation to the respective gross precipitation, the type of canopy above a plot and the distance of a plot to its dominant sheltering canopy tree using variance and regression analysis, and complemented with stemflow analyses and litterfall models. Using this dataset, causal models for the high-precision estimation of throughfall were derived, showing tree species-specific pathways of the individual precipitation components through the tree crown. Apart from the particularities of measurements in canopy gaps, differences in throughfall between spruce and beech during the vegetation period amount to up to 35 % of gross precipitation per event, in favour of the beech canopy and depending on plot location. At the stem base of beech trees additional water can reach the forest floor via stemflow. The amount of water required to generate this stemflow can plausibly be explained by means of the verified lateral water flow in the inner third of beech crowns. Using a spatially explicit interception model combined with LAI estimates for specific individual trees, a spatial LAI model was developed for beech, showing maximal LAI values in the crown centre. As the net forest precipitation is sensitive with respect to precipitation amount, stand type, foliage status and the spatially explicit plot location below an individual tree crown, this study recommends the consideration of these influential factors and contradicts the commonly practiced blanket partitioning of precipitation into individual components based on spatial and temporal averages.