Development of the Vascular Cambium of Taxodium ascendens and Its Seasonal Activities in Subtropical China

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

MS NO. forests-2304550-MDPI

 

Comments on the ms entitled “Development of vascular cambium of Taxodium ascendens and its seasonal activities in subtropical China by Youming Xu and others.

 

General comments

Manuscript focuses on the cambium activity and development of apical meristem in Taxodium ascendens, an exotic species, in China. These activities are important for the formation of wood in the trees. Most of these studies have been carried out in temperate forest tree, whereas, in tropical trees the information is highly limited. Changing patterns of temperature and prescipitation in tropical region may profoundly affect the cambial activities in tropical trees due to the influence of surroundings envioronments. Therefore, a good effort has been made by the authors to study the seasonal activity of procambium in T. ascendens by collecting 5 twigs from 30-year-old healthy trees were duirg February-2017 to March-2018 with clear implication on tree growth dynamics in changing environment. The study was properly desigened with proper replication and has significant relevance in future for the management of fir forests in China.

 

I feel that the MS has some interesting results, which can be published in Forests.  But, I feel that the MS is difficult to read at certain places which needs rewording before publication. 

 

I recommend the paper for publication after revision.

Specific comments

Abstract:

 

Lines 8-12, please rewrite and replace by taking few lines from the general comments I wrote.

 

Line 15.  “Protoxylem differentiated later than protophloem did.” Please rewrite

 

Lines 16-17,  “After dormancy, vascular cambium began to be active, which was later than shoot differentiation, and vascular cambium started in early April-2017.” Sentence need be changed.

 

Lines 24-26, Please relace with “The growth pattern of T. ascendens clearly revealed that cambial activity is highly seasonal and dependent on the changes in abiotic conditions and thus, the wood formation in the species will be significantly altered in a  changing climatic pattern.”

 

Introduction:

 

Condense and rewrite some parts of this section. During rewriting, try to use recent references for tropical and temperate species as much as possible, for example, Upadhyay K.K., Shah, S.K., Roy, A., and Tripathi, S.K. (2021). Dendroclimatology of teak indicates prevailing climatic conditions of tropical moist forests in India. Ecological Indicators 129(23):107888. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107888.

 

Lines 45, “sought after before” what do you mean?

 

Try to clearly write the major objectives of the paper which your study is going to achieve. For example, the main objective of this study is to underastnad the development of apical meristem (i.e. formation of vascular cambium and its seasonal changes) in shoots of T. ascenden. The out come of the study will help us to understand the underlying science of the tree growth along the seasonal cambial activity and rate of divisions that significantly influence wood structures, properties, and production.

 

 

Methods:

 

This is alright.

 

Results

 

Briefly described and generall okay.

Lines 216-217, why there is underline?

Lines 218-222, very long sentence. Please split.

Line 390, why there is underline?

 

 

Discussion

 

This section is also briefly described and generall okay. Take cace of long sentences

 

Conclusion: This is the important findings of your work which should describe the main outcome of the study in very brief which your study has achieved.

 

Please replace with “This study revealed that differentiation of protophloem starts earlier that that of protoxylem. The interfascicular cambium appeared in the parenchyma cells of the leaf gap, whereas the xylem and phloem split from the edge of the leaf gap and then to the center. The occurrence of the procambium determined the seasonal activity of vascular cambium of T. ascendens Brongn from dormancy to activity. These study can reinforce our understanding of the  growth of T. ascendens and lay down the foundations of cell development of this tree an exotic species growing in China.”

 

 

 

Overall MS is informative and merit publication. I recommend MS for publication after revision.

Author Response

please see attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The current paper is interesting original study, which presents detailed and fresh information regarding development of vascular cambium of Taxodium ascendens and its seasonal activities in subtropical China.

The following comments should be addressed :

1) The last paragraph of chapter 1 “Introduction” should be supplied by the clear formulation of a goal of the current investigation. The tasks , which should be solved to realize the goal should be formulated also.

2) Chapter 5 “Conclusions” should be expanded and supplied by the generalizations, which related not only certain time and certain region. The generalizations should be based by the numerical results, obtained in course of current study and illustrating the main conclusions are done.

3) List of references contains too much sources, oldest than 20 years. Probably, some of them can be replaced by the newest publications in the field.

Author Response

please see attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

The manuscript presents an important result on the growth process of Taxodium ascendens. It has been prepared adequately, however minor revisions are required.

1. Minor English revision is required, some typos should be corrected.

2. Line (L 112); starting from L 112 to the rest of the text please write T. ascendes for the species name.

3. L 165: " ..and Word 2019 was used for data statistics", I think this is not correct, please revise

4. L 176-178, 194, 258-259: please correct the fonts type

5. L 194: Please change to: (The terminologies were seen as in Fahn [5])

5. L 216-217, 329-330, 284, 390: please delete the underlines

6. L 271: .. and the the.., please delete one

7. L 332: species name should be written in italics

8. L 457: Apirl.., typo please correct it

 

Author Response

please see attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.docx