Xylem Water Distribution in Woody Plants Visualized
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Wood Science and Forest Products".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2023) | Viewed by 2205
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Water transport is a critical xylem function that affects photosynthesis, growth, plant vitality, and ultimately plant survival. Trees develop secondary xylem (wood) that is amazingly complex and diverse across species. The variation of xylem structure is directly related to differences in drought tolerance and the species strategy for adaptation to a specific water environment and climate. Studying the relationships between water transport and xylem structure is fundamental for understanding species ecology, and provides important knowledge for sylvicultural, tree improvement, and forest restoration practices.
A major limitation to the research on the hydraulic function of xylem cells is the technical difficulty to visualize the free water as it occurs in real-time in the intact plant. Indirect observations of water transport by microscopy using small particles or dye tracers remain popular in xylem function research. Water flow tracers that can be visualized by conventional light microscopy, combined with plant physiological experiments, have provided the basic knowledge of the transport processes in xylem.
Revolutionary new techniques for studying xylem water in real-time are now available, including cryo-microscopy, synchrotron, and X-ray microtomography. This Special Issue plans to give an overview of the most recent advances in the studies of free water movement in secondary xylem. This Special Issue aims to provide selected contributions on advances in understanding the water pathways and water storage in xylem and how they relate to plant eco-physiology.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Application of cryo-light microscopy and cryo-SEM in studies of the water content of xylem cells.
- Three-dimensional microscopy of the water flow pathways of xylem.
- X-ray microtomography of water content and water movement in the living plant.
- Xylem flow tracers.
Dr. Peter Kitin
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- cryo-light microscopy
- cryo-SEM
- embolism
- plant–water relations
- tree sap
- xylem structure and function
- X-ray microtomography (microCT)
