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Adaptation and coordinated evolution of plant hydraulic traits.
  • +2
  • Pablo Sanchez-Martinez,
  • Jordi Martinez-Vilalta,
  • Kyle Dexter,
  • Ricardo Segovia,
  • Maurizio Mencuccini
Pablo Sanchez-Martinez
CREAF

Corresponding Author:p.sanchez@creaf.uab.cat

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Jordi Martinez-Vilalta
CREAF
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Kyle Dexter
University of Edinburgh Department of Geology and of Geophysics
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Ricardo Segovia
University of Edinburgh Department of Geology and of Geophysics
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Maurizio Mencuccini
Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats
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Abstract

Hydraulic properties control plant responses to climate and are likely to be under strong selective pressure, but their macro-evolutionary history remains poorly characterized. To fill this gap, we compiled a global dataset of hydraulic traits describing xylem conductivity (Ks), xylem resistance to embolism (P50), sapwood allocation relative to leaf area (Hv) and drought exposure (ψmin), and matched it with global seed plant phylogenies. Individually, these traits present medium to high levels of phylogenetic signal, partly related to environmental selective pressures shaping lineage evolution. Most of these traits evolved independently of each other, being co-selected by the same environmental pressures. However, the evolutionary correlations between P50 and ψmin and between Ks and Hv show signs of deeper evolutionary integration because of functional, developmental or genetic constraints, conforming to evolutionary modules. We do not detect evolutionary integration between conductivity and resistance to embolism, rejecting a hardwired trade-off for this pair of traits.
03 Mar 2020Submitted to Ecology Letters
04 Mar 2020Submission Checks Completed
04 Mar 2020Assigned to Editor
10 Mar 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
15 Apr 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
21 Apr 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Major
19 Jun 20201st Revision Received
19 Jun 2020Submission Checks Completed
19 Jun 2020Assigned to Editor
23 Jun 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
02 Jul 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
08 Jul 2020Editorial Decision: Accept