Seasonality in embolism resistance and hydraulic capacitance jointly mediate hydraulic safety in branches and leaves of oriental cork oak (Quercus variabilis Bl.)

Abstract Seasonality in temperate regions is prominent during the era of increased climatic variability. A hydraulic trait that can adjust to seasonally changing climatic conditions is crucial for tree safety. However, little attention has been paid to the intraspecific seasonality of drought-related traits and hydraulic safety of keystone forest trees. We examined seasonal variations in the key morphological and physiological traits as well as multiple hydraulic safety margins (SMs) at the branch and leaf levels in oriental cork oak (Quercus variabilis Bl.), which is predominant in Chinese temperate forests. Pneumatic measurements indicated that, as seasons progressed, the water potential at which 50% of branch embolisms occur (P50_branch) decreased from −3.34 MPa to −4.23 MPa, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 9.08%. Sapwood capacitance ranged from 48.19–248.08 kg m−3 MPa−1, peaking in autumn and reaching minimum in winter (CV 60.58%). Rehydration kinetics confirmed higher leaf embolism vulnerability (P50_leaf) in spring and autumn than those in summer, with values ranging from −1.06 MPa to −3.02 MPa (CV 39.85%). All leaf pressure-volume (PV) traits shifted with growth, with CVs ranging from 6.95–46.69%. Sapwood density had significant negative correlations with P50_branch and hydraulic capacitance for elastic water storage, whereas leaf mass per area was linearly associated with PV traits but not with P50_leaf. Furthermore, the branch typical SMs (difference between branch midday water potential and P50_branch) were consistently > 1.84 MPa, and vulnerability segmentation was prevalent throughout, implying a plausible hydraulic foundation for the dominance of Q. variabilis. Diverse hydraulic response patterns existed across seasons, leading to positive safety margins mediated by the aforementioned physiological traits. Although Q. variabilis exhibits a high level of hydraulic safety, its susceptibility to sudden summer droughts may increase due to global climate change.