Nearly instantaneous stem diameter response to fluctuations in the atmospheric water demand

Abstract Changes in vapour pressure deficit (VPD) can lead to the depletion and replenishment of stem water pools to buffer water potential variations in the xylem. Yet, the precise velocity at which stem water pools track environmental cues remains poorly explored. Nine eucalyptus seedlings grown in a glasshouse experienced high-frequency environmental oscillations, and their stem radial variations (ΔR) were monitored at a 30-second temporal resolution in upper and lower stem locations and on the bark and xylem. The stem ΔR response to VPD changes was nearly instantaneous (< 1 minute), while temperature lagged behind stem ΔR. No temporal differences in the stem ΔR response were observed between locations. Punctual gravimetric measurements confirmed the synchrony between transpiration and stem ΔR dynamics. These results indicate (i) that stem-stored water can respond to the atmospheric evaporative demand much faster than commonly assumed and (ii) that the origin of the water released to the transpiration stream seems critical in determining time lags in stem water pool dynamics. Near-zero time lags may be explained by the high elasticity of eucalyptus woody tissues and the predominant water use from the xylem, circumventing the hydraulic radial barriers to water flow from/to the outer tissues.