Upside down and the game of C allocation

Created 18 marca 2026

Updated on 11 czerwca 2026

approved

Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) represent the primary carbon (C) reserves and play a crucial role in plant functioning and resilience. Indeed, these compounds are involved in the regulation between C supply and demand, and in the maintenance of hydraulic efficiency. Non-structural carbohydrates are stored in parenchyma of woody organs, which is recognized as a proxy for reserve storage capacity of tree. Notwithstanding the importance of NSCs for tree physiology, their long-term regulation and trade-offs against growth were not deeply investigated. This work evaluated the long-term dynamics of mature tree reserves in stem and root, proxied by parenchyma features and focusing on the trade-off and interplay between the resources allocation in radial growth and reserves in stem and coarse root. In a Mediterranean beech forest, NSCs content, stem and root wood anatomy analysis and eddy covariance data were combined. The parenchyma fraction (RAP) of beech root and stem was different, due to differences in axial parenchyma (AP) and narrow ray parenchyma (nRP) fractions. However, these parenchyma components and radial growth showed synchronous inter-annual dynamics between the two organs. In beech stem, positive correlations were found among soluble sugars content and nRP and among starch content and the AP. Positive correlations were found among Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) and AP of both organs. In contrast, NEE was negatively correlated to radial growth of root and stem. Our results suggest a different contribution of stem and roots to reserves storage and a putative partitioning in the functional roles of parenchyma components. Moreover, a long-term trade-off of C allocation between growth and reserve pool was evidenced. Indeed, in case of C source reduction, trees preferentially allocate C toward reserves pool. Conversely, in high productivity years, growth represents the major C sink.

itineris-hub
Tags:
Eddy Covariance
Fagus Sylvatica Beech
Mediterranean Forest
Non Structural Carbohydrates
Publication - Article
Wood Anatomy
Basic
Język
English
MainTitle
Upside down and the game of C allocation
Original ids
https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpad034
Typ
publication
bestAccessRight
OPEN
countries
Italy
Creator/Author
Full name
  • Rezaei Negar, orcid: 0000-0002-8487-2345;
  • D'Andrea E., orcid: 0000-0002-5884-210x;
  • Scartazza A., orcid: 0000-0001-5048-5112;
  • Gricar J., orcid: 0000-0001-5207-1466;
  • Prislan P.;
  • Calfapietra C., orcid: 0000-0001-5040-4343;
  • Battistelli A., orcid: 0000-0002-8613-4688;
  • Moscatello S., orcid: 0000-0001-7265-305x;
  • Proietti S., orcid: 0000-0003-4136-9800;
  • Matteucci G., orcid: 0000-0002-4790-9540
Other
Opis
Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) represent the primary carbon (C) reserves and play a crucial role in plant functioning and resilience. Indeed, these compounds are involved in the regulation between C supply and demand, and in the maintenance of hydraulic efficiency. Non-structural carbohydrates are stored in parenchyma of woody organs, which is recognized as a proxy for reserve storage capacity of tree. Notwithstanding the importance of NSCs for tree physiology, their long-term regulation and trade-offs against growth were not deeply investigated. This work evaluated the long-term dynamics of mature tree reserves in stem and root, proxied by parenchyma features and focusing on the trade-off and interplay between the resources allocation in radial growth and reserves in stem and coarse root. In a Mediterranean beech forest, NSCs content, stem and root wood anatomy analysis and eddy covariance data were combined. The parenchyma fraction (RAP) of beech root and stem was different, due to differences in axial parenchyma (AP) and narrow ray parenchyma (nRP) fractions. However, these parenchyma components and radial growth showed synchronous inter-annual dynamics between the two organs. In beech stem, positive correlations were found among soluble sugars content and nRP and among starch content and the AP. Positive correlations were found among Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) and AP of both organs. In contrast, NEE was negatively correlated to radial growth of root and stem. Our results suggest a different contribution of stem and roots to reserves storage and a putative partitioning in the functional roles of parenchyma components. Moreover, a long-term trade-off of C allocation between growth and reserve pool was evidenced. Indeed, in case of C source reduction, trees preferentially allocate C toward reserves pool. Conversely, in high productivity years, growth represents the major C sink.
Publication Date
2023-03-14
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subjects
  • Plant Stems;
  • wood anatomy;
  • eddy covariance;
  • Fagus;
  • Carbohydrate Metabolism;
  • Mediterranean forest;
  • 15. Life on land;
  • Fagus sylvatica (beech);
  • Plant Roots;
  • Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs);
  • Carbon;
  • Trees
isGreen
false
isInDiamondJournal
false
Software
Publication
Ending page
203
Nazwa
Tree Physiology
Publication
Article
Starting page
192
iss
13
issnOnline
1758-4469
vol
44
Other Research Product
Detailed informations
system:type
Research Product
Management Info
Autor
Catalogue Manager ITINERIS
Wersja
1
Last Updated
czerwca 11, 2026, 15:17 (UTC)
Created
marca 18, 2026, 23:31 (UTC)
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