Abstract
Over the last several decades, the distribution of the black mangrove Avicennia germinans in the Gulf of Mexico has expanded, in part because it can survive the occasional freeze events and high soil salinities characteristic of the area. Vessel architecture may influence mangrove chilling and salinity tolerance. We surveyed populations of A. germinans throughout the Gulf to determine if vessel architecture was linked to field environmental conditions. We measured vessel density, hydraulically weighted vessel diameter, potential conductance capacity, and maximum tensile fracture stress. At each sampling site we recorded mangrove canopy height and soil salinity, and determined average minimum winter temperature from archived weather records. At a subset of sites, we measured carbon fixation rates using a LI-COR 6400XT Portable Photosynthesis System. Populations of A. germinans from cooler areas (Texas and Louisiana) had narrower vessels, likely reducing the risk of freeze-induced embolisms but also decreasing water conductance capacity. Vessels were also narrower in regions with high soil salinity, including Texas, USA and tidal flats in Veracruz, Mexico. Vessel density did not consistently vary with temperature or soil salinity. In abiotically stressful areas, A. germinans had a safe hydraulic architecture with narrower vessels that may increase local survival. This safe architecture appears to come at a substantial physiological cost in terms of reduction in conductance capacity and carbon fixation potential, likely contributing to lower canopy heights. The current distribution of A. germinans in the Gulf is influenced by the complex interplay between temperature, salinity, and vessel architecture. Given the plasticity of A. germinans vessel characters, it is likely that this mangrove species will be able to adapt to a wide range of potential future environmental conditions, and continue its expansion in the Gulf of Mexico in response to near-term climate change.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Cooler-area mangroves had narrower vessels.
- Taxon
- A. germinans
Avicennia germinanse0 - Outcome
- vesselse0
- Direction
- narrowere0
- Qualifier
- cooler arease0
- Setting
- Texas and Louisianae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Populations of A. germinans from cooler areas (Texas and Louisiana) had narrower vessels”
Claim · model-written summary
Narrower vessels in cooler mangrove populations likely reduce freeze embolism risk and decrease conductance capacity.
- Taxon
- A. germinansAvicennia germinanse0
- Organ / stage
- vesselse0
- Outcome
- risk of freeze-induced embolismse0
- Qualifier
- decreasing water conductance capacitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Populations of A. germinans from cooler areas (Texas and Louisiana) had narrower vessels, likely reducing the risk of freeze-induced embolisms but also decreasing water conductance capacity.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mangrove vessels were narrower in high salinity regions.
- Taxon
- A. germinansAvicennia germinanse1
- Outcome
- Vesselse0
- Direction
- narrowere0
- Qualifier
- high soil salinitye0
- Setting
- Texas, USA and tidal flats in Veracruz, Mexicoe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Vessels were also narrower in regions with high soil salinity, including Texas, USA and tidal flats in Veracruz, Mexico.”
e1“A. germinans from cooler areas”
Claim · model-written summary
Vessel density did not consistently vary with temperature or salinity.
- Taxon
- A. germinansAvicennia germinanse1
- Organ / stage
- Vessele0
- Outcome
- Vessel densitye0
- Direction
- did not consistently varye0
- Qualifier
- temperature or soil salinitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Vessel density did not consistently vary with temperature or soil salinity.”
e1“A. germinans from cooler areas”
Claim · model-written summary
In stressful areas mangroves had narrower, safer vessel architecture that may improve survival.
- Taxon
- A. germinansAvicennia germinanse0
- Organ / stage
- vesselse0
- Outcome
- local survivale0
- Qualifier
- abiotically stressful arease0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In abiotically stressful areas, A. germinans had a safe hydraulic architecture with narrower vessels that may increase local survival.”
Claim · model-written summary
The proposed safe architecture reduces conductance capacity and carbon fixation potential, likely lowering canopy height.
- Taxon
- A. germinansAvicennia germinanse1
- Outcome
- conductance capacity and carbon fixation potentiale0
- Qualifier
- safe architecturee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This safe architecture appears to come at a substantial physiological cost in terms of reduction in conductance capacity and carbon fixation potential, likely contributing to lower canopy heights.”
e1“A. germinans had a safe hydraulic architecture”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors infer that mangrove distribution reflects temperature, salinity and vessel architecture.
- Taxon
- A. germinansAvicennia germinanse0
- Outcome
- current distributione0
- Qualifier
- complex interplay between temperature, salinity, and vessel architecturee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The current distribution of A. germinans in the Gulf is influenced by the complex interplay between temperature, salinity, and vessel architecture.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors predict that vessel plasticity will allow future adaptation and Gulf expansion.
- Taxon
- A. germinansAvicennia germinanse0
- Outcome
- continue its expansion in the Gulf of Mexicoe0
- Qualifier
- plasticity of A. germinans vessel characterse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Given the plasticity of A. germinans vessel characters, it is likely that this mangrove species will be able to adapt to a wide range of potential future environmental conditions, and continue its expansion in the Gulf of Mexico in response to near-term climate change.”