Wood Formation Under Drought Stress and Salinity

Abstract

As our environment changes, salinity and drought are becoming increasingly significant abiotic stress factors. Salinity reduces the ability to take up water, and this in turn causes alterations in wood formation; changes that are very often found to correspond closely to those caused by water deficiency. For example, both abiotic stress factors lead to a reduction in the extent of year ring increment, and they also affect xylem element architecture, leading to alterations in the hydraulic properties, as well as the chemical composition of the woody body. The intensity of the response is found to be dependent not only on the intensity of the stress but also on tree species, intraspecific variety, and even on provenances. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.