How to Detect Xylem Sap Flow in a Tree

Tree hydraulics: how sap rises

Trees transport water from roots to crown—a height that can exceed 100 m. The physics of tree hydraulics can be conveyed with simple fluid dynamics based upon the Hagen–Poiseuille equation and Murray’s law. Here the conduit structure is modelled as conical pipes and as branching pipes. The force required to lift sap is generated mostly by transpiration or capillary action; we investigate the ef...

Hydraulic Efficiency and Safety of Xylem Sap Flow in Relation to Water Stress in Woody Plants

A requirement for sucrose in xylem sap flow from dormant maple trees.

The response of excised stem segments of several tree species to freezing and thawing cycles was studied. All species studied (Thuja occidentalis, Fagus grandifolia, and Betula papyrifera) except maple (Acer spp.) exuded sap while freezing and absorbed on thawing. Maple stems absorbed sap while freezing and exuded sap during the thaw only when sucrose was present in the vessel solution. Increas...

Sap flow measurements of lateral tree roots in agroforestry systems.

Successful extension of agroforestry to areas of the semi-arid tropics where deep reserves of water exist requires that the tree species be complementary to the associated crops in their use of water within the crop rooting zone. However, it is difficult to identify trees suitable for dryland agroforestry because most existing techniques for determining water uptake by roots cannot distinguish ...

Variability with xylem depth in sap flow in trunks and branches of mature olive trees.

Knowledge of sap flow variability in tree trunks is important for up-scaling transpiration from the measuring point to the whole-tree and stand levels. Natural variability in sap flow, both radial and circumferential, was studied in the trunks and branches of mature olive trees (Olea europea L., cv Coratina) by the heat field deformation method using multi-point sensors. Sapwood depth ranged fr...