Xylem porosity, sapwood characteristics, and uncertainties in temperate and boreal forest water use

Sapwood characteristics, such as sapwood area well thermal and hydraulic conductivity, are linked to species-specific function resource allocation water transport tissues (xylem). These characteristics often unknown thus a major source of uncertainty in sap flow data processing transpiration estimates because bulk rather than values usually applied. Here, we analyzed the fifteen common tree species eastern North America from different taxonomic (i.e., angiosperms gymnosperms) xylem porosity groups tracheid-bearing, diffuse- or ring-porous species) assessed how uncertainties involved calculations propagated use estimates. We quantified their changes with stem diameter (allometric scaling) conductivity. combined these measurements wood density conductivity found literature role anatomy orchestrating covariation. Using an example dataset porosity, sensitivity interactions. Angiosperms (ring- diffuse-porous species), specialized vessels for transport, showed steeper relationship (scaling) between comparison gymnosperms (tracheid-bearing species). Gymnosperms (angiosperms) were characterized by lower (higher) higher (lower) moisture content, resulting non-significant differences groups. Clustering based on constraining parameters could facilitate more accurate When increasing number observations, findings should improve tree- landscape-level estimates, leading robust partitioning terrestrial fluxes.