TreesPub Date : 2025-09-19DOI: 10.1007/s00468-025-02679-x
Alexander Borys, Barbara Wieczorek, Jens Schumacher, Anka Nicke, Jutta Walstab
{"title":"Impact of meteorological conditions on the foliar nutrition of old-growth European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands: results of long-term serial analysis of macro- and micronutrients","authors":"Alexander Borys, Barbara Wieczorek, Jens Schumacher, Anka Nicke, Jutta Walstab","doi":"10.1007/s00468-025-02679-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-025-02679-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Key message</h3><p>Long-term monitoring revealed nutrient- and site-specific changes of European beech foliar chemistry in correlation with meteorological conditions, underscoring shifts in beech nutrition due to climate change, thereby informing adapted sustainable forest management.</p><h3>Abstract</h3><p>Systematic long-term studies assessing the relevant macro- and micronutrients will improve our understanding of the complex interplay between climatic as well as site-specific factors and nutrient dynamics of European beech forests. Thus, we assessed the impact of meteorological conditions on the nutrition of old-growth European beech stands at a calcareous and an acidic site in central Germany. Foliar concentrations of six macronutrients and four micronutrients were analyzed over 13 years (2009–2021), and their association with meteorological conditions depending on the site was assessed using a linear mixed-effects model. The results revealed nutrient-specific and, for half of the nutrients, site-specific responses to meteorological variables, that is, mean annual temperature (MAT) and precipitation (MAP) of the current and/or the previous year. Within the MAT range of the observational period (7.4–10.3 °C), for nitrogen (calcareous site), phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, copper, and zinc, a nonlinear relationship was observed, that is, the nutrient concentrations increased until a temperature optimum and decreased thereafter. In contrast, the concentrations of potassium (calcareous site), manganese, and iron increased and of calcium decreased with increasing temperature. MAP (351–723 mm) had an impact on the concentration of six nutrients (nitrogen, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, and zinc), but its effect was generally smaller than that of MAT. Our results indicate that the persistent deficiencies in foliar phosphorus (calcareous site) and sulfur (acidic site) may be aggravated with ongoing climate change. The findings may guide site-specific sustainable and ecosystem-oriented forest management strategies for the future.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00468-025-02679-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145078998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
TreesPub Date : 2025-09-16DOI: 10.1007/s00468-025-02677-z
María Laura Suarez, Antonio Gazol
{"title":"Partial crown mortality as a proxy of Nothofagus dombeyi’ growth performance: post-drought growth responses and legacies","authors":"María Laura Suarez, Antonio Gazol","doi":"10.1007/s00468-025-02677-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-025-02677-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Key message</h3><p>Successive droughts impacted <i>Nothofagus dombeyi</i> trees in Patagonia, with irreversible growth decline in trees with higher levels of partial crown mortality. This indicates a negative legacy effect that persists beyond the drought periods.</p><h3>Abstract</h3><p>Globally, more frequent and severe droughts are driving increased tree crown defoliation, loss of vigor, and tree mortality, having detrimental effects on forest structure and functioning. This is the case of <i>N. dombeyi</i>, a broadleaf evergreen species, that has strongly suffered from negative drought-induced impacts during the last century. Here we analyzed differences in long-term growth trends, post-drought and post-wetness responses, drought legacies, and early warning signals of co-occurring healthy, apparently non-healthy (partial crown mortality), and dead <i>N. dombeyi</i> trees growing in northern Patagonia. Trees experienced growth reductions under selected droughts but recovered their pre-drought growth level when the drought ended. Trees with partial crown mortality levels exceeding 50%, and dead trees, exhibited significant growth decline. Growth decline was associated with reduced growth and a negative long-term post-drought response. This highlighted an irreversible decrease towards the more recent droughts, indicating a state change which denotes a negative legacy effect. The occurrence of successive dry and wet years during the last decades shaped the growth trend of healthy <i>N. dombeyi</i> trees, but resulted less informative for trees with higher crown mortality levels. Similarly, regular early warning metrics did not emerge as strong predictors of vigor loss. The study sheds light on the multifaceted factors influencing crown dieback dynamics, and underscores the need for further research on tree health and resilience.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145062191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
TreesPub Date : 2025-09-13DOI: 10.1007/s00468-025-02667-1
John Alexander Gross-Urrego, Alvaro David Pantoja-Benavides, German Arturo Moreno-Poveda, Augusto Ramírez-Godoy, Cristhian Camilo Chávez-Arias, Hermann Restrepo-Díaz
{"title":"Exogenous Azotobacter vinelandii application as a component of integrated plant nutrient management in 'Hass' avocado crops","authors":"John Alexander Gross-Urrego, Alvaro David Pantoja-Benavides, German Arturo Moreno-Poveda, Augusto Ramírez-Godoy, Cristhian Camilo Chávez-Arias, Hermann Restrepo-Díaz","doi":"10.1007/s00468-025-02667-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-025-02667-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Key message</h3><p><b>Application of</b> <b><i>Azotobacter vinelandii</i></b><b> is a strategy for 'Hass' avocado at various phenological stages, showing a 25% decrease in chemical fertilizer use while improving growth and physiological performance</b>.</p><h3>Abstract</h3><p><i>Azotobacter</i>-based bio-stimulants increase soil nutrient availability, provide substances for plant growth, and reduce fertilizer needs. We examined drench <i>Azotobacter vinelandii</i> (Av) application with two chemical fertilization levels (CF: 100% and CF 75%: 75% chemical soil fertilization) on physiological, nutritional, and fruit yield parameters. Over 20 weeks, three experiments were conducted on different avocado development stages: seedlings, post-transplantation, and mature trees. In each trial, plants received soil treatments with three commercial Av doses [2.5 (Av1), 5 (Av2), and 7.5 (Av3) mL L<sup>−1</sup>], with two fertilization levels. Soil Av and CF treatments were applied every 30 days from treatment start up to 16 weeks after treatment initiation (WAT). In the seedling trial, treatments with CF 75% combined with either Av2 or Av3 result in improved seedling quality, as indicated by the Dickson Quality Index (DQI), which measures 0.58 for CF 75% alone and approximately 0.79 for CF 75% with Av2 or Av3 at 20 WAT. In post-transplantation trees, CF 75% + Av2 or Av3 improved relative growth rate (0.021 and 0.024 cm cm<sup>−1</sup> week<sup>−1</sup> for CF 75% + Av2 and Av3, respectively) compared to CF 75% plants (0.013 cm cm<sup>−1</sup> week<sup>−1</sup>) at 20 WAT. Mature trees showed CF 75% + Av2 or Av3 treatments had higher agronomic efficiency (44.7 and 38.2% CF 75% + Av2 and Av3, respectively) than CF 75% trees at 20 WAT. Av could serve as an alternative strategy for integrated plant nutrient management in sustainable 'Hass' avocado production as it reduces chemical fertilization needs by 25% without impacting crop physiology.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00468-025-02667-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
TreesPub Date : 2025-09-11DOI: 10.1007/s00468-025-02672-4
M. R. Bhavya, M. Y. Jagadamba, G. S. Arunakumar, B. V. Sushmita, B. N. Gnanesh, P. Sowbhagya, N. R. Nisarga, T. Sarkar, C. M. Babu, S. G. Doss
{"title":"Genetic variability, association and diversity analysis of yield and yield-associated traits in mulberry (Morus spp.) genotypes","authors":"M. R. Bhavya, M. Y. Jagadamba, G. S. Arunakumar, B. V. Sushmita, B. N. Gnanesh, P. Sowbhagya, N. R. Nisarga, T. Sarkar, C. M. Babu, S. G. Doss","doi":"10.1007/s00468-025-02672-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-025-02672-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Key message</h3><p>This study identified traits with high genetic variability and heritability that are strongly correlated with leaf yield and identified high-yielding genotypes suitable for use as parents in breeding programs.</p><h3>Abstract</h3><p>Mulberry is a crucial crop for the sericulture industry, as it is the exclusive food source for the silkworm (<i>Bombyx mori</i> L.). This study evaluated the yield- and yield-associated traits of 203 mulberry genotypes for two consecutive years to identify the best traits and high-yield genotypes. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) among the accessions for the six studied traits. The hundred leaf weight (HLW), leaf area (LA) and number of leaves on the longest shoot (NLS) presented high phenotypic coefficients of variance (39.48, 32.9 and 22.13, respectively), high genotypic coefficients of variance (31.79, 28.11 and 20.78, respectively), high heritability (64.84, 73.00 and 88.22, respectively) and genetic advance (52.82, 49.54 and 40.27, respectively) and significant correlations (r = 0.51***, r = 0.42***, r = 0.39***, respectively), with leaf yield, indicating the potential of these traits for indirect selection for high leaf yielding genotypes in mulberry. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the 203 mulberry genotypes into seven clusters, which revealed significant genetic diversity among the genotypes. PCA revealed that the first two components accounted for 78.73% of the total variation. PC1 was primarily associated with leaf yield (−0.40), whereas traits such as HLW (0.54), LA (0.51), and NLS (−0.48) contributed strongly to PC2. Seven genotypes (ME-0005, ME-0246, ME-0169, MI-0523, Vishala, MI-0029, and MI-0580) presented relatively high PC1 and PC2 scores, which were associated with increased leaf yield, HLW, LA, and NLS. The results of this study are valuable in identifying the best traits and diverse and high-yield parental genotypes for use in hybridization programs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145037067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
TreesPub Date : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1007/s00468-025-02674-2
Sreya Roy Parbat, Nadir Sepay, Dipak K. Parua, Subir Bera
{"title":"Mineral and organic inclusions in wood and bark of mangroves from the Indian Sundarbans: their linking with taxonomy and phylogeny","authors":"Sreya Roy Parbat, Nadir Sepay, Dipak K. Parua, Subir Bera","doi":"10.1007/s00468-025-02674-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-025-02674-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mangroves are specialized intertidal plants that rely on mineral and organic inclusions viz., calcium oxalate crystals (CaOx), tannin, latex, gum and starch grains. These inclusions contribute to structural support (e.g., CaOx crystals), herbivore defense (e.g., CaOx crystals, tannin, and latex), wound sealing and desiccation protection (e.g., gum), physiological resilience under high salinity and tidal stress (e.g., starch grains as osmotic regulators). CaOx crystals may not only hold functional and ecological relevance such as internal Ca homeostasis, Ca recycling, oxalate detoxification and internal carbon reservoirs but also reflect taxonomic and phylogenetic implications. However, a comprehensive anatomical characterization of such inclusions in mangroves’ wood and bark remains underexplored, particularly in relation to their systematic and phylogenetic implications. This study is the first to comprehensively document and compare CaOx crystal morphology, frequency, cellular location, dimensions and elemental composition, along with the distribution of organic inclusions (tannin, latex, gum, starch grains) within mature wood and bark of twenty mangrove taxa from the Indian Sundarbans. We correlated observed crystal morphotypes with molecular phylogenetic framework based on rRNA gene sequences of studied mangrove taxa that reveals strong genus-level consistency and taxonomic cohesion. Distinct crystal morphologies with consistent tissue-specific deposition patterns across genera, serving as supplementary markers for genus-level identification in mangrove systematics. Principal Component Analysis of relative crystal morphotype frequencies supported genus-level clustering of species, indicating taxonomic cohesion of taxa having similar crystal profiles, which is consistent with high intragenic rRNA gene sequence similarity indices, suggesting phylogenetic conservation in crystal traits within each genus. These findings link anatomical data (calcium oxalate crystal traits) and molecular phylogeny of mangroves, offering new insights into mangrove taxonomy, phylogeny and adaptive biology.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145021770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"SPL gene family in Larix kaempferi: identification, functional analysis, and roles in somatic embryogenesis and hormonal regulation","authors":"Xin Li, Junchen Wang, Yuqin Huang, Chenghao Li, Liwang Qi, Lifeng Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s00468-025-02675-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-025-02675-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A total of 12 <i>SPL</i> gene family members were identified in <i>Larix kaempferi</i>. The expression patterns of these 12 <i>LkSPLs</i> during somatic embryogenesis suggest their involvement in somatic embryo development. Furthermore, the hormone-responsive profiles indicate that the <i>LkSPLs</i> are transcriptionally regulated by phytohormones, including SA (salicylic acid), ABA (abscisic acid), IAA (indole-3-acetic acid), GA (gibberellin), and MeJA (methyl jasmonate), thereby mediating their biological functions.</p>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145021771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
TreesPub Date : 2025-09-09DOI: 10.1007/s00468-025-02660-8
Linli Deng, Jinfeng Wang, Li Zhang, Dirk Hölscher, Peijian Shi
{"title":"Correction: Testing the validity of the Montgomery–Koyama–Smith equation and the power law equation using 3231 tepals of a Magnolia species","authors":"Linli Deng, Jinfeng Wang, Li Zhang, Dirk Hölscher, Peijian Shi","doi":"10.1007/s00468-025-02660-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-025-02660-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00468-025-02660-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145011644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Analysis of the relationship between C, N, P and dry matter content of 41 subtropical woody plants from seasonal and developmental scales","authors":"Zheng-Chao Yu, Xiao-Ting Zheng, Wei Lin, Wei He, Hui Zhu, Chang-Lian Peng","doi":"10.1007/s00468-025-02671-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-025-02671-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Key message</h3><p>The distribution pattern of C, N, P and dry matter content in plant leaves in low subtropical forests is complex and influenced by both developmental processes and seasonal climate change.</p><h3>Abstract</h3><p>The functional traits of leaves are expected to be used to estimate the effects of global climate change on plant communities. However, current research only considers changes in mature leaves, and the effects of seasonal changes and developmental processes on the functional traits of leaves are often overlooked. Here, we evaluated the relationships between leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) in 41 tree species of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests at seasonal scales and developmental scales. On a seasonal scale, mature leaves had significantly higher P and LDMC, with all N:P ratios > 16. However, N:P ratio of young leaves showed no significant seasonal variation, both being < 14. On developmental scale, N:P ratio and LDMC of young leaves were significantly lower than those of mature leaves, while N and P concentrations were significantly higher than those of mature leaves. In addition, C:N, C:P, N:P significantly positively correlated with LDMC in leaves, while N and P content are significantly negatively correlated with LDMC. This study illustrated that in subtropical forest plants, P limitation occurred only in mature leaves and is mitigated during dry seasons, while N limitation occurred in the young leaves. The changes from wet to dry seasons and from young to mature leaves both contributed to the increase in LDMC by affecting the element content and allocation ratio in the leaves. The study provided insights for predicting the future impact of climate change on the development of subtropical forest communities.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00468-025-02671-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144923278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
TreesPub Date : 2025-08-28DOI: 10.1007/s00468-025-02669-z
William A. Hoffmann, Samuel W. Flake, Giselda Durigan
{"title":"All or nothing? The importance of considering partial dieback for tree responses to fire","authors":"William A. Hoffmann, Samuel W. Flake, Giselda Durigan","doi":"10.1007/s00468-025-02669-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-025-02669-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Key message</h3><p>We introduce an approach to studying partial crown dieback that accounts for height profiles of bark thickness and stem vulnerability to fire, resulting in improved modeling of biomass loss.</p><h3>Abstract</h3><p>Fire mediates tree cover in savannas by causing topkill, typically represented as a binary process in which the whole stem either survives or dies, overlooking losses of foliage and branches from partial canopy dieback. To overcome this limitation, we introduce an approach that focuses on conditional probabilities of dieback of stems and branches, which we demonstrate with a Brazilian savanna tree. We quantified the probability of branch death as a function of bark thickness and height above ground, to parameterize a model of tree architecture for simulating aerial biomass losses under scenarios of differing fire intensity, maximum tree height, and investment in bark. The study population experienced a 43% loss of stem biomass when exposed to a prescribed fire, but the traditional all-or-nothing approach that ignores partial dieback accounts for only half of this loss. Simulations show that, in absolute terms, the traditional approach more substantially underestimates carbon losses in severe fires, but in relative terms, the underestimation is greater in mild fires. A benefit–cost analysis revealed that the observed investment in bark more closely matches the predicted optimal investment when we account for partial dieback. In scenarios of low fire intensity or taller tree stature, the model predicts lower investment in bark, compared to the default scenario. We introduce the concept of bark safety margin, which quantifies the relative protection afforded by bark in the main stem and branches. This study thus demonstrates the importance of considering partial stem dieback, in addition to offering a new approach for quantifying this dieback.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00468-025-02669-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144914779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
TreesPub Date : 2025-08-26DOI: 10.1007/s00468-025-02661-7
Ekaterina Kotina, Mariam Oyefunke Oyedeji-Amusa, Ben-Erik Van Wyk, Alexei Oskolski
{"title":"Macroscopic appearance and microscopic structure of bark in Indigenous South African species of Meliaceae","authors":"Ekaterina Kotina, Mariam Oyefunke Oyedeji-Amusa, Ben-Erik Van Wyk, Alexei Oskolski","doi":"10.1007/s00468-025-02661-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00468-025-02661-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Bark structure in seven South African species of <i>Ekebergia</i>, <i>Nymania</i>, <i>Trichilia</i> and <i>Turraea</i> (Meliaceae) was studied to clarify the relationships between its macroscopic appearance and anatomical traits. Like other Meliaceae, these species share the subepidermal initiation of periderm, the presence of phloem fibers, and compound sieve plates. Diagnostic bark characters were revealed to identify these taxa. All studied species share stretching bark showing conspicuous expansion without regular shedding. Their continuity is maintained by anticlinal divisions of phellogen cells and by the formation of expansion cracks, i.e., the superficial disruptions associated with new portions of the periderm. The lenticels found in all studied taxa except <i>Trichilia</i>, unlike expansion cracks, are derived from non-disrupted periderm. The mature bark of <i>E. capensis</i> shows conspicuous radial expansion of secondary phloem by periclinal divisions of axial parenchyma (proliferation tissue), which has not been reported elsewhere. Reticulate fracturing of mature bark in <i>Ekebergia</i> and <i>Trichilia</i> is presumably associated with the presence of elastic parenchymatous layers covered by a rigid periderm. We hypothesize that such elastic layers can redistribute the stressing forces of radial wood increment into the tensile forces stretching the periderm parallel to the bark surface, which cracks not only vertically but also horizontally and diagonally.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":805,"journal":{"name":"Trees","volume":"39 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00468-025-02661-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144905153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}