Anatomical and isotopic traits in grapevine wood rings record environmental variability

In the Mediterranean region, prolonged droughts affect the growth and reproductive cycles of grapevine. Changes in the physiological processes of grapevine, consequent to variations in environmental factors or cultivation management, are recorded in wood anatomical and isotopic traits in grapevine stems. In this study, we measured the anatomical traits and stable carbon isotope content in the annual rings of Vitis vinifera L. subsp. vinifera ‘Falanghina’ in four vineyards located in southern Italy, characterised by different water availability. The aim was to investigate how wood anatomical traits respond to interannual climatic variations according to local conditions. Wood cores were taken from the stem of the grapevines and subjected to both microscopy and carbon stable isotope analyses to quantify functional wood anatomical traits, such as vessel size and frequency, and the intrinsic water-use efficiency of the grapevine. Wood traits were correlated with data on precipitation and temperature. The results showed that the plants at the four vineyards were characterised by differences in wood structure influencing the grapevine’s physiology under different conditions of water availability. Overall, the analyses showed that the grapevines at the wetter sites developed wood traits, e.g., wide vessels, which favour the efficiency of water flow, while at the drier sites, they developed plant traits, e.g., small vessels, which favour safety against embolism. However, the robustness of such main trends is trait-specific and is influenced by interannual climatic variability.