Unraveling the adaptive meaning of wood in Eucalyptus species

Lower vulnerability to xylem cavitation due to tension and/or freeze-thaw has been identified as key traits determining the resistance to drought and low temperature in woody species. However recent advances have highlighted the importance of wood capacitance, embolism repair capacity (related to carbohydrates dynamics and parenchyma function) and ionic regulation of hydraulic conductivity as alternative or complementary strategies to face abiotic stress. In several species, some of these traits are correlated or functionally related to wood density. Eucalyptus is one of the most important genera in forestry. However there is scarce knowledge about the functional role of its well-anatomically known wood in terms of abiotic stress resistance. An interdisciplinary project has been developed to address this topic using different commercial species introduced in Argentina (E. grandis, E. globulus, E. viminalis and E. camaldulensis), covering all the range of wood densities of the genus (400–1000 kg/m3). Insight of wood anatomy, ecophysiology and quantitative genetics is jointly applied to evaluate the variability of strategies between and within species, aiming at providing reliable tools for selection of stress resistant genotypes. In particular, relationship between microdensity profi les and wood function is being explored. The first results of this study are presented and discussed