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Title: Freeze/Thaw-Induced Embolism: Probability of Critical Bubble Formation Depends on Speed of Ice Formation

Abstract

Bubble formation in the conduits of woody plants sets a challenge for uninterrupted water transportation from the soil up to the canopy. Freezing and thawing of stems has been shown to increase the number of air-filled (embolized) conduits, especially in trees with large conduit diameters. Despite numerous experimental studies, the mechanisms leading to bubble formation during freezing have not been addressed theoretically. We used classical nucleation theory and fluid mechanics to show which mechanisms are most likely to be responsible for bubble formation during freezing and what parameters determine the likelihood of the process. Our results confirm the common assumption that bubble formation during freezing is most likely due to gas segregation by ice. If xylem conduit walls are not permeable to the salts expelled by ice during the freezing process, osmotic pressures high enough for air seeding could be created. The build-up rate of segregated solutes in front of the ice-water interface depends equally on conduit diameter and freezing velocity. Therefore, bubble formation probability depends on these variables. The dependence of bubble formation probability on freezing velocity means that the experimental results obtained for cavitation threshold conduit diameters during freeze/thaw cycles depend on the experimental setup; namely sample sizemore » and cooling rate. The velocity dependence also suggests that to avoid bubble formation during freezing trees should have narrow conduits where freezing is likely to be fast (e.g., branches or outermost layer of the xylem). Avoidance of bubble formation during freezing could thus be one piece of the explanation why xylem conduit size of temperate and boreal zone trees varies quite systematically.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
  2. Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT (Australia)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1396108
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-12-21317
Journal ID: ISSN 1664-462X
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Frontiers in Plant Science
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 1664-462X
Publisher:
Frontiers Research Foundation
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Biological Science

Citation Formats

Sevanto, Sanna, Holbrook, N. Michele, and Ball, Marilyn C. Freeze/Thaw-Induced Embolism: Probability of Critical Bubble Formation Depends on Speed of Ice Formation. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.3389/fpls.2012.00107.
Sevanto, Sanna, Holbrook, N. Michele, & Ball, Marilyn C. Freeze/Thaw-Induced Embolism: Probability of Critical Bubble Formation Depends on Speed of Ice Formation. United States. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2012.00107
Sevanto, Sanna, Holbrook, N. Michele, and Ball, Marilyn C. 2012. "Freeze/Thaw-Induced Embolism: Probability of Critical Bubble Formation Depends on Speed of Ice Formation". United States. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2012.00107. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1396108.
@article{osti_1396108,
title = {Freeze/Thaw-Induced Embolism: Probability of Critical Bubble Formation Depends on Speed of Ice Formation},
author = {Sevanto, Sanna and Holbrook, N. Michele and Ball, Marilyn C.},
abstractNote = {Bubble formation in the conduits of woody plants sets a challenge for uninterrupted water transportation from the soil up to the canopy. Freezing and thawing of stems has been shown to increase the number of air-filled (embolized) conduits, especially in trees with large conduit diameters. Despite numerous experimental studies, the mechanisms leading to bubble formation during freezing have not been addressed theoretically. We used classical nucleation theory and fluid mechanics to show which mechanisms are most likely to be responsible for bubble formation during freezing and what parameters determine the likelihood of the process. Our results confirm the common assumption that bubble formation during freezing is most likely due to gas segregation by ice. If xylem conduit walls are not permeable to the salts expelled by ice during the freezing process, osmotic pressures high enough for air seeding could be created. The build-up rate of segregated solutes in front of the ice-water interface depends equally on conduit diameter and freezing velocity. Therefore, bubble formation probability depends on these variables. The dependence of bubble formation probability on freezing velocity means that the experimental results obtained for cavitation threshold conduit diameters during freeze/thaw cycles depend on the experimental setup; namely sample size and cooling rate. The velocity dependence also suggests that to avoid bubble formation during freezing trees should have narrow conduits where freezing is likely to be fast (e.g., branches or outermost layer of the xylem). Avoidance of bubble formation during freezing could thus be one piece of the explanation why xylem conduit size of temperate and boreal zone trees varies quite systematically.},
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2012.00107},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1396108}, journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
issn = {1664-462X},
number = ,
volume = 3,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jun 06 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Wed Jun 06 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}

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Cited by: 53 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Elevational adaptation of morphological and anatomical traits by Sakhalin fir (Abies sachalinensis)
journal, November 2019


Annual patterns of xylem embolism in high-yield apple cultivars
journal, January 2017


Plant xylem hydraulics: What we understand, current research, and future challenges: Plant xylem hydraulics
journal, June 2017


Long-term stem CO 2 concentration measurements in Norway spruce in relation to biotic and abiotic factors
journal, January 2013


Die hard: timberline conifers survive annual winter embolism
journal, November 2019


Anatomical regulation of ice nucleation and cavitation helps trees to survive freezing and drought stress
journal, June 2013


The Widened Pipe Model of plant hydraulic evolution
journal, May 2021


Bursts of CO2 released during freezing offer a new perspective on avoidance of winter embolism in trees
journal, September 2014


Cavitation and water fluxes driven by ice water potential inJuglans regiaduring freeze–thaw cycles
journal, November 2015