In:
IAWA Journal, Brill, Vol. 45, No. 1 ( 2024-03-04), p. 92-115
Abstract:
In recent years, the popularity of X-ray computed tomography (CT), as a non-destructive imaging technique, has continued to expand in various research domains. In wood research, X-ray CT has proven to be useful for three-dimensional (3D) structural studies investigating the complex tissues of trees. Wood formation (i.e., xylogenesis) initiates in the cambium and a narrow zone of subsequent differentiation, both of which play key roles in plant growth and development. However, the dynamics of xylogenesis in eucalypts remain relatively poorly understood, in large part due to challenges in sampling, imaging, and characterizing the cambium. Therefore, the aim of this study was to present a workflow to evaluate the feasibility of using X-ray CT to characterize and quantify the structural properties of the cambium in eucalypts. The growth responses of Corymbia hybrid seedlings, exposed to either irrigated or droughted conditions, was investigated by monitoring the structural development of the cambium. To track microstructural changes in the cambium, the same seedlings were imaged with X-ray micro-CT ( μ CT) one day before the treatments and again six days after the respective treatments. After the last X-ray μ CT scan, X-ray nano-CT was also applied. Using image analysis techniques, the morphological characteristics of the cambium could be determined. X-ray μ CT displayed a larger, thicker cambial zone in irrigated plants, while a much thinner cambium was visible in droughted seedlings. X-ray nano-CT revealed that droughted plants were associated with a significantly ( ) smaller cambium volume containing smaller cells, compared to the cambium of irrigated plants. Light microscopy was used to validate the CT results and demonstrated no significant ( ) difference in the cambium width and cell diameter obtained from the two respective CT techniques. The findings of this study proved X-ray CT to be a valuable tool for examining the effect of changing environmental conditions on the complex cambium structure of Corymbia hybrid seedlings.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0928-1541
,
2294-1932
DOI:
10.1163/22941932-bja10135
Language:
Unknown
Publisher:
Brill
Publication Date:
2024
SSG:
12
SSG:
23
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