Harvesting water from unsaturated atmospheres: deliquescence of salt secreted onto leaf surfaces drives reverse sap flow in a dominant arid climate mangrove, Avicennia marina.

The mangrove Avicennia marina adjusts internal salt concentrations by foliar salt secretion. Deliquescence of accumulated salt causes leaf wetting which may provide a water source for salt-secreting plants in arid coastal wetlands where high nocturnal humidity can usually support deliquescence whereas rainfall events are rare. We tested the hypotheses that salt deliquescence on leaf surfaces can drive top-down rehydration, and that such absorption of moisture from unsaturated atmospheres makes a functional contribution to dry season shoot water balances. Sap-flow and water relations were monitored to assess uptake of atmospheric water by branches during shoot wetting events under natural and manipulated microclimatic conditions. Reverse sap flow rates increased with increasing relative humidity from 70 to 89%, consistent with function of salt deliquescence in harvesting moisture from unsaturated atmospheres. Top-down rehydration elevated branch water potentials above those possible from root water uptake, subsidising transpiration rates and reducing branch vulnerability to hydraulic failure in the subsequent photoperiod. Absorption of atmospheric moisture harvested through deliquescence of salt on leaf surfaces enhances water balances of Avicennia marina growing in hypersaline wetlands under arid climatic conditions. Top-down rehydration from these frequent, low intensity wetting events contributes to prevention of carbon starvation and hydraulic failure during drought.

• Publication year

  2021

• Venue

  New Phytologist

• Publication date

  2021-05-13

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1111/nph.17461PMID 33983649
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Nitric oxide

  2021cited by this paper
• Design of a unidirectional water valve in Tillandsia

  2020cited by this paper
• Foliar water uptake by coastal wetland plants: A novel water acquisition mechanism in arid and humid subtropical mangroves

  2020cited by this paper
• Phosphorylation influences water and ion channel function of AtPIP2;1.

  2020cited by this paper
• Identifying the pathways for foliar water uptake in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.): a major role for trichomes.

  2020cited by this paper
• Foliar Water Uptake in Trees: Negligible or Necessary?

  2020cited by this paper
• Greater focus on water pools may improve our ability to understand and anticipate drought-induced mortality in plants.

  2019cited by this paper
• Night and day: Shrinking and swelling of stems of diverse mangrove species growing along environmental gradients

  2019cited by this paper
• Shoot surface water uptake enables leaf hydraulic recovery in Avicennia marina.

  2019cited by this paper
• Hydraulic redistribution of foliar absorbed water causes turgor-driven growth in mangrove seedlings.

  2019cited by this paper
• Disentangling the net: concomitant xylem and over-bark size measurements reveal the phloem-generated turgor signal behind daytime stem swelling in the mangrove Avicennia marina.

  2019cited by this paper
• Foliar water uptake: Processes, pathways, and integration into plant water budgets.

  2018cited by this paper
• Drought impacts on phloem transport.

  2018cited by this paper
• Unsaturation of vapour pressure inside leaves of two conifer species

  2018cited by this paper
• Camouflaged as degraded wax: hygroscopic aerosols contribute to leaf desiccation, tree mortality, and forest decline

  2018cited by this paper
• Fundamental structural and functional properties of Aquaporin ion channels found across the kingdoms of life

  2018cited by this paper
• The value of wet leaves.

  2018cited by this paper
• Direct uptake of canopy rainwater causes turgor-driven growth spurts in the mangrove Avicennia marina

  2018cited by this paper
• Physico-chemical properties of plant cuticles and their functional and ecological significance.

  2017cited by this paper
• Non-selective cation channel activity of aquaporin AtPIP2;1 regulated by Ca2+ and pH.

  2017cited by this paper
• Plumbing the depths: extracellular water storage in specialized leaf structures and its functional expression in a three-domain pressure -volume relationship.

  2017cited by this paper
• Effect of Leaf Water Potential on Internal Humidity and CO2 Dissolution: Reverse Transpiration and Improved Water Use Efficiency under Negative Pressure

  2017cited by this paper
• Isotopic signatures of stem water reveal differences in water sources accessed by mangrove tree species

  2017cited by this paper
• Leaf water storage increases with salinity and aridity in the mangrove Avicennia marina: integration of leaf structure, osmotic adjustment and access to multiple water sources.

  2017cited by this paper
• Re-Evaluation of Phylogenetic Relationships among Species of the Mangrove Genus Avicennia from Indo-West Pacific Based on Multilocus Analyses

  2016cited by this paper
• Leaf epidermal water-absorbing scales and their absorption of unsaturated atmospheric water in Reaumuria soongorica, a desert plant from the northwest arid region of China

  2016cited by this paper
• Rhizophoraceae Mangrove Saplings Use Hypocotyl and Leaf Water Storage Capacity to Cope with Soil Water Salinity Changes

  2016cited by this paper
• Phenology and Growth dynamics of Avicennia marina in the Central Red Sea

  2016cited by this paper
• Phloem as Capacitor: Radial Transfer of Water into Xylem of Tree Stems Occurs via Symplastic Transport in Ray Parenchyma[OPEN]

  2015cited by this paper
• The use of fresh and saline water sources by the mangrove Avicennia marina

  2015cited by this paper
• Hydraulic functioning of tree stems--fusing ray anatomy, radial transfer and capacitance.

  2015cited by this paper
• Leaf pubescence as a possibility to increase water use efficiency by promoting condensation

  2015cited by this paper
• Coordination of physiological traits involved in drought-induced mortality of woody plants.

  2015cited by this paper
• Aquaporins: Highly Regulated Channels Controlling Plant Water Relations1

  2014cited by this paper
• Foliar Water Uptake of Tamarix ramosissima from an Atmosphere of High Humidity

  2014cited by this paper
• The hydroclimatic and ecophysiological basis of cloud forest distributions under current and projected climates.

  2014cited by this paper
• Modelling reveals endogenous osmotic adaptation of storage tissue water potential as an important driver determining different stem diameter variation patterns in the mangrove species Avicennia marina and Rhizophora stylosa.

  2014cited by this paper
• A diagnostic study of future evaporation changes projected in CMIP5 climate models

  2014influential reference
• The use of fresh and saline water sources by the mangrove Avicennia marina

  2014cited by this paper
• Sea salt deliquescence and crystallization in atmosphere: an in situ investigation using x‐ray phase contrast imaging

  2013cited by this paper
• The devil in the detail of secretions.

  2013cited by this paper
• Changing directions: the atmosphere-plant-soil continuum.

  2013cited by this paper
• Dynamic secretion changes in the salt glands of the mangrove tree species Avicennia officinalis in response to a changing saline environment.

  2013influential reference
• Observations of Surface Energy Fluxes and Boundary-Layer Structure Over Heron Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

  2013cited by this paper
• Light-dependent maintenance of hydraulic function in mangrove branches: do xylary chloroplasts play a role in embolism repair?

  2012cited by this paper
• Stomatal penetration by aqueous solutions--an update involving leaf surface particles.

  2012cited by this paper
• NIH Image to ImageJ: 25 years of image analysis

  2012cited by this paper
• Daily covariations in near‐surface relative humidity and temperature over the ocean

  2011cited by this paper
• Kinetics of Dissolution and Recrystallization of Sodium Chloride at Controlled Relative Humidity

  2011cited by this paper
• Effects of the hydraulic coupling between xylem and phloem on diurnal phloem diameter variation.

  2011cited by this paper
• Successive Cambia: A Developmental Oddity or an Adaptive Structure?

  2011cited by this paper
• Hygroscopic particles on leaves: nutrients or desiccants?

  2010cited by this paper
• Nitric oxide enhances salt secretion and Na(+) sequestration in a mangrove plant, Avicennia marina, through increasing the expression of H(+)-ATPase and Na(+)/H(+) antiporter under high salinity.

  2010cited by this paper
• Xylem hydraulic safety margins in woody plants: coordination of stomatal control of xylem tension with hydraulic capacitance

  2009cited by this paper
• Fog interception by Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) crowns decouples physiology from soil water deficit.

  2009cited by this paper
• Uptake of Hydrophilic Solutes Through Plant Leaves: Current State of Knowledge and Perspectives of Foliar Fertilization

  2009cited by this paper
• Foliar absorption of intercepted rainfall improves woody plant water status most during drought.

  2008cited by this paper
• Physico-chemical properties

  2008cited by this paper
• Deliquescence and Efflorescence Processes of Aerosol Particles Studied by in situ FTIR and Raman Spectroscopy

  2008cited by this paper
• Interactive effects of salinity and nutrients on mangrove physiology : implications for mangrove forest structure and function

  2007cited by this paper
• Water transport in plant cuticles: an update.

  2006cited by this paper
• The contribution of fog to the water relations of Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don): foliar uptake and prevention of dehydration

  2004cited by this paper
• An improved heat pulse method to measure low and reverse rates of sap flow in woody plants.

  2001cited by this paper
• Link between diurnal stem radius changes and tree water relations.

  2001cited by this paper
• Leaf Epidermal Hydathodes and the Ecophysiological Consequences of Foliar Water Uptake in Species of Crassula from the Namib Desert in Southern Africa

  2000cited by this paper
• Diurnal variations of photosynthesis and dew absorption by leaves in two evergreen shrubs growing in Mediterranean field conditions

  1999cited by this paper
• Factors influencing biodiversity and distributional gradients in mangroves

  1998cited by this paper
• Evidence for the Uptake of Large Anions through Stomatal Pores

  1998cited by this paper
• Thin water films on coniferous needles: A new device for the study of water vapour condensation and gaseous deposition to plant surfaces and particle samples

  1994cited by this paper
• Soil Physicochemical Patterns and Mangrove Species Distribution--Reciprocal Effects?

  1993cited by this paper
• A systematic revision of the mangrove genus Avicennia (Avicenniaceae) in Australasia

  1991influential reference
• Salinity tolerance in the mangroves Aegiceras corniculatum and Avicennia marina. I: Water use in relation to growth, carbon partitioning, and salt balance

  1988influential reference
• Atmospheric Water Uptake by an Atacama Desert Shrub

  1980influential reference
• The Computation of Saturation Vapor Pressure

  1974influential reference
• On the Computation of Saturation Vapor Pressure

  1967influential reference

• Spatial partitioning and threshold responses of cadmium accumulation and translocation in Populus × euramericana

  2026cites this paper
• Salt secretion in the mangrove Avicennia marina: effects of hypersalinity

  2025cites this paper
• Reverse Sap Flow from Fruit

  2025cites this paper
• Compartmentalization of Leaf Water Pools: How Are Evaporating Sites Connected to Carboxylation Sites and Exported Photosynthates?

  2025cites this paper
• Hydraulic conductivity‐induced systematic parameter variation in a widely used thermal dissipation sap‐flow technique

  2025cites this paper
• X‐ray micro‐CT imaging to study foliar water uptake mechanisms in plants with contrasting leaf topography

  2025cites this paper
• Adjustment in leaf water relations and the maintenance of mangrove seedling growth under increasing salinity.

  2025cites this paper
• Multidecadal mapping of arid intertidal ecosystems reveals a dynamic mosaic of habitats north-western Australia

  2025cites this paper
• Seasonal Dynamics and Microenvironmental Drivers of Transpiration in Scrub Rhizophora mangle L. Trees from Yucatan

  2025cites this paper
• What can we learn from the ecophysiology of plants inhabiting extreme environments?: from 'sherplants' to 'shercrops'.

  2025cites this paper
• Aerosol deposition affects water uptake and water loss of beech leaves.

  2025cites this paper
• Sap Flow Analyzer: A tool to standardize sap flow estimation and scaling to whole‐tree water use using the HFD method

  2024cites this paper
• Foliar Water Uptake Supports Water Potential Recovery but Does Not Affect Xylem Sap Composition in Two Salt‐Secreting Mangroves

  2024influential citation
• An Experimental Investigation of the Precipitation Utilization of Plants in Arid Regions

  2024cites this paper
• The role of thermodiffusion in transpiration.

  2024cites this paper
• Vegetation factors and atmospheric dryness regulate the dynamics of ecosystem water use efficiency in a temperate semiarid shrubland

  2024cites this paper
• Making dew in the Atacama Desert: a paradigmatic case of plant water uptake water from an unsaturated atmosphere fails a test.

  2024cites this paper
• Growth, Morphology and Respiratory Cost Responses to Salinity in the Mangrove Plant Rhizophora Stylosa Depend on Growth Temperature.

  2024cites this paper
• Anatomical adaptations of mangroves to the intertidal environment and their dynamic responses to various stresses

  2024cites this paper
• Harvesting of aerial humidity with natural hygroscopic salt excretions

  2023cites this paper
• The role of xerophytic vegetation on fog harvest

  2023cites this paper
• Marangoni-driven biomimetic salt secretion evaporator

  2023cites this paper
• Molecular membrane separation: plants inspire new technologies.

  2023cites this paper
• Nocturnal Transpiration May Be Associated with Foliar Nutrient Uptake

  2023cites this paper
• Freshwater Uptake of Mangrove Growing in an Extremely Arid Area

  2023cites this paper
• Nocturnal sap flow as compensation for water deficits: an implicit water-saving strategy used by mangroves in stressful environments

  2023cites this paper
• Ghosts of dry seasons past: Legacy of severe drought enhances mangrove salinity tolerance through coordinated cellular osmotic and elastic adjustments.

  2023cites this paper
• Bark water uptake through lenticels increases stem hydration and contributes to stem swelling.

  2023cites this paper
• Revisiting an ecophysiological oddity: Hydathode-mediated foliar water uptake in Crassula species from southern Africa.

  2023cites this paper
• Approaches, potential, and challenges in the use of remote sensing to study mangrove and other tropical wetland forests

  2023influential citation
• Plasticity in branch water relations and stem hydraulic vulnerability enhances hydraulic safety in mangroves growing along a salinity gradient.

  2023cites this paper
• The Role of Hydraulic Failure in a Massive Mangrove Die-Off Event

  2022cites this paper
• An Experimental Investigation of Precipitation Utilization of plants in Arid Regions 1

  2022cites this paper
• Foliar water uptake enables embolism removal in excised twigs of Avicennia marina.

  2022cites this paper
• Mangroves provide blue carbon ecological value at a low freshwater cost

  2022cites this paper
• Diverse mangroves deviate from other angiosperms in their genome size, leaf cell size, and cell packing density relationships.

  2022cites this paper
• Water taken up through the bark is detected in the transpiration stream in intact upper-canopy branches.

  2022cites this paper
• Materials on Plant Leaf Surfaces are Deliquescent in a Range of Environments

  2022cites this paper
• Aerosol Impacts on Water Relations of Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora)

  2022cites this paper
• Foliar water uptake in eight mangrove species: Implications of morpho-anatomical traits

  2022cites this paper
• Foliar water uptake via cork warts in mangroves of the Sonneratia genus.

  2021cites this paper
• Materials on Plant Leaf Surfaces Are Deliquescent in a Variety of Environments

  2021cites this paper
• Contrasting Water Use, Stomatal Regulation, Embolism Resistance, and Drought Responses of Two Co-Occurring Mangroves

  2021cites this paper
• Foliar water uptake as a source of hydrogen and oxygen in plant biomass

  2020cites this paper