Change in trunk water transport area of heavily pruned Hinoki cypress, Chamaecyparis obtusa

Abstract

To investigate the effects of pruning on water transport in a trunk cross section, we injected dye solution (1% aqueous acid-fuchsin) into a heavily pruned and a control tree. The sapwood in contact with pruning wounds was not dyed by the dye ascent, suggesting that pruning causes an embolism in sapwood and local blocking of xylem-sap ascent. This blocking extended along the length for nine times the length of the pruning wound.