Seasonal variation of leaf tissue elasticity in four forest tree species.

Measures of leaf tissue elasticity were determined by analyzing the turgor pressure-water content relation developed from pressure-volume experiments in four naturally occurring forest tree species. The relation between the bulk tissue elastic modulus and tissue turgor pressure varied by spades and varied with state of leaf maturation through the growing season. Although the values of the elastic modulus reported here agree in magnitude with values reported in general for higher plant tissue, the functional dependency of the apparent elasticity on tissue water status was more complex in this study than can be accounted for by current models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]