Abiotic Stress Research Glossary
564 terms total — 12 showing — Last updated 27 Oct 2026
Metabolic quiescence
A dormant state in which organisms drastically reduce metabolic activity and energy consumption to survive prolonged abiotic stress. This reversible condition allows survival during unfavorable environmental periods with minimal resource depletion.
Xylem Cavitation Embolism
The formation of air-filled gaps in xylem vessels that interrupts water column continuity and prevents hydraulic transpo...
Xylem cavitation event
The formation of air-filled cavities within xylem vessels when water columns break under tension, disrupting water trans...
xylem cavitation resistance
The ability of xylem tissue to withstand negative pressure and resist the formation and spread of air-filled embolisms t...
Xylem cavitation susceptibility
The tendency of water columns in xylem vessels to break under tension, causing air embolism formation that interrupts wa...
Xylem cavitation vulnerability
The susceptibility of a plant's water transport system to air bubble formation within xylem vessels when water stress ca...
Xylem embolism
The disruption of water continuity in xylem vessels due to the formation of air bubbles (emboli) when water potential be...
Xylem Embolism Formation
The formation of air bubbles (embolism) in xylem vessels that blocks water transport under conditions of low water avail...
Xylem embolism resistance
The ability of a plant's vascular tissue to prevent or recover from the formation of gas-filled cavities (embolisms) in...
Xylem Embolism Vulnerability
The susceptibility of xylem vessels to cavitation under negative water potential stress, determined by measuring the wat...
Xylem Sap Osmolarity Dynamics
The temporal and spatial changes in dissolved solute concentration within xylem vessels during water stress and recovery...
Xylem Tension Increase
The elevation of negative pressure (increased tension) in the xylem sap during water deficit stress, which facilitates w...
xylem tension threshold
The critical water potential value at which the xylem becomes vulnerable to air embolism and cavitation events under dro...