Short-term dynamics of nonstructural carbohydrates and hemicelluloses in young branches of temperate forest trees during bud break

Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) are the most important C reserves in the tissues of deciduous and evergreen tree species. Besides NSC, cell-wall hemicelluloses as the second most abundant polysaccharides in plants have often been discussed to serve as additional mobile carbon (C) reserves during periods of enhanced carbonsink activities. To assess the significance of hemicelluloses as mobile carbon reserves, branches of two deciduous (Carpinus betulus L. and Fagus sylvatica L.) and two evergreen (Picea abies L. and Pinus sylvestris L.) tree species were sampled in a mature mixed forest stand in short intervals before and during bud break to assess NSC and hemicellulose concentrations in response to the increased carbon demand during bud break. Starch concentrations in branch sapwood of deciduous trees strongly decreased immediately before bud break and increased after bud break. In both evergreen species, only small changes of NSC were found in branch sapwood. However, 1-year-old needles exhibited a significant increase in starch concentration shortly before bud break which declined again after flushing. Hemicellulose concentrations (on an NSC-free dry matter basis) in branch sapwood of Carpinus decreased significantly shortly before bud break, but increased again after bud break. Contrarily, in Fagus branch sapwood, hemicellulose concentrations remained constant during bud break. Moderate increases of total hemicellulose concentrations before bud break were found in 1-year-old needles of both conifers, which could be explained by an accumulation of glucose units within the hemicellulose fraction. Overall, cell-wall hemicelluloses appeared to respond in a species-specific manner to the enhanced carbon demand during bud break. Hemicelluloses in branch sapwood of Carpinus and in 1-year-old needles of conifers likely act as additional carbon reserves similar to starch.