Roles of leaf water potential and soil-to-leaf hydraulic conductance in water use by understorey woody plants

1992 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsushi Ishida ◽  
Yasuo Yamamura ◽  
Yoshimichi Hori
2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Magnani ◽  
Abdelkader Bensada ◽  
Sergio Cinnirella ◽  
Francesco Ripullone ◽  
Marco Borghetti

Hydraulic constraints to water transport and water-use efficiency were studied in a Pinus pinaster Ait. chronosequence in Italy, consisting of four even-aged stands ranging from young (10 years old) to mature (75 years old), to explore the mechanisms involved in the decline of stand productivity as tree grow taller. Leaf-specific transpiration was estimated from sapflow rates measured by the heat dissipation technique, leaf-specific hydraulic conductance was computed from the slope of the relationship between transpiration and leaf water potential, long-term water-use efficiency was estimated from carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) in xylem cores, and photosynthetic capacity was assessed from CO2 assimilation/CO2 intercellular concentration curves. Leaf-specific transpiration decreased with stand development, suggesting a reduction in stomatal conductance, and a negative relationship was found between leaf-specific hydraulic conductance and tree height, suggesting a role of hydraulic constraints in the decline of current annual increment. Minimum daily leaf water potential did not change with stand height, suggesting that homeostasis in leaf water potential is achieved through a reduction in leaf transpiration. The Δ13C values increased with stand development, indicating a decline of water-use efficiency. Leaf level stomatal conductance was higher in the younger stand; no significant difference in maximum carboxylation rate was found among stands.


2011 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. K. V. CARR

SUMMARYThe results of research on the water relations and irrigation needs of coconut are collated and summarized in an attempt to link fundamental studies on crop physiology to drought mitigation and irrigation practices. Background information on the centres of origin and production of coconut and on crop development processes is followed by reviews of plant water relations, crop water use and water productivity, including drought mitigation. The majority of the recent research published in the international literature has been conducted in Brazil, Kerala (South India) and Sri Lanka, and by CIRAD (France) in association with local research organizations in a number of countries, including the Ivory Coast. The unique vegetative structure of the palm (stem and leaves) together with the long interval between flower initiation and the harvesting of the mature fruit (44 months) mean that causal links between environmental factors (especially water) are difficult to establish. The stomata play an important role in controlling water loss, whilst the leaf water potential is a sensitive indicator of plant water status. Both stomatal conductance and leaf water potential are negatively correlated with the saturation deficit of the air. Although roots extend to depths >2 m and laterally >3 m, the density of roots is greatest in the top 0–1.0 m soil, and laterally within 1.0–1.5 m of the trunk. In general, dwarf cultivars are more susceptible to drought than tall ones. Methods of screening for drought tolerance based on physiological traits have been proposed. The best estimates of the actual water use (ETc) of mature palms indicate representative rates of about 3 mm d−1. Reported values for the crop coefficient (Kc) are variable but suggest that 0.7 is a reasonable estimate. Although the sensitivity of coconut to drought is well recognized, there is a limited amount of reliable data on actual yield responses to irrigation although annual yield increases (50%) of 20–40 nuts palm−1 (4–12 kg copra, cultivar dependent) have been reported. These are only realized in the third and subsequent years after the introduction of irrigation applied at a rate equivalent to about 2 mm d−1 (or 100 l palm−1 d−1) at intervals of up to one week. Irrigation increases female flower production and reduces premature nut fall. Basin irrigation, micro-sprinklers and drip irrigation are all suitable methods of applying water. Recommended methods of drought mitigation include the burial of husks in trenches adjacent to the plant, mulching and the application of common salt (chloride ions). An international approach to addressing the need for more information on water productivity is recommended.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-432
Author(s):  
Matthew Lanning ◽  
Lixin Wang ◽  
Kimberly A Novick

Abstract Accurate understanding of plant responses to water stress is increasingly important for quantification of ecosystem carbon and water cycling under future climates. Plant water-use strategies can be characterized across a spectrum of water stress responses, from tight stomatal control (isohydric) to distinctly less stomatal control (anisohydric). A recent and popular classification method of plant water-use strategies utilizes the regression slope of predawn and midday leaf water potentials, σ, to reflect the coupling of soil water availability (predawn leaf water potential) and stomatal dynamics (daily decline in leaf water potential). This type of classification is important in predicting ecosystem drought response and resiliency. However, it fails to explain the relative stomatal responses to drought of Acer sacharrum and Quercus alba, improperly ranking them on the spectrum of isohydricity. We argue this inconsistency may be in part due to the cuticular conductance of different species. We used empirical and modeling evidence to show that plants with more permeable cuticles are more often classified as anisohydric; the σ values of those species were very well correlated with measured cuticular permeance. Furthermore, we found that midday leaf water potential in species with more permeable cuticles would continue to decrease as soils become drier, but not in those with less permeable cuticles. We devised a diagnostic parameter, Γ, to identify circumstances where the impact of cuticular conductance could cause species misclassification. The results suggest that cuticular conductance needs to be considered to better understand plant water-use strategies and to accurately predict forest responses to water stress under future climate scenarios.


2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Maurel ◽  
Cécile Robin ◽  
Thierry Simonneau ◽  
Denis Loustau ◽  
Erwin Dreyer ◽  
...  

The effects of root infection by Phytophthora cinnamomi on stomatal conductance in Castanea sativa L. saplings were investigated to determine the potential role of root-derived chemical signals. A split-root experiment was carried out, in which inoculation of the pathogen or drought was applied to the root systems in either one or both compartments. At the end of the experiment plant sap extracts were collected and their effects on stomatal conductance were determined by leaf bioassay. Inoculation or drought imposed in both compartments resulted in decreases in stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate, soil-to-leaf specific hydraulic conductance, leaf water potential, xylem [ABA] and root biomass, but not in the ratio of root-to-leaf mass in inoculated plants. Conversely, only gs and xylem [ABA] were affected in plants inoculated or droughted in one compartment, and no changes were detectable in leaf water potential and soil-to-leaf specific hydraulic conductance. The leaf bioassay showed that gs in chestnut was sensitive to ABA but not to Phytophthora elicitins. Stomatal conductance was reduced by some sap extracts, both from control and inoculated plants. Our results suggest the involvement of different signals, chemical and hydraulic, in regulating stomatal conductance of chestnut at different stages of stress.


1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 241 ◽  
Author(s):  
NZ Saliendra ◽  
FC Meinzer

Stomatal conductance, leaf and soil water status, transpiration, and apparent root hydraulic conductance were measured during soil drying cycles for three sugarcane cultivars growing in containers in a greenhouse. At high soil moisture, transpiration and apparent root hydraulic conductance differed considerably among cultivars and were positively correlated, whereas leaf water potential was similar among cultivars. In drying soil, stomatal and apparent root hydraulic conductance approached zero over a narrow (0.1 MPa) range of soil water suction. Leaf water potential remained nearly constant during soil drying because the vapor phase conductance of the leaves and the apparent liquid phase conductance of the root system declined in parallel. The decline in apparent root hydraulic conductance with soil drying was manifested as a large increase in the hydrostatic pressure gradient between the soil and the root xylem. These results suggested that control of stomatal conductance in sugarcane plants exposed to drying soil was exerted primarily at the root rather than at the leaf level.


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