Related Concept Videos
02:16Light Acquisition
In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.
01:57Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
01:27Laminar Flow
Laminar flow represents a smooth, orderly fluid motion where particles move along parallel paths, resulting in minimal mixing between layers. Streamlined particle paths characterize this flow regime and occur under conditions where viscous forces dominate over inertial forces. The distinction between laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow is primarily determined by the Reynolds number, a dimensionless quantity calculated as:
01:27Design Example: Design of an Irrigation Channel
Trapezoidal channels are widely used in irrigation systems due to their cost-effectiveness and efficiency in conveying water. Trapezoidal channels feature a flat bottom and sloping sides, making them stable and easier to construct compared to other shapes. The bottom width and side slope ratio are determined based on the required flow capacity and site conditions. The side slope is kept gentle for unlined channels to prevent soil erosion.Hydraulic parameters in channel design include the flow...
02:03Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources
The xylem of vascular plants distributes water and dissolved minerals that are taken up by the roots to the rest of the plant. The cells that transport xylem sap are dead upon maturity, and the movement of xylem sap is a passive process.
You might also read
Related Articles
Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.
Sort by
Same author
Water Potential Isotherms Reveal Different but Coordinated Responses at Leaf and Root Levels Under Controlled Drought.
Physiologia plantarum·2026
Same author
Stem Shading Promotes Mannitol Accumulation in the Bark of Fraxinus ornus and Prevents Sucrose Transport in Roots Under Drought.
Physiologia plantarum·2026
Same author
Early signals of water limitations begin at the root-soil interface: linking rhizosphere drying to water uptake decline.
The New phytologist·2025
Leafminers help us understand leaf hydraulic design.
Andrea Nardini1, Fabio Raimondo, Maria A Lo Gullo
1Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy. nardini@units.it
Plant, Cell & Environment
|March 5, 2010
Summary
Leaf hydraulics in Aesculus hippocastanum remain stable despite significant damage from leaf miners. Water transport bypasses palisade cells, suggesting a protective mechanism against water status fluctuations.
Area of Science:
- Plant Physiology
- Ecology
- Invasive Species Biology
Background:
- Leaf hydraulic resistance (R(lamina)) influences plant water status and is crucial for understanding water transport.
- The invasive moth Cameraria ohridella specifically targets palisade tissue in Aesculus hippocastanum leaves.
- Seasonal changes and ontogeny can affect leaf hydraulic properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of Cameraria ohridella leaf mining on Aesculus hippocastanum leaf hydraulics.
- To determine how leaf hydraulics change seasonally and in response to insect damage.
- To elucidate the pathways of water transport within the leaf.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of leaf hydraulic resistance (R(lamina)) over the growing season.
- Assessment of hydraulic resistance partitioning between vascular and extra-vascular compartments.
- Analysis of temperature dependence of R(lamina) using Q(10) values.
- Anatomical analysis of leaf structure.
Main Results:
- Leaf hydraulic resistance (R(lamina)) exhibited seasonal changes related to leaf ontogeny.
- Extensive palisade tissue disruption (up to 50%) by leaf miners did not alter overall leaf hydraulic resistance or its partitioning after leaf expansion.
- Temperature dependence analysis indicated a transmembrane water transport step outside the leaf vasculature, likely at the bundle sheath.
- Anatomical observations supported the interruption of the apoplast at the bundle sheath.
Conclusions:
- Aesculus hippocastanum leaf hydraulics are resilient to significant palisade tissue damage by Cameraria ohridella.
- Water transport from petiole to evaporation sites may bypass palisade cells, potentially involving veins, bundle sheath, and spongy parenchyma.
- A symplastic water transport step, possibly at the bundle sheath, is involved in extra-vascular water movement.
- Leaf compartmentalization may protect palisade cells from short-term water status fluctuations.