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Published on: August 5, 2020
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Optimal plant water economy
Thomas N Buckley1, Lawren Sack2, Graham D Farquhar3
1Plant Breeding Institute, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Sydney, Narrabri, New South Wales, 2390, Australia.
Plant, Cell & Environment
|September 20, 2016
Summary
Plants optimize water use by adjusting stomatal conductance (gs) to maintain a constant marginal carbon gain per unit water lost. This study examines the theory's applicability across different timescales and its implications for plant growth.
Area of Science:
- Plant Physiology
- Ecology
- Biophysics
Background:
- The theory of maximizing carbon gain for water loss, based on constant marginal water use efficiency (∂A/∂E), has implications for plant water use and ecosystem models.
- Understanding the physiological ecology of water use is crucial for predicting plant responses to environmental changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the adequacy of analytical approximations for applying the marginal water use efficiency theory at diurnal timescales.
- To determine the appropriate timescales for applying the theory.
- To investigate how stomatal conductance (gs) should vary to maximize long-term plant growth.
Main Methods:
- Review of current understanding and research frontiers.
- Analysis of analytical solutions' accuracy in representing the theory.
- Examination of diurnal hydraulic conductance variations.
- Comparison of optimal diurnal and long-term gs variations.
Main Results:
- Analytical solutions inadequately represent the theory, particularly with significant boundary layer or mesophyll resistances.
- Diurnal hydraulic conductance can influence the maintenance of constant ∂A/∂E, requiring further investigation.
- Optimal diurnal stomatal conductance adjustments differ from optimal long-term variations, which involve whole-plant carbon partitioning.
Conclusions:
- The theory's application at diurnal scales requires more sophisticated approaches than simple analytical solutions.
- Further research is needed to understand the role of hydraulic conductance in maintaining water use efficiency.
- Optimizing plant growth over long timescales involves distinct strategies from short-term water use adjustments.
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