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Updated: Jan 10, 2026
11:09
Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits
Published on: October 12, 2015
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Stomatal traits covary with leaf mycobiome diversity and composition
Austen Apigo1,2, Sabrina Heitmann1, Devin Leopold1,3
1Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
The New Phytologist
|November 25, 2025
Summary
Plant leaf stomata shape fungal communities. Longer, sparser stomata support greater fungal diversity and richness, influencing the plant microbiome. This research impacts understanding of plant-fungal interactions.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Plant science
- Microbiome research
Background:
- Plant leaf traits influence pathogen interactions.
- The impact of leaf traits on non-pathogenic leaf fungi is largely unknown.
- Understanding plant control over its microbiome is crucial for agriculture and evolutionary biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between specific leaf traits and the leaf mycobiome in Populus trichocarpa.
- To determine if leaf traits, particularly stomatal characteristics, influence fungal community structure.
- To assess how environmental conditions modulate these relationships.
Main Methods:
- Utilized reciprocal common gardens with Populus trichocarpa (black cottonwood) across mesic and xeric environments.
- Measured six key leaf traits: stomatal length, stomatal density, C:N ratio, leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, and specific leaf area.
- Employed fungal marker gene sequencing to characterize leaf fungal communities across 57 genotypes and 809 trees.
Main Results:
- Several leaf traits showed covariation with the leaf mycobiome.
- Plant genotypes with longer, sparser stomata exhibited significantly greater fungal species richness and diversity.
- Fungal communities were more similar within plant genotypes possessing specific stomatal traits.
Conclusions:
- Stomatal traits, specifically length and density, are a primary factor influencing the leaf mycobiome composition and diversity.
- Plant stomatal characteristics represent a potential general mechanism for plant control over leaf-associated fungal communities.
- Environmental context modulates the interplay between leaf traits and the leaf mycobiome, highlighting the complexity of plant-microbe interactions.
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