Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

An Induction System for Clustered Stomata by Sugar Solution Immersion Treatment in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings
Published on: February 15, 2019
Hydroactive stomata: a key innovation underpinning angiosperm ecological dominance
Javier Pichaco1, Celia M Rodriguez-Dominguez1, Antonio Diaz-Espejo1
1Plant Ecophysiology and Irrigation (ECOVER) Group, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia de Sevilla (IRNAS-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.
Abstract:
Angiosperms rose to ecological dominance through innovations that enhanced photosynthetic capacity and water-use efficiency. We propose that a pivotal, yet underappreciated, contributor was the hydroactive stomatal mechanism, an abscisic acid-mediated, metabolically driven control of guard-cell turgor. Unlike passive hydraulic responses to changes in water status, hydroactive regulation enables rapid, multisignal integration and minute-scale adjustment of stomatal aperture, synchronising carbon gain with hydraulic safety under fluctuating light, CO2, and evaporative demand. We argue that this water-status control module complemented other stomatal signalling pathways responsive to light, CO2, and metabolism, improving physiological coordination in dynamic environments. This perspective reframes stomata as decision-making nodes linking leaf anatomical evolution, physiological plasticity, and angiosperm diversification and offers a foundation for engineering climate-resilient crops under climate change.
Related Concept Videos
Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Water and Mineral Acquisition
C4 Pathway and CAM
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
Responses to Drought and Flooding
Introduction to Plant Diversity

