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Plant water-use strategy mediates stomatal effects on the light induction of photosynthesis

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-20, 01:56 authored by Deans, RM, Timothy BrodribbTimothy Brodribb, Busch, FA, Farquhar, GD
  • More efficient gas exchange strategies under dynamic light environments have been hypothesised to contribute to the dominance of angiosperms in the vascular plant flora. However, we still lack a clear understanding of how stomatal dynamics affect photosynthetic dynamics and whether differences exist between lineages.
  • Stomatal and photosynthetic dynamics following changes in irradiance were studied in 15 species, encompassing ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. We determined the effect of stomatal speed on dynamic photosynthesis and water loss. Moreover, we assessed whether dynamic behaviour followed evolutionary lineage divisions, or whether ecological adaptation to maximise light fleck use could describe dynamic behaviour.
  • We found that species with fast stomatal opening, such as ferns, forgo less photosynthesis during photosynthetic induction. By contrast, there was no relationship between stomatal closure speed and the water wasted by transiently more‐open stomata, because species with higher rates of gas exchange also showed faster stomatal closure. Shade‐adapted species possessed fast‐opening but slow‐closing stomata, consistent with ecological adaptation to maximise light fleck use.
  • Our results suggest dynamic behaviour follows adaptive ecological trends more strongly than evolutionary ones, but angiosperms may benefit from relatively faster photosynthetic induction by adopting a less conservative water‐use strategy.

History

Publication title

New Phytologist

Volume

222

Pagination

382-395

ISSN

0028-646X

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Place of publication

9600 Garsington Rd, Oxford, England, Oxon, Ox4 2Dg

Rights statement

Copyright 2018 The Authors

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences

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