Consistent Relationship between Field-Measured Stomatal Conductance and Theoretical Maximum Stomatal Conductance in C₃ Woody Angiosperms in Four Major Biomes

Murray, Michelle; Soh, Wuu Kuang; Yiotis, Charilaos; Spicer, Robert A.; Lawson, Tracy and McElwain, Jennifer C. (2020). Consistent Relationship between Field-Measured Stomatal Conductance and Theoretical Maximum Stomatal Conductance in C₃ Woody Angiosperms in Four Major Biomes. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 181(1) pp. 142–154.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/706260

Abstract

Premise of research. Understanding the relationship between field-measured operating stomatal conductance (g_op) and theoretical maximum stomatal conductance (g_max), calculated from stomatal density and geometry, provides an important framework that can be used to infer leaf-level gas exchange of historical, herbarium, and fossil plants. To date, however, investigation of the nature of the relationship between g_op and theoretical g_max remains limited to a small number of experiments on relatively few taxa and is virtually undefined for plants in natural ecosystems.

Methodology. We used the g_op measurements of 74 species and 35 families across four biomes from a published contemporary data set of field-measured leaf-level stomatal conductance in woody angiosperms and calculated the theoretical g_max from the same leaves to investigate the relationship between g_op and g_max across multiple species and biomes and determine whether such relationships are widely conserved.

Pivotal results. We observed significant relationships between g_op and g_max, with consistency in the g_op ∶ g_max ratio across biomes, growth habits (shrubs and trees), and habitats (open canopy and understory subcanopy). An overall mean g_op ∶ g_max ratio of 0.26 ± 0.11 (mean ± SD) was observed. The consistently observed g_op ∶ g_max ratio in this study strongly agrees with previous hypotheses that an ideal g_op ∶ g_max ratio exists.

Conclusions. These results build substantially on previous studies by presenting a new reference for a consistent g_op ∶ g_max ratio across many levels and offer great potential to enhance paleoclimate proxies and vegetation-climate models alike.

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• Item ORO ID
• 68521
• Item Type
• Journal Item
• ISSN
• 1537-5315
• Keywords
• biome; habitat; operational stomatal conductance; theoretical maximum stomatal conductance; woody angiosperms
• Academic Unit or School
• Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences
  Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
• Copyright Holders
• © 2019 The University of Chicago
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• Jisc Publications-Router
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