Red light shines a path forward on leaf minimum conductance

Cernusak, Lucas A.;De Kauwe, Martin G.

Abstract

Leaf minimum conductance sounds like a leaf trait that might not be very important – it is the minimum of something known to be positively associated with plant productivity. In other words, the higher the stomatal conductance, the faster the photosynthetic rate, because stomatal opening facilitates diffusion of CO2 into the leaf interior, and ultimately into chloroplasts. So why should we be concerned about the leaf minimum conductance, when it is most strongly associated with photosynthetic inactivity? The leaf minimum conductance comprises two diffusional pathways operating in parallel: the cuticular conductance, through the waxy cuticle that covers epidermal cells, and the residual stomatal conductance, through imperfectly closed stomata. As it turns out, there is a plethora of reasons why leaf minimum conductance is squarely on the radar of plant scientists.

Journal

New Phytologist

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233

ISBN/ISSN

1469-8137

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Publisher

Cambridge University Press

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DOI

10.1111/nph.17794