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Stomatal conductance, usually measured in mmol m −2 s −1 by a porometer, estimates the rate of gas exchange (i.e., carbon dioxide uptake) and transpiration (i.e., water loss as water vapor) through the leaf stomata as determined by the degree of stomatal aperture (and therefore the physical resistances to the movement of gases between the air and the interior of the leaf).
Since photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal conductance are an integral part of basic plant physiology, estimates of these parameters can be used to investigate numerous aspects of plant biology. The plant-scientific community has generally accepted photosynthetic systems as reliable and accurate tools to assist research.
The overall 13 C fractionation for C3 photosynthesis ranges between -20 and -37‰. [2] The wide range of variation in delta values expressed in C3 plants is modulated by the stomatal conductance, or the rate of CO 2 entering, or water vapor exiting, the small pores in the epidermis of a leaf. [1]
The stomatal pores are largest when water is freely available and the guard cells become turgid, and closed when water availability is critically low and the guard cells become flaccid. Photosynthesis depends on the diffusion of carbon dioxide (CO 2) from the air through the stomata into the mesophyll tissues.
Stomatal resistance (or its inverse, stomatal conductance) can therefore be calculated from the transpiration rate and humidity gradient. This allows scientists to investigate how stomata respond to changes in environmental conditions, such as light intensity and concentrations of gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozone . [ 11 ]
Many cacti conduct photosynthesis in succulent stems, rather than leaves, so the surface area of the shoot is very low. Many desert plants have a special type of photosynthesis, termed crassulacean acid metabolism or CAM photosynthesis, in which the stomata are closed during the day and open at night when transpiration will be lower. [14]
The stomatal conductance g s accounts for the effect of leaf density (Leaf Area Index), water stress, and CO 2 concentration in the air, that is to say plant reaction to external factors. Different models exist to link the stomatal conductance to these vegetation characteristics, like the ones from P.G. Jarvis (1976) [4] or Jacobs et al. (1996 ...
The primary function of kranz anatomy is to provide a site in which CO 2 can be concentrated around RuBisCO, thereby avoiding photorespiration. Mesophyll and bundle sheath cells are connected through numerous cytoplasmic sleeves called plasmodesmata whose permeability at leaf level is called bundle sheath conductance.