Optimal allocation of leaf epidermal area for gas exchange

• Published in: The New phytologist Vol. 210; no. 4; pp. 1219 - 1228
• Main Authors: Boer, Hugo J., Price, Charles A., Wagner‐Cremer, Friederike, Dekker, Stefan C., Franks, Peter J., Veneklaas, Erik J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England New Phytologist Trust 01.06.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Allometry; Angiospermae; Biological Evolution; carbon; Carbon - metabolism; Diffusion; Epidermis; evolution; ferns and fern allies; Gas exchange; geometry; guard cell; Gymnospermae; leaf gas exchange; leaf morphology; Leaves; Magnoliopsida - anatomy & histology; Magnoliopsida - physiology; Phenotype; phylogeny; Plant Epidermis - anatomy & histology; Plant Epidermis - physiology; Plant Leaves - anatomy & histology; Plant Leaves - physiology; Plant Stomata - anatomy & histology; Plant Stomata - physiology; Plant Transpiration; Stomata; Stomatal conductance; Water - metabolism; Water use; allometry; stomata; leaf gas exchange; leaf morphology; evolution; guard cell

A long-standing research focus in phytology has been to understand how plants allocate leaf epidermal space to stomata in order to achieve an economic balance between the plant's carbon needs and water use. Here, we present a quantitative theoretical framework to predict allometric relationship...