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1. Sensitive Hydraulic and Stomatal Decline in Extreme Drought Tolerant Species of California Ceanothus

   https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.15208  

   Zailaa, Joseph; Trueba, Santiago; Browne, Marvin; Fletcher, Leila R; Buckley, Thomas N; Brodersen, Craig R; Scoffoni, Christine; Sack, Lawren (February 2025, Plant, Cell & Environment)

   ABSTRACT Identifying the physiological mechanisms by which plants are adapted to drought is critical to predict species responses to climate change. We measured the responses of leaf hydraulic and stomatal conductances (K_leafandg_s, respectively) to dehydration, and their association with anatomy, in seven species of CaliforniaCeanothusgrown in a common garden, including some of the most drought‐tolerant species in the semi‐arid flora. We tested for matching of maximum hydraulic supply and demand and quantified the role of decline ofK_leafin driving stomatal closure. AcrossCeanothusspecies, maximumK_leafandg_swere negatively correlated, and bothK_leafandg_sshowed steep declines with decreasing leaf water potential (i.e., a high sensitivity to dehydration). The leaf water potential at 50% decline ing_swas linked with a low ratio of maximum hydraulic supply to demand (i.e., maximumK_leaf:g_s). This sensitivity ofg_s, combined with low minimum epidermal conductance and water storage, could contribute to prolonged leaf survival under drought. The specialized anatomy of subg.Cerastesincludes trichomous stomatal crypts and pronounced hypodermis, and was associated with higher water use efficiency and water storage. Combining our data with comparative literature of other California species, species of subg. Cerastesshow traits associated with greater drought tolerance and reliance on leaf water storage relative to other California species. In addition to drought resistance mechanisms such as mechanical protection and resistance to embolism, drought avoidance mechanisms such as sensitive stomatal closure could contribute importantly to drought tolerance in dry‐climate adapted species. 

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2. Characterizing the breakpoint of stomatal response to vapor pressure deficit in an angiosperm

   https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiad560  

   Binstock, Benjamin R; Manandhar, Anju; McAdam, Scott_A M (October 2023, Plant Physiology)

   Abstract Vapor pressure difference between the leaf and atmosphere (VPD) is the most important regulator of daytime transpiration, yet the mechanism driving stomatal responses to an increase in VPD in angiosperms remains unresolved. Here, we sought to characterize the mechanism driving stomatal closure at high VPD in an angiosperm species, particularly testing whether abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis could explain the observation of a trigger point for stomatal sensitivity to an increase in VPD. We tracked leaf gas exchange and modeled leaf water potential (Ψl) in leaves exposed to a range of step-increases in VPD in the herbaceous species Senecio minimus Poir. (Asteraceae). We found that mild increases in VPD in this species did not induce stomatal closure because modeled Ψl did not decline below a threshold close to turgor loss point (Ψtlp), but when leaves were exposed to a large increase in VPD, stomata closed as modeled Ψl declined below Ψtlp. Leaf ABA levels were higher in leaves exposed to a step-increase in VPD that caused Ψl to transiently decline below Ψtlp and in which stomata closed compared with leaves in which stomata did not close. We conclude that the stomata of S. minimus are insensitive to VPD until Ψl declines to a threshold that triggers the biosynthesis of ABA and that this mechanism might be common to angiosperms. 

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3. Pinpointing the causal influences of stomatal anatomy and behavior on minimum, operational, and maximum leaf surface conductance

   https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiae292  

   Ochoa, Marissa E; Henry, Christian; John, Grace P; Medeiros, Camila D; Pan, Ruihua; Scoffoni, Christine; Buckley, Thomas N; Sack, Lawren (May 2024, Plant Physiology)

   Abstract Leaf surface conductance to water vapor and CO2 across the epidermis (gleaf) strongly determines the rates of gas exchange. Thus, clarifying the drivers of gleaf has important implications for resolving the mechanisms of photosynthetic productivity and leaf and plant responses and tolerance to drought. It is well recognized that gleaf is a function of the conductances of the stomata (gs) and of the epidermis + cuticle (gec). Yet, controversies have arisen around the relative roles of stomatal density (d) and size (s), fractional stomatal opening (α; aperture relative to maximum), and gec in determining gleaf. Resolving the importance of these drivers is critical across the range of leaf surface conductances, from strong stomatal closure under drought (gleaf,min), to typical opening for photosynthesis (gleaf,op), to maximum achievable opening (gleaf,max). We derived equations and analyzed a compiled database of published and measured data for approximately 200 species and genotypes. On average, within and across species, higher gleaf,min was determined 10 times more strongly by α and gec than by d and negligibly by s; higher gleaf,op was determined approximately equally by α (47%) and by stomatal anatomy (45% by d and 8% by s), and negligibly by gec; and higher gleaf,max was determined entirely by d. These findings clarify how diversity in stomatal functioning arises from multiple structural and physiological causes with importance shifting with context. The rising importance of d relative to α, from gleaf,min to gleaf,op, enables even species with low gleaf,min, which can retain leaves through drought, to possess high d and thereby achieve rapid gas exchange in periods of high water availability. 

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4. Diversity in stomatal and hydraulic responses to post‐flowering drought in common ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) and tepary ( P. acutifolius ) beans

   https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.15106  

   Buckley, Thomas N; Magney, Troy S; Berny_Mier_y_Teran, Jorge C; Mills, Colleen; Palkovic, Antonia; Parker, Travis A; Pierce, Marshall A; Wadhwani, Yasmin; Wong, Christopher_Y S; Gepts, Paul; et al (January 2025, Plant, Cell & Environment)

   Abstract Plants differ widely in how soil drying affects stomatal conductance (g_s) and leaf water potential (ψ_leaf), and in the underlying physiological controls. Efforts to breed crops for drought resilience would benefit from a better understanding of these mechanisms and their diversity. We grew 12 diverse genotypes of common bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.) and four of tepary bean (P. acutifolius;a highly drought resilient species) in the field under irrigation and post‐flowering drought, and quantified responses ofg_sandψ_leaf, and their controls (soil water potential [ψ_soil], evaporative demand [Δw] and plant hydraulic conductance [K]). We hypothesised that (i) common beans would be more “isohydric” (i.e., exhibit strong stomatal closure in drought, minimisingψ_leafdecline) than tepary beans, and that genotypes with largerψ_leafdecline (more “anisohydric”) would exhibit (ii) smaller increases in Δw, due to less suppression of evaporative cooling by stomatal closure and hence less canopy warming, but (iii) largerKdeclines due toψ_leafdecline. Contrary to our hypotheses, we found that half of the common bean genotypes were similarly anisohydric to most tepary beans; canopy temperature was cooler in isohydric genotypes leading to smaller increases in Δwin drought; and that stomatal closure andKdecline were similar in isohydric and anisohydric genotypes.g_sandψ_leafwere virtually insensitive to drought in one tepary genotype (G40068). Our results highlight the potential importance of non‐stomatal mechanisms for leaf cooling, and the variability in drought resilience traits among closely related crop legumes. 

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5. Leaf relative water content at 50% stomatal conductance measured by noninvasive NMR is linked to climate of origin in nine species of eucalypt

   https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.14700  

   Coleman, David; Windt, Carel W; Buckley, Thomas N; Merchant, Andrew (December 2023, Plant, Cell & Environment)

   Abstract Stomata are the gatekeepers of plant water use and must quickly respond to changes in plant water status to ensure plant survival under fluctuating environmental conditions. The mechanism for their closure is highly sensitive to disturbances in leaf water status, which makes isolating their response to declining water content difficult to characterise and to compare responses among species. Using a small‐scale non‐destructive nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer as a leaf water content sensor, we measure the stomatal response to rapid induction of water deficit in the leaves of nine species of eucalypt from contrasting climates. We found a strong linear correlation between relative water content at 50% stomatal conductance (RWC_gs50) and mean annual temperature at the climate of origin of each species. We also show evidence for stomata to maintain control over water loss well below turgor loss point in species adapted to warmer climates and secondary increases in stomatal conductance despite declining water content. We propose that RWC_gs50is a promising trait to guide future investigations comparing stomatal responses to water deficit. It may provide a useful phenotyping trait to delineate tolerance and adaption to hot temperatures and high leaf‐to‐air vapour pressure deficits. 

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