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Interactions among stomata in response to perturbations in humidity
Author(s) -
MOTT K. A.,
DENNE F.,
POWELL J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3040.1997.d01-138.x
Subject(s) - perturbation (astronomy) , flow (mathematics) , physics , chemistry , botany , biology , mechanics , quantum mechanics
The existence of patchy stomatal closure suggests interactions among neighbouring stomata that synchronize stomatal movements in small areas of a leaf. To test for such interactions, water vapour partial pressure ( e wv ) for a small group of stomata was controlled independently of that for the surrounding stomata using gas flow from a small needle. The e wv for the surrounding stomata was controlled with a larger gas flow, termed the primary flow. The spatial pattern of e wv isobars caused by the needle flow was assessed experimentally and theoretically. Stomatal apertures were monitored following perturbations in e wv of the primary flow and the needle flow. When e wv of the primary flow was perturbed and that of the needle flow held constant, stomata for which there was little or no perturbation in e wv responded similarly to stomata experiencing the perturbation. When the e wv of the needle flow was perturbed and that of the primary flow held constant, many stomata experiencing little or no perturbation responded similarly to those experiencing a large perturbation. The results are discussed in relation to a mechanism for stomatal interactions that has been proposed in a previous study [Haefner, Buckley & Mott (1997) Plant, Cell and Environment 20, 1087–1097, this issue].