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Photosynthetic CO 2 Uptake and Whole Plant Growth as Related to Plant Water Relations
Author(s) -
Schulze E.D.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
berichte der deutschen botanischen gesellschaft
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 0365-9631
DOI - 10.1111/j.1438-8677.1983.tb03241.x
Subject(s) - vigna , arid , photosynthesis , plant growth , adaptation (eye) , crop , agronomy , botany , biology , ecology , neuroscience
Morphological features of arid region plant life forms are described and interpreted as adaptations to drought although this cannot be easily quantified. Functional adaptations, however, can be measured, and using the annual crop plant Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. responses to drought are described at the leaf and the whole plant level. In the first step of this analysis theoretical criteria are developed to define optimal water use. In the second step experimental data are used to test to what extent Vigna follows a theoretically optimal regulation of water and carbon relations. The analysis indicates that the ecological adaptation of regulatory processes may be quantified at a functional level.