Stomatal Response: An Overview Video and Book for Plant Scientists
This video and book summarize the multi-year plant-water relationships research of the Plant Biomechanics Group at Cornell University in a visual, non-mathematical manner. 1) Our stomatal diffusion research quantified diffusion rates from arrays of stomatal pores with respect to pore width, stomatal density and boundary layer thickness. 2) Our studies of the structural aspects of kidney-shaped stomata (that enable opening and closing) were explored quantitatively using a three dimensional, doubly-elliptical shell model. The roles of geometry, micelle and wall thickness were quantified. 3) We also quantitatively explored how stomata interact with the rest of the plant, i.e., as part of a system, rather than simply in isolation. We explored both transient and periodic responses, i.e., how fluid and gaseous movements affect pore opening and closing, including how repetitive stomatal oscillations can occur within a perfectly constant environment. We also considered how this affects water use efficiency. Based upon these studies, several CONJECTURES are put forward as a basis for argument about potential adaptations for climate change.