Linking water relations and hydraulics with photosynthesis

Abstract

For land plants, water is the principal governor of growth. Photosynthetic performance is highly dependent on the stable and suitable water status of leaves, which is balanced by the water transport capacity, the water loss rate as well as the water capacitance of the plant. This review discusses the links between leaf water status and photosynthesis, specifically focussing on the coordination of CO₂ and water transport within leaves, and the potential role of leaf capacitance and elasticity on CO₂ and water transport.

Keywords: leaf capacitance; leaf hydraulic conductance; mesophyll conductance; modulus of elasticity; outside xylem hydraulic conductance; photosynthesis.