Stomatal control of transpiration

Abstract

The role of stomata in regulating transpiration from vegetation has historically been controversial among those working either at the single leaf, or at the extensive canopy scales. Recently, the role of unstirred air layers surrounding leaves and canopies in limiting the impact of stomatal movements on transpiration has received renewed recognition. This has led to notable progress in quantitatively describing the effectiveness of stomata in controlling transpiration and in reconciling contrasting viewpoints concerning the role of stomata at the leaf, stand and regional scales. Considerable progress has also been made in understanding how variations in aerial factors such as evaporative demand and edaphic factors such as soil water availability are sensed and transduced into appropriate stomatal regulatory responses. These developments indicate that studies carried out at multiple scales of observation are needed to understand how external environmental factors and intrinsic plant properties interact to determine the role of stomata in regulating transpiration from different types of vegetation.