How do stomata respond to water status?

Stomatal responses to humidity, soil moisture and other factors that influence plant water status are critical drivers of photosynthesis, productivity, water yield, ecohydrology and climate forcing, yet we still lack a thorough mechanistic understanding of these responses. Here I review historical and recent advances in stomatal water relations. Clear evidence now implicates a metabolically mediated response to leaf water status ('hydroactive feedback') in stomatal responses to evaporative demand and soil drought, possibly involving abscisic acid production in leaves. Other hypothetical mechanisms involving vapor and heat transport within leaves may contribute to humidity, light and temperature responses, but…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: 1557906
• AB
  Almond Board of California

  Award: 18.HORT37
• GR
  Grains Research and Development Corporation

  Award: US00082
• NI
  National Institute of Food and Agriculture

  Award: 1016439
• AR
  Australian Research Council

  Awards: LP130100183, DP150103863