OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE

This Article Free via Open Access: OA OA Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data OA All Versions of this Article: 144/4/1890    most recent pp.107.101352v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Plant Physiol. Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Web of Science (32) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Brodribb, T. J. Articles by Jordan, G. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brodribb, T. J. Articles by Jordan, G. J. Agricola Articles by Brodribb, T. J. Articles by Jordan, G. J. Related Collections Biology of Transpiration

WHOLE PLANT AND ECOPHYSIOLOGY

Leaf Maximum Photosynthetic Rate and Venation Are Linked by Hydraulics^1,[W],[OA]

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia (T.J.B., G.J.J.); and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (T.S.F.)

Leaf veins are almost ubiquitous across the range of terrestrial plant diversity, yet their influence on leaf photosynthetic performance remains uncertain. We show here that specific physical attributes of the vascular plumbing network are key limiters of the hydraulic and photosynthetic proficiency of any leaf. Following the logic that leaf veins evolved to bypass inefficient water transport through living mesophyll tissue, we examined the hydraulic pathway beyond the distal ends of the vein system as a possible limiter of water transport in leaves. We tested a mechanistic hypothesis that the length of this final traverse, as water moves from veins across the mesophyll to where it evaporates from the leaf, governs the hydraulic efficiency and photosynthetic carbon assimilation of any leaf. Sampling 43 species across the breadth of plant diversity from mosses to flowering plants, we found that the post-vein traverse as determined by characters such as vein density, leaf thickness, and cell shape, was strongly correlated with the hydraulic conductivity and maximum photosynthetic rate of foliage. The shape of this correlation provided clear support for the a priori hypothesis that vein positioning limits photosynthesis via its influence on leaf hydraulic efficiency.

The author responsible for distribution of materials integral to the findings presented in this article in accordance with the policy described in the Instructions for Authors (www.plantphysiol.org) is: Tim J. Brodribb (timothyb{at}utas.edu.au).

^[W] The online version of this article contains Web-only data.

^[OA] Open Access articles can be viewed online without a subscription.

www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/doi/10.1104/pp.107.101352

^* Corresponding author; e-mail timothyb{at}utas.edu.au; fax 61–362262698.

Received April 21, 2007; accepted May 23, 2007; published June 7, 2007.

Related articles in Plant Physiol.:

On the Inside

Peter V. Minorsky
Plant Physiol. 2007 144: 1691-1692. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Tanaka and T. Shiraiwa Stem growth habit affects leaf morphology and gas exchange traits in soybean Ann. Bot., December 1, 2009; 104(7): 1293 - 1299. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Fichot, F. Laurans, R. Monclus, A. Moreau, G. Pilate, and F. Brignolas Xylem anatomy correlates with gas exchange, water-use efficiency and growth performance under contrasting water regimes: evidence from Populus deltoides x Populus nigra hybrids Tree Physiol, December 1, 2009; 29(12): 1537 - 1549. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D.M. Johnson, D.R. Woodruff, K.A. McCulloh, and F.C. Meinzer Leaf hydraulic conductance, measured in situ, declines and recovers daily: leaf hydraulics, water potential and stomatal conductance in four temperate and three tropical tree species Tree Physiol, July 1, 2009; 29(7): 879 - 887. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. S. Feild, D. S. Chatelet, and T. J. Brodribb Giant Flowers of Southern Magnolia Are Hydrated by the Xylem Plant Physiology, July 1, 2009; 150(3): 1587 - 1597. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D.A. Coomes and L. Sack Response to comment on Coomes et al. 'Scaling of xylem vessels and veins within the leaves of oak species' Biol Lett, June 23, 2009; 5(3): 381 - 382. [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. K. Boyce, T. J. Brodribb, T. S. Feild, and M. A. Zwieniecki Angiosperm leaf vein evolution was physiologically and environmentally transformative Proc R Soc B, May 22, 2009; 276(1663): 1771 - 1776. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Gortan, A. Nardini, A. Gasco, and S. Salleo The hydraulic conductance of Fraxinus ornus leaves is constrained by soil water availability and coordinated with gas exchange rates Tree Physiol, April 1, 2009; 29(4): 529 - 539. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Saha, N. M. Holbrook, L. Montti, G. Goldstein, and G. K. Cardinot Water Relations of Chusquea ramosissima and Merostachys claussenii in Iguazu National Park, Argentina Plant Physiology, April 1, 2009; 149(4): 1992 - 1999. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D.R. Woodruff, F.C. Meinzer, B. Lachenbruch, and D.M. Johnson Coordination of leaf structure and gas exchange along a height gradient in a tall conifer Tree Physiol, February 1, 2009; 29(2): 261 - 272. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Noblin, L. Mahadevan, I. A. Coomaraswamy, D. A. Weitz, N. M. Holbrook, and M. A. Zwieniecki Optimal vein density in artificial and real leaves PNAS, July 8, 2008; 105(27): 9140 - 9144. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A Coomes, S. Heathcote, E. R Godfrey, J. J Shepherd, and L. Sack Scaling of xylem vessels and veins within the leaves of oak species Biol Lett, June 23, 2008; 4(3): 302 - 306. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Sack, E. M. Dietrich, C. M. Streeter, D. Sanchez-Gomez, and N. M. Holbrook Leaf palmate venation and vascular redundancy confer tolerance of hydraulic disruption PNAS, February 5, 2008; 105(5): 1567 - 1572. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]