importance of nutritional regulation of plant water flux

• Published in: Oecologia Vol. 161; no. 1; pp. 15 - 24
• Main Authors: Cramer, Michael D, Hawkins, Heidi-Jayne, Verboom, G. Anthony
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01-08-2009; Springer; Springer-Verlag; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Aquaporins; Aquaporins - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Carbon dioxide; Carbon Dioxide - metabolism; Concepts; Concepts, Reviews and Syntheses; Ecology; Fluctuations; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agroecology; General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping; General agronomy. Plant production; General aspects; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hydrology/Water Resources; Life Sciences; Mass flow; Models, Biological; Nitrates - metabolism; Nitrogen; Nutrient availability; Nutrient flow; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - physiology; Photosynthesis; Plant Growth Regulators - metabolism; Plant nutrition; Plant roots; Plant Sciences; Plant Stomata - physiology; Plant Transpiration - physiology; Plants; Reviews and Syntheses; Rhizosphere; Soil nutrients; Stomata; Stomatal conductance; Transpiration; Water - metabolism; Water use; Leaf size; Nocturnal transpiration; Agriculture; Water use efficiency; Elevated carbon dioxide; Transpiration; Nutrition; Carbon dioxide; Plant leaf; Morphometry
• ISSN: 0029-8549; 1432-1939
• DOI: 10.1007/s00442-009-1364-3

Transpiration is generally considered a wasteful but unavoidable consequence of photosynthesis, occurring because water is lost when stomata open for CO₂ uptake. Additionally, transpiration has been ascribed the functions of cooling leaves, driving root to shoot xylem transport and mass flow of nutrients through the soil to the rhizosphere. As a consequence of the link between nutrient mass flow and transpiration, nutrient availability, particularly that of NO₃ ⁻, partially regulates plant water flux. Nutrient regulation of transpiration may function through the concerted regulation of: (1) root hydraulic conductance through control of aquaporins by NO₃ ⁻, (2) shoot stomatal conductance (g s) through NO production, and (3) pH and phytohormone regulation of g s. These mechanisms result in biphasic responses of water flux to NO₃ ⁻ availability. The consequent trade-off between water and nutrient flux has important implications for understanding plant distributions, for production of water use-efficient crops and for understanding the consequences of global-change-linked CO₂ suppression of transpiration for plant nutrient acquisition.