Summary
The daily course of stomatal conductance and transpiration was monitored on each separate face of vertical phyllodes of various acacias. The selected phyllodes had a north-south orientation so that one side faced eastwards and the other westwards. The principal measurements were made on Acacia longifolia and A. melanoxylon in Portugal in late summer and autumn, and additional measurements were made on A. ligulata and A. melanoxylon in Australia. In Portugal, irrespective of soil moisture status, conductance showed on early morning maximum with a subsequent gradual decline and sometimes a subsidiary peak in the late afternoon. Maximum conductances appeared to be a function of soil moisture status, whereas the decline in conductance in the late morning and afternoon was correlated with changes in phyllode-to-air vapour pressure deficits rather than changes in phyllode water status. The relationship of transpiration to phyllode water potential did not appear to be influenced by soil moisture status, although transpiration was less in drier soils and in the afternoons, this latter factor contributing to a marked hysteresis in the relationship. The opposing faces of the phyllodes exhibited a high degree of synchrony, showing parallel stomatal opening and closing, despite their large differences in irradiance. Stomatal conductance tended to be higher on the eastern faces in the morning and lower in the afternoon. In A. longifolia the daily average of relative conductance was much the same for both faces, but in A. melanoxylon that of the eastern face was higher and was retained even when the normal orientation of the phyllodes was reversed by turning them through 180°. Synchrony must be achieved by the stomata of both sides responding to common environmental or endogenous signals which are perceived by both surfaces with equal sensitivity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beadle NLW (1981) The vegetation of Australia. Fischer, Stuttgart New York
Bertsch A, Domes W (1969a) CO2-Gaswechsel amphistomatischer Blätter, 1. Der Einfluß unterschiedlicher Stomataverteilung der beiden Blattepidermen auf den CO2-Transport. Planta 85: 183–193
Bertsch A, Domes W (1969b) CO2-Gaswechsel amphistomatischer Blätter. 3. Das unterschiedliche Zeitverhalten der Stomata beider Blattseiten in Abhängigkeit von der vorausgegangenen Dunkelzeit. Planta 89: 47–55
Beyschlag W (1984) Photosynthese und Wasserhaushalt von Arbutus unedo L. im Jahreslauf am Freilandstandort in Portugal. Gaswechselmessungen unter natürlichen Bedingungen und experimentelle Faktorenanalyse. Thesis, Würzburg
Beyschlag W, Lange OL, Tenhunen JD (1986) Photosynthese und Wasserhaushalt der mediterranen Hartlaubpflanze Arbutus unedo L. im Jahreslauf am Freilandstandort in Portugal. I. Tagesläufe von CO2-Gaswechsel und Transpiration unter natürlichen Bedingungen. Flora (Jena) 178: 409–444
Darwin FD (1897) Observations on stomata by a new method. Proc Cambridge Philos Soc 9: 303–308
Driessche van den R, Connor DJ, Tunstall BR (1971) Photosynthetic response of brigalow to irradiance, temperature and water potential. Photosynthetlca 5: 210–217
Fuchsig H (1914) Untersuchungen über die Transpiration und den anatomischen Bau der Fiederblätter und Phyllodien einiger Acacia-Arten. Bot Jahrb 51: 472–500
Gifford RM, Musgrave RB (1973) Stomatal role in the variability of net CO2 exchange rates by two maize inbreds. Aust J Biol Sci 26: 35–44
Hall AE, Schulze E-D, Lange OL (1976) Current perspectives of steady-state stomatal responses to environment. In: Lange OL, Kappen L, Schulze E-D (eds) Water and plant life. Ecol Stud 19: 169–188
Hellmuth EO (1969) Eco-physiological studies on plants in arid and semi-arid regions in Western Australia. II. Field physiology of Acacia craspedocarpa F. Muell. J Ecol 57: 613–634
Hellmuth EO (1971a) Eco-physiological studies on plants in arid and semi-arid regions in Western Australia. III. Comparative studies on photosynthesis, respiration and water relations of ten and zone and two semi-arid zone plants under winter and late summer climatic conditions. J Ecol 59: 225–259
Hellmuth EO (1971b) Eco-physiological studies on plants in arid and semi-arid regions in Western Australia. IV. Comparison of the field physiology of the host, Acacia grasbyi and its hemiparasite, Amyema nestor under optimal and water stress conditions. J Ecol 59: 351–363
Kaplan DR (1980) Heteroblastic leaf development in Acacia. Morphological and morphogenetic implications. Cellule 73: 137–203
Körner C, Cochrane P (1985) Stomatal responses and water relations of Eucalyptus pauciflora in summer along an elevational gradient. Oecologia (Berlin) 66: 443–455
Kowalik PJ, Turner NC (1983) Diurnal changes in the water relations and transpiration of a soybean crop simulated during the development of water deficits. Irrig Sci 4: 225–238
Küppers M, Wheeler AM, Küppers BIL, Kirschbaum MUF, Farquhar GD (1986) Carbon fixation in eucalypts in the field. Analysis of diurnal variations in photosynthetic capacity. Oecologia (Berlin) 70: 273–282
Lange OL, Koch W, Schulze E-D (1969) CO2-Gaswechsel und Wasserhaushalt von Pflanzen in der Negev Wüste am Ende der Trockenzeit. Ber Dtsch Bot Ges 82: 39–61
Lange OL, Lösch R, Schulze E-D, Kappen L (1971) Responses of stomata to changes in air humidity. Planta 100: 76–86
Lange OL, Tenhunen JD, Braun M (1982) Midday stomatal closure in mediterranean type sclerophylls under simulated habitat conditions in an environmental chamber. I. Comparison of the behaviour of various European mediterranean species. Flora (Jena) 172: 563–579
Leick E (1927) Untersuchungen über den Einfluß des Lichtes auf die Öffnungsweite unterseitiger und oberseitiger Stomata desselben Blattes. I. Jahrb Wiss Bot 67: 771–848
Lemesle R (1963) Contribution a l'étude histologique des phyllodes chez les Acacia Australiens. Rev Gen Bot 70: 235–257
Lösch R (1979) Stomatal responses to changes in air humidity. In: Sen DN (ed) Structure, function and ecology of stomata. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehra Dun (India), pp 189–116
Mott KA, O'Leary JW (1984) Stomatal behavior and CO2 exchange characteristics in amphistomatous leaves. Plant Physiol 74: 47–51
Mott KA, Gibson AC, O'Leary JW (1982) The adaptive significance of amphistomatous leaves. Plant Cell Environ 5: 455–460
Parkhurst DF (1978) The adaptive significance of stomatal occurrence on one or both surfaces of leaves. J Ecol 66: 367–383
Pereira JS, Tenhunen JD, Lange OL, Beyschlag W, Meyer A, David MM (1986) Seasonal and diurnal patterns in leaf gas exchange of Eucalyptus globulus trees growing in Portugal. Can J For Res 16: 177–184
Peters T (1926) Anatomische Untersuchungen an phyllodiinen Akazien. Bein Bot Centralbl 43: 204–254
Pospíšilová J, Solárová J (1980) Environmental and biological control of diffusive conductances of adaxial and abaxial epidermes. Photosynthetica 14: 90–127
Raschke K (1979) Movements of stomata. In: Haupt W, Feinleib ME (eds) Encyclopedia of plant physiology, vol 7. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 383–441
Schulze E-D, Hall AE (1982) Stomatal response, water loss and CO2 assimilation rates of plants in contrasting environments. In: Lange OL, Nobel PS, Osmond CB, Ziegler H (eds) Physiological plant ecology. II. Water relations and carbon assimilation. Encyclopedia of plant physiology, vol 12B. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 181–230
Schulze E-D, Lange OL, Evenari M, Kappen L, Buschbom U (1974) The role of air humidity and leaf temperature in controlling stomatal resistance of Prunus armeniaca L. under desert conditions. I. A simulation of the daily time course of stomatal resistance. Oecologia (Berlin) 17: 159–170
Schulze E-D, Hall EA, Lange OL, Walz H (1982) A portable steady-state porometer for measuring the carbon dioxide and water vapour exchange of leaves under natural conditions. Oecologia (Berlin) 53: 141–145
Slavik B (1974) Methods of studying plant water relations. Ecological studies 9. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Tenhunen JD, Lange OL, Jahner D (1982) The control by atmospheric factors and water stress of midday stomatal closure in Arbutus unedo growing in a natural macchia. Oecologia (Berlin) 55: 165–169
Tenhunen JD, Lange OL, Gebel J, Beyschlag W, Weber JA (1984) Changes in photosynthetic capacity, carboxylation efficiency, and CO2 compensation point associated with midday stomatal closure and midday depression of CO2 exchange of leaves of Quercus suber. Planta 162: 193–203
Tenhunen JD, Lange OL, Harley PC, Beyschlag W, Meyer A (1985) Limitations due to water stress on leaf net photosynthesis of Quercus coccifera in the Portuguese evergreen scrub. Oecologia (Berlin) 67: 23–30
Tichá I (1982) Photosynthetic characteristics during ontogenesis of leaves. 7. Stomata density and size. Photosynthetica 16: 375–471
Turner NC (1979) Differences in response of adaxial and abaxial stomata to environmental variables. In: Sen DN (ed) Structure, function and ecology of stomata. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehra Dun (India), pp 229–250
Turner NC, Singh DP (1984) Responses of adaxial and abaxial stomata to light and water deficits in sunflower and sorghum. New Phytol 96: 187–195
Ullmann I, Lange OL, Ziegler H, Ehleringer J, Schulze E-D, Cowan IR (1985) Diurnal courses of leaf conductance and transpiration of mistletoes and their hosts in Central Australia. Oecologia (Berlin) 67: 577–587
Walter H, Breckle S-W (1984) Spezielle Ökologie der Tropischen und Subtropischen Zonen. (Ökologie der Erde, vol 2) Fischer, Stuttgart
Walters GA, Bartholomew DP (1984) Acacia koa leaves and phyllodes: gas exchange, morphological, anatomical and biochemical characteristics. Bot Gaz 145: 351–357
Whibley OJE (1980) Acacias of South Australia. DJ Woolman, Government Printer, S.A.
Wong SC, Cowan IR, Farquhar GD (1978) Leaf conductance in relation to assimilation in Eucalyptus pauciflora Sieb. ex Spreng.: influence of irradiance and partial pressure of carbon dioxide. Plant Physiol 62: 670–674
Wong SC, Cowan IR, Farquhar GD (1985) Leaf conductance in relation to rate of CO2 assimilation. II. Effects of shortterm exposures to different photon flux densities. Plant Physiol 78: 826–829
Wood JG (1934) The physiology of xerophytism in Australian plants. The stomatal frequencies, transpiration and osmotic pressures of sclerophyll and tomentose-succulent leaved plants. J Ecol 22: 69–87
Yera R, Davis S, Frazer J, Tallman G (1986) Responses of adaxial and abaxial stomata of normally oriented and inverted leaves of Vicia faba L. to light. Plant Physiol 82: 384–389
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lange, O.L., Ullmann, I., Tenhunen, J.D. et al. Stomatal conductance and transpiration of the two faces of Acacia phyllodes. Trees 1, 110–122 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00203579
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00203579