Measuring leaf hydraulic conductance using a vacuum chamber method
2009
Harayama, H.(Forestry and Forest Products Research Inst., Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)) | Uemura, A. | Ishida, A.
Plant hydraulic architecture is one of the predominant factors affecting leaf gas exchange. The water transport pathway through a plant can be divided into three components: the root, stem, and leaf systems. Recently, much attention has focused on leaf hydraulic properties as an important ecophysiological trait of plants for determining leaf gas exchange. However, there are few measurements of leaf hydraulic conductance, especially in Japan. To introduce a vacuum chamber method for measuring leaf hydraulic conductance, we describe the procedure with some data examples, and review the measurement principles. The vacuum chamber method is more convenient than other methods for measuring leaf hydraulic conductance, although the measurements take time. The vacuum chamber method is also suitable for cavitated leaf samples. Data on leaf hydraulics should accumulate and this paper should promote research in this area dramatically, in Japan.
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